The Proud of my Heritage: transmission and safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Grenada through inventorying and education initiatives is a national project officially approved and funded by UNESCO to identify, register and promote our Living Heritage around the tri-island of Grenada. Any intangible cultural heritage element which reflects our identity and national pride that we recognize to be important and/or is under threat, deserves to be safeguarded and transmitted to next generations as:

• Language and oral tradition: any way of expression or communication, storytelling.
• Traditional knowledge about nature and the universe: knowledge that human groups have generated and accumulated over time in their relationship with our territory and the environment.
• Traditional medicine and botanical: knowledge and traditional practices of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases including psychological and spiritual aspects.
• Techniques and skills associated with the manufacture of handicraft objects, musical instruments, tools.
• Traditional production: knowledge, practices and innovations of local communities related to traditional agricultural, forestry, fishing production and the collection of wild products and community exchange systems.
• Popular arts: music, dance, literary, audiovisual and plastic traditions that are perpetuated by our communities.
• Traditional religious of a collective nature: social and ceremonial events and rituals for religious purposes.
• Culinary art: traditional practices of transformation, conservation, handling and consumption of food.
• ICH associated with cultural spaces, including tradition bearers and cultural practitioners.
• Festive and recreational events.

The project had three key objectives. Firstly, pilot inventorying exercises were conducted in the tri-island of Grenada. During this stage, capacity building workshops on the 2003 Convention, mechanisms to safeguard living heritage, and community-based inventorying methodologies were held with local stakeholders. Secondly, the “Proud of My Heritage” education programme for elementary school grades children was implemented to raise awareness and transmit intangible cultural heritage in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The school community was involved in inventorying exercises and a pilot programme to integrate living heritage within the education system by using hands-on, crossover & technology learning methods. Thirdly, the Proud of My Heritage media campaign was launched to raise awareness about Grenada’s living heritage. As part of this stage, a platform and network were created for the general public to express their opinions about intangible cultural heritage. The campaign involved TV and radio interviews, press releases, social media campaigns, heritage booth exhibition, ICH photography contest, ICH Calendars & billboards, ICH Award Ceremony, schools showcases & exhibitions.

The Grenada National Trust led and implemented the project at the national level with the collaboration of local and regional stakeholders interested in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage. In addition, living heritage bearers and practitioners, local communities, researchers, lecturers and students were involved in intangible cultural heritage activities during 18 months.

Proud of my Heritage’ Project milestones (2021 – 2023):

–  150 Workshop attendees.

– 43 Cultural practitioners interviewed.

– 24 Communities from all 7 Parishes involved.

– 13 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements documented.

– 1^st ICH Inventory List for Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique available at GNT website.

– One ICH photo contest which recognized local competitors, including youths.

– 7 ICH billboards around the Tri-island.

– ICH Resource Guide created & distributed among 180 schools’ teachers.

– Proud of my Heritage Education Programme created and implemented in 7 pilot schools (20 teachers trained & over 600 children impacted)

– One Proud of my Heritage event/booth in Feb. 2023, displaying Grenada’s Cultural elements.

– One Proud of my Heritage/Award Ceremony

More info:

UNESCO NEWS: Proud of my Heritage: Grenada receives funding for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage Project: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/proud-my-heritage-grenada-receives-funding-safeguarding-intangible-cultural-heritage-project

Project Documents: https://ich.unesco.org/en/assistances/-proud-of-my-heritage-transmission-and-safeguarding-of-the-intangible-cultural-heritage-in-grenada-through-inventorying-and-education-initiatives-01627. You can read and/or download all documents related to the project in this link.

#ProudofmyHeritage #UNESCO #CulturalHeritage #Culture #Grenada #Carriacou #PetiteMartinique

The protection and promotion of cultural heritage was identified as a priority during Meetings of Ministers and Cultural Authorities in recent years. At regional conferences, Members of Caribbean States all express interest in receiving support for the development and preservation of heritage. Heritage Tourism was recommended as a major strategic objective in the current independent consultant report to the Grenada Tourism Authority.

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International community recognized Grenada as the Spice of the Caribbean and as a destination with beautiful natural beaches and landscapes but local people and tourists do not know about the Natural and Physical Heritage sites. The Grenada National Trust created and launched the Grenada Heritage Map App to recognize and promote physical heritage sites including natural-landscapes and architectural buildings-monuments. This App contains over 50 points of interest with directions by using Google Maps or Apple Maps; its description, photos, operating hours and, contact information. Most important, this App can be downloaded for free at any part of the world, including Grenada’s diaspora, tourists and local people.

Currently, GNT has an agreement with Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) and other stakeholders to create and launch the Grenada GeoTourism Mobile Map as an initiative to promote Grenada’s Heritage sites and Tourism attractions for visitors and residents.

Download Heritage Map from Google Play Store and Apple App Store

Many of the world’s most iconic sites now offer virtual tours which mean you can visit museums, heritage sites and other cultural attractions from the comfort of your couch. 

If you are looking for things to do at home and in need of a change of scenery, or want to share this experience with your loved ones, simply grab your laptop, tablet or phone, and join us on a Grenada tour filled with nature, history and culture.

Grenada Virtual Tour is a new and innovative project – the cultural and heritage tourist platform based on aerial virtual tours, 360 VR and/or 3D virtual tours in Grenada. The idea is to cover the tri-island of Grenada with 25 aerial/virtual tours in 2022.

Now we are working on the first phase of the project where people will be asked about which site they want to start with as a way of raising awareness about promoting and safeguarding ours Heritage for next generations. As you can see on the Grenada National Trust map, there are over 50 destinations identified as heritage sites but you can nominate any tangible or intangible cultural heritage element you wish to be documented and preserved with an aerial and/or virtual tour. 

The “Approach to the Protection, Conservation and Nomination of St. George’s Fortified System, Grenada” – 2004 Report was created “to assist, identify and nominate the Grenada’ heritage sites to be included at the UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List. The report reveals challenges with regard to Grenada’ heritage sites. One important recommendation was “to come to a balanced National Monuments List by gathering data on the cultural heritage of Grenada for its management and safeguarding”. The Grenada National Trust (GNT) already identified a list of potential monuments/buildings and landscapes that can be documented and assessed but needs to be approved by the Government of Grenada and funded as well (Request for national sites to be considered as National Heritage Landmarks/Monuments, Cabinet Conclusion, Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Culture and the Performing Arts, October 22nd 2007).

Step back into the past…Have you seen these times? What happened back then? Where have we come from?

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Join Grenada Online platform

We invite all who are interested in joining our platform – places, hotels, restaurants or any other heritage elements. If you like our idea and would like to support us by raising awareness while we promote and safeguard Grenada’s heritage please donate any amount towards our monetary goal to create the 1^st virtual tour. Also, we invite you to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages where we will publish all panoramas, share and spread its content!