Benefitting country(ies): Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

Overview:

The Garifuna communities, spread over Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, have kept alive their common language, oral traditions, music and dances. Although still practiced on various occasions, these are changing considerably as the Garifuna language is less often spoken.

The safeguarding project focuses mainly in the preservation of the Garifuna language through language revitalization, lexical expansion programs and the promotion of teaching, learning and practicing. It will also develop an inventory of Garifuna art forms (such as songs, music, dances and related customs etc.) and promote regional Garifuna festivals with a view to confronting the erosion of the Garifuna culture in the heart of modern day communities. As a general objective, the project seeks to strengthen the capacities of the Garifuna communities in order to promote the safeguarding of its heritage.

The proposed activities will be undertaken by means of the three following main components:

• Revitalization of the use of the Garifuna Language
• development of inventories and archives of Garifuna art forms
• dissemination and promotion of Garifuna Intangible Cultural Heritage

01/04/2007 - 01/06/2009 – Safeguarding of the ICH of the Batammariba of Koutammarkou01/06/2005 - 01/06/2009 – Preparation of the implementation of the 2003 Convention