MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unesco safeguard for Andean Aymara cultural heritage

Aymara is one of the most ancient cultures of the Andean region

Unesco’s support for the project to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of the Aymara communities of Bolivia, Chile and Peru should be seen as an example for Latinamerica, according to Peruvian anthropologist Soledad Mujica.

The decision to support the project was agreed last week at the Unesco Cultural Convention held in Abu Dhabi by the Committee made up of 24 countries.

The initiative was proposed by the three Andean countries that have significant Aymara population, one of the most ancient cultures of the South American continent and will be part of the register of good practices to raise public awareness regarding the importance of intangible heritage and its safeguarding.

“It’s very good news because they have acknowledged the methodology and pertinent of the project on the aymara cultural universe” said Ms Mujica, director of the Registry and Studies of Peruvian culture which depends from the country’s National Culture Institute. She added “this should be a cooperation example for Latinamerica”

The project in which Chile, Peru and Bolivia began working in August 2008 will be developed in the next five years in the three countries where the aymara population totals six million, mainly in Bolivia and will be investing 900.000 US dollars.

The three main areas of the project are music, textiles and high lands agriculture (Potatoes are original from the region).

The initiative contemplates the creation of a sub-regional and international net work to safeguard the aymara culture through the integration of individuals and communities.

Experts, academics, local organizations, research centres, NGO and governments will be invited to joint the project helping to promote interchanges, information and trades from the area.

Unesco’s committee last week also included the tango (presented by Argentina and Uruguay) in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.