The Committee

1. Takes note that Barbados has nominated The social and cultural traditions associated with landships in Barbados (No. 02307) for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding:

Landships are community-based cultural groups known for their social structure, performances and shared traditions. They are organized like naval ships, with members holding ranks such as Lord High Admiral, Commander and Kit Inspector. Members use nautical terms with localized meanings to reflect life challenges and achievements. Landships meet at a place called the ‘dock’, where they hold gatherings known as ‘dock nights’ for social interaction and the sharing of traditions. Their performances during these gatherings are a blend of naval drills and African cultural elements, accompanied by music and dances.

2. Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding:

U.1:   A key practice of the landships is the ‘susu’, which entails the pooling of resources to financially support members during illness, unemployment, and for funerals. The practice is passed down through participation, observation and oral storytelling, particularly during meetings and events. Schools and community groups also contribute through training and outreach activities. A symbol of community resilience, landships foster mutual support and a sense of belonging. They also promote community pride, social cohesion, and intergenerational learning.

U.2:   The practice is currently under threat due to a steady decline in the number of landships and in membership resulting from interruptions in transmission and increased access to formalized social and banking services, among others. Despite these challenges, landships members and related entities have shown renewed interest in revitalizing landships traditions.

U.3:   The safeguarding plan outlines three general objectives: (a) raising awareness among the population of the importance of landships and their practices; (b) increasing opportunities for the practice and transmission of the element; and (c) strengthening the capacities of landships. The activities proposed to achieve these objectives are relevant and place communities at the centre.

U.4:   Landships members and relevant stakeholders were actively involved in all stages of the nomination process, including a national consultation held in 2023. The safeguarding plan and the documents comprising the file were prepared with the active participation and consensus of the communities concerned.

U.5:   The element was included in the Barbados Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022. The inventory is managed by the Division of Culture, Prime Minister’s Office and is regularly updated.

3. Decides to inscribe The social and cultural traditions associated with landships in Barbados on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
4. Encourages the submitting State Party to implement a problem-solving safeguarding plan oriented to the specific, concrete element-related threat, seeking to find ways in which the element could be adapted or integrated into the changed contemporary socio-cultural and economic reality;
5. Commends the State Party for its first inscription;
6. Further takes note that Barbados has requested International Assistance in the amount of US$99,900 for the implementation of the safeguarding plan Safeguarding of the social and cultural practices associated with landships in Barbados (No. 02308):

To be implemented by the Division of Culture, Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, this twenty-four-month project aims to spread awareness and support the transmission of landships, community-based cultural groups known for their social structure, performances and shared traditions. In addition to strengthening the capacities of existing landships, the project entails spreading awareness of the element and increasing opportunities for its practice. As part of an ongoing four-year safeguarding plan, the project will be implemented in each of the eleven parishes in Barbados. It will build on the ongoing teacher’s training programme to include stakeholders beyond the education sector, and expand the reach of the school landships to an additional eight schools. It will also involve an annual campaign to generate public awareness and interest in landships over the month of October. In addition to the above-mentioned awareness-raising activities, the project will contribute to capacity-building by supporting the Barbados Landship Association through technical and in-kind support, training workshops, and the establishment of five community landships. This project is expected to enhance the capacities of practitioners and other stakeholders to safeguard intangible cultural heritage while empowering the landship community to lead safeguarding initiatives.

7. Considers that, from the information included in the file, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:

A.1:   Community involvement in this initiative has been strong, with landships participating in the development of proposals for safeguarding measures. All measures have been designed in collaboration with these groups and will be achieved through the full participation of practitioners and knowledge bearers.

A.2:   The budget is clearly structured and aligned with the proposed activities. In addition, the request specifies responsibilities for fund management.

A.3:   The request presents a comprehensive programme of activities based on the current needs of the landship communities as well as on lessons learned from previous safeguarding experiences. Mechanisms for coordination and distribution of responsibilities are included in the proposal to ensure its feasibility.

A.4:   Within the framework of the project, capacity-building is the main means of ensuring the safeguarding of the element. Acquiring knowledge about the various aspects of cultural heritage management should enable practitioners to be better equipped to promote and maintain safeguarding measures tailored to their needs in an autonomous manner.

A.5:   The project costs are shared with the State Party, which is covering a significant portion of the expenses. In doing so, the State Party reinforces its commitment to safeguarding the element.

A.6:   The main goals of the project include capacity-building and improving skills in managing intangible cultural heritage, with special emphasis placed on landship communities. The project also aims to strengthen the ability of partner institutions to work with practitioners, ensuring the community’s voice is respected and supported beyond the project’s duration.

A.7:   The requesting State Party has not previously received any financial assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund of the 2003 Convention to implement activities in the field of intangible cultural heritage.

Paragraph 10(a): The implementation of the project requires the collaboration of various stakeholders, including practitioners, experts, technicians, civil society and state institutions at the national level.

Paragraph 10(b): The assistance provided is likely to have multiplier effects, resulting in further funding, partnerships and replication efforts. The capacity-building activities will help landships develop their own projects, prepare funding applications, and mobilize resources. In addition, awareness-raising may encourage more organizations to work with the landships.

8. Decides to approve the International Assistance request from Barbados for the implementation of the safeguarding plan Safeguarding of the social and cultural practices associated with landships in Barbados, and grants the amount of US$99,900 to the State Party to this end;
9. Further encourages the requesting State Party, when using the funds, to prioritize activities that directly contribute to safeguarding the element, rather than the acquisition of merchandise;
10. Requests that the Secretariat reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on the technical details of the assistance both before and over the course of the implementation of the project, paying particular attention to ensuring that the budget, timelines and work plan of the activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund are detailed and specific enough to provide sufficient justification of the expenditures;
11. Invites the requesting State Party to use Form ICH-04-Report to report on the use of the assistance granted;
12. Also encourages the submitting State Party to follow the clear relationships between the threats and implemented safeguarding measures as a response to reduce the impact of these threats. By application of safeguarding measures, the element should be adapted or integrated into the changed, contemporary socio-cultural and economic reality.