Mayor of Tilting to represent Canada at international conference on culture

Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Paul Shelley today congratulated Lillian Dwyer, Mayor of Tilting, on being selected by UNESCO to represent Canada at an upcoming international round table of mayors on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Mayor Dwyer will attend the conference in Gangneung, Korea from June 15 - 17. The theme of the round table is Intangible Cultural Heritage in Local Development: its Safeguarding and Sustainability.

"I congratulate Mayor Dwyer on being selected by UNESCO to represent our country at this upcoming round table on intangible heritage, an important part of our culture in Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Shelley. "Our traditional arts, skills and knowledge have been handed down from generation to generation and give each of us a sense of identity. The community of Tilting, represented by Mayor Dwyer, represents a rural area of our province that still celebrates and maintains this distinct identity and quality of life. In fact, Tilting was officially designated by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador as the first provincial heritage district in 2003.

"Our government supports our unique culture and its contribution to the quality of life for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians through the celebration of our history and our accomplishments as a people. Having a representative at the table for this upcoming conference will establish Newfoundland and Labrador to the rest of the world as a province that values its unique culture and heritage and continues to take pride in preserving it," said the minister.

Objectives of the forum are to enhance the role of mayors, administrators and policy managers for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage; to share and exchange the experience of cities and communities in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage; to seek solutions for the safeguarding of the value of intangible heritage and its application in the process of local development; to actively participate in international UNESCO-oriented cooperative programs and promote the establishment of an international cooperative network; and to raise awareness about the possibilities for cooperation and assistance offered by the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).

The conference is being organized by the Gangneung City government and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. The international round table of mayors will be organized in conjunction with the first Gangneung international folk festival on the theme Encounters Between People and Myth. Its aim is to highlight the urgency of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in the process of sustainable local development.

Media contact: Tansy Mundon, Communications, (709) 729-0928.

2004 03 10                                        11:35 a.m.