15 December

Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage (FUUH) receives the CICOP Award for Cultural Heritage Communication and Dissemination
FUUH jointly managed by the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO (WHC) and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia ( UPV, Spain), received the CICOP Award for Cultural Heritage Communication and Diffusion for its contribution in protecting and preserving Cultural Heritage, generating through research initiatives, projects for development and cultural innovation, an unprecedented mobilization between professors and youth worldwide, favouring a commitment and cooperation spirit aiming at strenthening interregional links through knowledge of Peoples' Cultural Heritage.
The International Centre for Heritage Conservation (CICOP) is a non-governmental institution which aims at enhancing the international cooperation of the Peoples' tangible Heritage. It is an initiative-generating institution par excellence, an entity of support and cooperation, devoted to the study of heritage-related problems and to seeking solutions for them. Over 500 worldwide experts form this international association, whose headquarters are located in Spain (Canary Is.) as a meeting point between Europe and the Americas.
More information: http://www.cicop.com/

10 December

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - Cancún: climate of change?
Climate of change, climate of confidence?
The challenge posed to humanity by climate change is as great and as urgent as ever. The impacts on people and biodiversity are already being felt in most parts of the world; this year has again seen a number of extreme, devastating weather events.
IUCN is sending a delegation of experts to the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun, Mexico, which takes place 29 November to 10 December. It wants to see progress in establishing an international post-2012 climate change regime which has so far proved painfully slow. The difficulties that caused a deadlock in Copenhagen have not yet been overcome but even if the adoption of a global, legally-binding agreement at the meeting is increasingly unlikely, progress can still be made on a number of key issues.
More information: http://www.iucn.org/unfccc/events/2010_cancun/conference/

Revised UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
Koro (Arunachal Pradesh, India) and Jeju (Jeju Island, Republic of Korea) have just been included in UNESCO’s new enhanced online Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. UNESCO is taking this opportunity to encourage language documentation and revitalization efforts throughout the world.
The discovery of Koro was announced by the National Geographic’s Enduring Voices Project in October 2010. An unwritten language spoken by about 800 to 1,000 people in the East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh (India), Koro had been known to linguists for some time, but was classified until now as a dialect of the Tibeto-Burman Aka language.
On the basis of information recently made available, the editorial team of the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger decided to update the Atlas by including Koro. Drs. Gregory Anderson and David Harrison of the Enduring Voices Project have also revealed that the speakers of Koro are culturally submerged within the dominant Aka ethnic group.
More information: http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap.html

13 October

United Kingdom: A number of our public bodies are set to be merged, abolished or streamlined
This is part of the Government's drive to cut costs and increase transparency, accountability and efficiency. Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, has proposed a number of changes. Some key functions carried out by some bodies would be transferred to others, existing organisations. It is an opportunity to improve accountability and efficiency.
“Many of these bodies were set up a considerable length of time ago, and times and demands have changed (…) The changes I have proposed today would help us deliver fantastic culture, media and sport, while ensuring value for money for the public and transparency about where taxpayers’ money is spent.” said Mr Hunt.
More information: http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7280.aspx

The outcome document for the MDG Summit was adopted by the General Assembly by consensus on 22 September. It includes an action agenda for achieving the Goals by 2015
To galvanize support for the Millennium Development Goals, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has established an MDG Advocacy Group of eminent personalities who have shown outstanding leadership in promoting the implementation of the Goals. The wide range of these Advocates’ backgrounds and expertise is indicative that the preparatory process for the MDG Summit in September needs to engage all stakeholders.
The MDG Advocacy Group will support the Secretary-General in building political will and mobilizing global action to make the MDG Summit a turning point in our collective effort to achieve the Goals by the 2015 target date.
More information: http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/mdg%20outcome%20document.pdf

11 October

Rebirth for Haiti: A new issue of the UNESCO Courier
How can Haitian society be rebuilt? What is the role of culture, education, the economy, in its rebirth? These are the questions raised in this issue of the UNESCO Courier.
It reflects the Forum held at UNESCO on 24 March 2010 that brought together experts and intellectuals from Haiti and elsewhere. Articles are signed by Raoul Peck, President of La Fémis film school in Paris; Wole Soyinka, Nigerian laureate of the Nobel prize for literature; Jacky Lumarque, rector of Quisqueya University and Alex Dupuy, American sociologist.
More information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco-courier/

6 October

PUBLICATIONS

“Heritage and Development: diversity as an alternative”, publication of the proceedings
The proceedings of the special session "Heritage and Development: diversity as an alternative" held on 18 December 2009 in the framework of the Africités V Summit in Marrakesh, have just been published.
Organized by UNESCO with the support of the France-UNESCO Convention and in collaboration with the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the session was opened by Mr Jean-Pierre Elong M'Bassi, General Secretary of the United Cities and Local Governments (CGLUA).
The two round tables led by Alain Godonou, Director of the Cultural Objects Division and Intangible Heritage, and by Lazare Eloundou, Chief of the Africa Unit of the World Heritage Centre, addressed the establishment of new development models inspired by cultural diversity, as well as recognized the work undertaken by UNESCO since 2003 for African local authorities, especially under the theme of 'heritage and local development'.
The proceedings bring together the presentations of the participants, presenting a summary of the debates and the final recommendations.
More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/665/

22 September

Millennium Development Goals: Culture for Development
UNESCO has long advocated that sustainable development strategies sensitive to cultural assets are the key to addressing the interlinked economic, social and environmental problems confronting all societies today. Seizing the opportunity to revisit the international development paradigm, which does not yet explicitly recognize the role of culture in and for development, UNESCO has decided to spearhead a high-level round table on Culture for Development during the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (New York, 20-22 September 2010).
More information: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=36406&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

31 May

• HAITI: Sector was a disaster prior to quake
  By Philip Fine
  University World News Issue: 126
  Before the devastating earthquake struck Haiti on 12 January, the country had no ministry dedicated to higher education, no funding agency for research, around 90% of its university professors did not possess a doctorate and three quarters of its universities operated without government accreditation. "The situation in Haiti was disastrous before the quake hit," said George Haddad, Director of Unesco's Division of Higher Education, in an interview with University World News.
  While the quake killed many in the university community, flattened scores of classrooms, ruined libraries and laboratories, the rebuilding of Haiti's universities, the theme of the recent two-day meeting in Montreal, remains a misnomer: Haiti's university system was yet to achieve the standards most nations would expect of their institutions of higher learning.
  The interview took place at the meeting hosted by the French-speaking university association, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). In its mobilization of aid for Haiti, AUF hopes to use Unesco's vast networks of expertise in higher education.
  More information: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20100529193117438

8 April

• Interview with Jacky Lumarque: Haitian university rector, innovator and agitator
  A new model of education has emerged from the ruins of Quisqueya University in Haiti, which was entirely destroyed when the earthquake hit on 12 January 2010, killing 17 students and staff. Driven by skills-based volunteering and solidarity, the initiative is rooted in the community and overseen by dynamic rector Jacky Lumarque.
  He spoke to EduInfo while in UNESCO for the Haiti Forum on 24 March.
  More information: http://www.unesco.org/en/education/dynamic-content-single-view/news/jacky_lumarque_haitian_university_rector_innovator_and_agitator/
  back/9195/cHash/b31a5338b7/

12 March

• New Publication on cultural heritage and environment - Preserving our heritage, improving our environment - 20 years of EU research into cultural heritage
  This publication, prepared by the DG Research in collaboration with the DG Education and Culture, consists of two volumes which illustrate the overall extent and extreme diversity of research in the tangible cultural heritage field as well as the inextricable links between the cultural heritage's preservation and the environment's protection. The first volume gives the reader a panoramic overview of the EC supported research in the tangible cultural heritage field, how it came into existence and how it has evolved progressively over the last 20 years. The second volume, on the other hand, provides the user with short descriptions of around 100 EC funded projects which were implemented between the year 2000 and 2008, mainly in the context of the 5th and 6th Framework Programmes (FP5 & FP6).
  More information: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2469_en.htm

3 March

• Architecture for Humanity helping Chile
  As we reported earlier, an earthquake of 8.8 on the Richter scale hit Chile last Saturday. The situation is very bad in the southern parts of the country, especially in coastal towns that were hit by a tsunami. Architects immediately started to volunteer, coordinated by the local architect's institute and the government, with the help of our friends at Plataforma Arquitectura. The first steps are to help the community by surveying damaged buildings, so that people can either return to them or be relocated. On completion of the surveys the processes of reinforcement or demolition of the structures can begin. Further action will include emergency housing, relocation, planning and re-construction of coastal cities, landmark preservation and so on. Architecture for Humanity has once again offered its resources to help, as they did in New Orleans, Haiti etc. If you would like to help just go to this link at Architecture for Humanity to make a donation and support the architects volunteering in Chile.
  More information: http://architectureforhumanity.org/

18 February

• UNESCO lays foundation for International Coordination Committee (ICC) for Haitian culture
  UNESCO laid the foundation for an International Coordination Committee (ICC) for Haitian culture at a meeting on 16 February in Paris, opened by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. The meeting was chaired by Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassègue, Haiti’s Minister of Culture and Communication, and Françoise Rivière, the Organization’s Assistant Director-General for Culture.
  More information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_lays_foundation_for_international_coordination_
  committee_icc_for_haitian_culture/back/18384/

17 February

• Invitation : Public Debate "The Dialogue of Cultures:New Avenues for Peace" Thursday, 18 February 2010, 3.15 p.m.
  On the occasion of the launch of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, a public debate on the theme “The Dialogue of Cultures: New Avenues for Peace”, moderated by the journalist Alex Taylor, will be held in Room I, from 3.15 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the presence of Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. Speakers will include personalities from the High Panel instituted by the Director-General to lead UNESCO’s action in favour of intercultural dialogue and peace.
  More information: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33674&Cr=unesco&Cr1=

3 February

• Languages: spaces of interaction and rapprochement
  The International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures is an invitation to talk. Multilingualism is essential to the conversation that leads to mutual understanding. Language learning and translation are therefore vital to the unity of humankind. Such are the major thrusts of the 11th International Mother Language Day. A printed version of the updated UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger is underway. A legacy of our cultural diversity, languages give access to the “minds of men” in which the “defences of peace must be constructed”.
  More information: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35143&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

New Publication on cultural heritage and environment - Preserving our heritage, improving our environment - 20 years of EU research into cultural heritage
This publication, prepared by the DG Research in collaboration with the DG Education and Culture, consists of two volumes which illustrate the overall extent and extreme diversity of research in the tangible cultural heritage field as well as the inextricable links between the cultural heritage's preservation and the environment's protection. The first volume gives the reader a panoramic overview of the EC supported research in the tangible cultural heritage field, how it came into existence and how it has evolved progressively over the last 20 years. The second volume, on the other hand, provides the user with short descriptions of around 100 EC funded projects which were implemented between the year 2000 and 2008, mainly in the context of the 5th and 6th Framework Programmes (FP5 & FP6).
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2469_en.htm