Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE) - FACE

Belgium

Contact: +32 (0) 2 732 69 00
Postal address: Rue Belliard 205 1040 Brussels
Geographic Coverage of NGO’s expertise: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

URL: https://www.face.eu



Year of creation: 1978

Safeguarding measures:

- identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making)
- preservation, protection
- promotion, enhancement
- transmission, (non-)formal education
- revitalization



Main areas of work related to the Convention:

As a Federation much of the direct activities related to safeguarding cultural heritage is conducted by our Members who in many cases have persons dedicated to managing cultural heritage activities (e.g. horn blowing, different hunting methods, gastronomy, etc.) and regularly organise training and events to keep the traditions alive. (See section 7) We have also organised events at a European level to showcase hunting's rich cultural heritage, including a high level event at the European Parliament called “Hunting & Culture”. Additional information: FACE is a non-profit international organisation, which represents national Member Associations from 36 European countries whose total membership is 7,000,000 individuals. FACE is ensuring an active membership community to pursue the objectives for which it was established. It regularly convenes the Member Associations in various Working Groups, such as the ones on 'hunting with hounds', 'bow hunting', 'ethics', 'how to communicate hunting' and others. It organises an Annual General Meeting to discuss matters of the Federation. It provides a platform for contacts between its Members and European decision-makers, inter alia in the framework of the Intergroup "Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity & Rural Activities", which meets regularly in the European Parliament and for which FACE is providing the Secretariat. In addition FACE is organising events showcasing huntings' rich cultural heritage, such as the recent on "Hunting and Culture" in the European Parliament, held on 22 April 2009, where participants had a gastronomic experience of game meat traditions from Austria and France, could listen to German and French hornblowers and met wildlife painters displaying their art. Representatives of FACE in our Member Associations are organising numerous activities related to the safeguarding of hunting as a cultural heritage and are dedicated to managing cultural heritage activities (e.g. different hunting methods - such as stalking, calling, hunting with hounds, falconry, hornblowing, gastronomy, festive events, etc.). They regularly organise training (hunting courses, courses in taxidermy and the making of hunting artefacts) and events to keep the traditions alive. A part of showing hunting to the greater public is the organising of hunters' festivals: e.g. the annual Mednieku festivals Minhauzens in Latvia (the 12th being organised by FACE's Latvian Association in 2010), bringing together hunters and non-hunters to share knowledge about hunting. FACE's Slovak Association organised the annual Hunting Days in Levice (this year for the 15th time), where representatives from the State and Town Council, and a large number of visistors could admire exhibitions about nature and animals and the presentation and science on hunting trophies. Seminars are organised to promote and inform about specific traditions in the domain of hunting, like the one on hunting with hounds in Chambourg, France, in June 2009, or the one on game-meat in Stockholm, Sweden, in July 2009. In Italy and France and other Mediterranean countries hunters organisations hold bird regular calling competitions. Hunting as a intangible cultural heritage is being described by FACE and its Members in Ibooks and films: e.g. the role of hunters as holders of certain cultural values in society is described by our Swedish Association in the short film "Ett satt att leva" - "A way of living". Similar actions are carried out by most FACE Members.

Objectives

FACE's main objectives are to promote hunting, in accordance with the principle of wise and sustainable use of natural resources, as a tool for rural development and conservation of our wildlife and biodiversity, as well as to preserve hunting as a cultural heritage together with the hunters' communities by allowing hunting traditions and shared knowledge to be passed on. As part of this FACE, representing 7,000,000 hunters and recognising the rich cultural traditions associated with hunting and hunters, works to safeguarding the undeniable, rich and varied cultural aspects that sustainable hunting traditions have added to and have helped to enriched Europe’s common heritage, as reflected over the centuries in our art, gastronomy, music and literature. Additional information: 1) To promote and defend hunting, in accordance with the principles of sustainable use of natural ressources. Hunting has long and deep traditions spanning over thousands of years. Hunting as such (i.e. different hunting methods, such as hunting with hounds, falconry, stalking, calling etc.) as well as the traditions associated with hunting (like music, art, festive events, literature, knowledge about nature, gastronomy, hunting artefacts) constitute a rich and multiMfaceted intangible cultural heritage. In promoting and defending hunting, FACE seeks to safeguard a cultural heritage together with hunters' communities by allowing hunting traditions and shared knowledge to be passed on. 2) To establish and maintain permanent relations and exchanges between hunting associations, supporting their efforts and taking part in their work. 3) To defend the moral and physical interests of members of Member Associations, taking joint decisions on subjects of common interest and implementing those decisions. This along with the promotion of hunting (as mentioned in point 1) implies to develop, maintain and amend national and international laws, treaties and conventions to permit the pursuit and perpetuation of hunting traditions, hunters' interaction with nature and their history, which provide our members with a sense of identity and continuity. 4) To contribute towards enlightening the public at large as to the principles of sustainable hunting, their value in the management and wise use of game and its habitats, as well as to the important role the public can play in the conservation of game and its habitats. This includes to uphold a positive public image of hunting and respect for hunting culture and traditions. 5) To promote all forms of activity, research and contacts associated with game and habitats, in particular with all national and international organisations which have similar concerns or would help in achieving the Federation's goal. 6) To raise and manage funds to contribute financially to projects of scientific research, of technical work, of conservation and management of wildlife and its habitats, of information and awareness raising and to any other initiative aiming to promote biodiversity conservation through the sustainable use of renewable natural resources.

Cooperation

As mentioned above our Members, who are the representative hunting associations of 36 European countries, contribute to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of hunting. As a Federation we recognise four broad social cultures of hunting in Europe as follows: 1. Anglo-saxon 2. Germanic 3. Nordic 4. Mediterranean We as a Federation maintain dialogue and exchanges between these different hunting cultures and also with other rural stakeholders. Individually our Members maintain cultural practices in their countries in line with the standards and ethics of hunting. In particular they maintain traditions and practices through training and organisation of events - e.g. horn blowing, singing, story telling, bird calling, hunting terms/language and cooking. It should also be recognised that hunters being both urban and rural based bridge the growing urban-rural divide and actively participate in important local cultural activities e.g. The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations & the Slovácko Verbuňk, Recruit Dances. Additional information: Since its foundation in 1978, FACE, through various Members, has promoted and defended the practice, tradition and heritage of hunting where it has existed for centuries. As a Federation, our Members undertake to maintain aspects of their national hunting culture together with other rural stakeholders. FACE Members organise national exhibitions, contests and educational events related to their hunting culture. Where regions share similar cultures (Anglo-Saxon, Nordic, Central European & Mediterranean) their Membership to FACE facilitates cooperation in promoting and safeguarding their hunting culture. At European and international levels FACE promotes this rich hunting heritage as shown in our Manifesto for the period 2009-2014. This is done through various means, but in all cases through drawing on the expertise and knowledge from within our Membership. Where the cultural elements relate directly to the taking of wildlife we work to ensure that these traditional socio-cultural practices are in line with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Articles 8j & 10c). We are aware that there is a need to cooperate in a spirit of mutual respect especially on heritage issues related to hunting, which can on occasion be divisive. In this regard we are engaging in proactive consultation to overcome conflicts, where they exist. As a Secretariat we intervene when required to protect or promote the practice tradition and heritage of hunting. We regularly attend and lend support to national hunting events,most of which include significant elements related to the tradition and heritage of hunting.
Top