The Bureau,
- Recalling Article 23 of the Convention as well as Chapter I.4 of the Operational Directives relating to the eligibility and criteria of International Assistance requests,
- Having examined Document ITH/18/13.COM2.BUR/4 as well as International Assistance request no. 01442 submitted by Haiti,
- Takes note that Haiti has requested International Assistance for the project entitled Programme in support of the education system for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage (PASS-TPCI):
Implemented by the non-governmental organization Réf-Culture, the proposed eighteen-month project is aimed at safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Haiti through its formal transmission to young generations. The project was conceived to respond to the current education system in the country whose reform was initiated over thirty years ago, partly to promote national identity and culture. The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) introduced classes on art and art history but no official programme centred on the transmission of intangible cultural heritage in schools. As part of the new secondary curriculum, the project proposes introducing a new cultural education programme focused on intangible cultural heritage in forty schools across four selected departments in the country. Specifically, it aims to: develop and present a detailed programme concerning intangible cultural heritage-related education in secondary schools on the basis of the cooperation mechanism established with the Ministry of Culture and the MENFP (representatives of these institutions will also participate in the project); train at least forty teachers to teach courses on living heritage; make didactic materials available to students for these classes. Based on the follow-up reports and project evaluation, a case will be made to extend the programme to cover all schools in the secondary system.
- Further takes note that this assistance is to support a project implemented at the national level, in accordance with Article 20 (c) of the Convention, and that it takes the form of the provision of a grant, pursuant to Article 21 (g) of the Convention;
- Also takes note that Haiti has requested assistance in the amount of US$98,970 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for the implementation of this project;
- Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01442, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
Criterion A.1: For this project, which was initiated by the non-governmental organization Réf-Culture in collaboration with national authorities, community participation seems to have been ensured from the very beginning of the project planning stage through a series of consultation activities aimed at establishing a participatory management mechanism for the project. In particular, local committees comprising representatives of local communities, civil society and local institutions are expected to play a key role in the implementation of each stage of the project, from the development of the content of the pedagogical materials and the teacher training to the mid-term and final evaluation;
Criterion A.2: The total amount of assistance requested and the budget per activity seem appropriate and in line with the scope of the project to achieve the desired results;
Criterion A.3: The proposed activities, which are structured around the following three phases, are well-conceived and feasible: the development of the content of the educational programme on intangible cultural heritage and the training of teachers; the teaching of the programme in the selected schools; and the evaluation of the project as well as the official submission of the programme to the Ministry of Education. The project also includes continued consultation and monitoring among all the stakeholders concerned, as well as communication and outreach initiatives throughout;
Criterion A.4: As part of a long-term strategy, the project results are likely to last beyond the end of the assistance, as a result both of their planned integration into the educational programmes by the Ministry of Education, and of the capacities of the trained teachers to pursue the teaching of intangible cultural heritage in schools. Moreover, researchers are expected to be more mindful of the needs and aspirations of the communities following their participation in the project;
Criterion A.5: The requesting State will share 6 per cent and the implementing agency 9 per cent of the overall budget of the project for which International Assistance is requested;
Criterion A.6: In addition to the new capacities created within the pool of educational staff to teach students about the intangible cultural heritage of the communities concerned, the project is expected to generate enhanced capacities amongst younger generations who will gain a better understanding of their intangible cultural heritage and the importance of its transmission. Furthermore, through the participatory local management committee, the project will also contribute to strengthening the capacities of local communities, civil society as well as local and national officials;
Criterion A.7: Although Haiti has not previously benefitted from International Assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, it was one of the three beneficiary countries of a capacity-building programme for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage between 2012 and 2015, funded by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund thanks to a voluntary supplementary contribution from Norway. Work stipulated by contracts with Haitian national counterparts related to this project was carried out in compliance with UNESCO regulations;
Paragraph 10(a): The project is local in scope, involving cooperation between the local communities, education stakeholders, the UNESCO Associated Schools Network, provincial institutions, as well as the participation of the Ministries of Culture and Education;
Paragraph 10(b): The project is likely to have a multiplier effect through its replication by the Ministry of Education in other schools in the country. Moreover, it is enshrined in the educational reform carried out by the Ministry of Education directed at integrating an educational programme on intangible cultural heritage into the curriculum, and thus should benefit from the national budget allocated to education.
- Approves the International Assistance request from Haiti for the project entitled Programme in support of the education system for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage (PASS-TPCI) and grants the amount of US$98,970 to the State Party to this end;
- Welcomes this request as one of the first examples of International Assistance requests focused on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through education and congratulates the submitting State for this initiative;
- Recalls that intangible cultural heritage shall be identified by the communities themselves, who are the primary actors of its transmission and safeguarding and invites the State Party to ensure the widest possible participation of the communities of the selected schools in the identification and design of the intangible cultural heritage content of the pedagogical material, as well as to dedicate sufficient time to this end to ensure a truly community-based approach;
- Invites the State Party to use Form ICH-04 Report when reporting on the use of the assistance provided;
- Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the assistance, paying particular attention to a detailed work plan and the budget of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund that is specific enough to provide a sufficient justification of the expenditures and to allow the actual expenses to be matched directly against the projections.