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Preserving Our Past to Protect Our Future: St. Vincent & the Grenadines Hosts Regional Heritage Resilience Workshop
In response to the need to safeguard people’s memories from natural disasters, a regional workshop titled “Strengthening Sub-regional Practices: Enhancing Disaster Resilience of Caribbean Documentary Heritage” was held from 29 to 30 April in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
This capacity-building session was hosted by the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean partnering with the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Commission for UNESCO, responding to the vulnerabilities of many Caribbean memory institutions along coastlines or in disaster-prone areas.
The two-day event brought together archivists, librarians, media professionals, and disaster management experts from across the region, in order to build a series of practical strategies for safeguarding the region’s historical memory in the face of growing threats.
This unique workshop is part of a broader initiative led by UNESCO under its Memory of the World program, which seeks to preserve, protect, and promote access to the world’s documentary heritage — including everything from centuries-old manuscripts to born-digital files.
This commitment spans both analog and digital records. It includes traditional conservation practices alongside modern techniques such as digitization, metadata tagging, and cloud storage. At the policy level, UNESCO’s work is guided by instruments such as its 2015 Recommendation.
The latter calls upon Member States to take measures in managing and protecting records as key components of their national memory. And while the term “documentary heritage” may appear to concern only historians or librarians, it encompasses far more than antiquated documents.
It is the history of nations—captured through photographs, newspaper archives, government records, audio interviews, and even radio broadcasts—and it plays a quite significant role in shaping identity, supporting governance, advancing education, and strengthening resilience.
Financially supported by Japan, the workshop convened professionals to share expertise and enhance collaboration. The opening segment included remarks by the Honorable Mr. Curtis King, Minister of Education and National Reconciliation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Caribbean's documentary heritage is the heart of our identity. Yet, these invaluable records face growing threats. Together, we can forge sustainable strategies to protect and preserve these treasures for generations to come.
The Minister also highlighted among other things, the crucial relevance of education in this particular regard. According to him, fostering awareness is a key enabler for empowering communities to become custodians of their own heritage, as a form of investment in their collective future.
Our efforts will ensure that the history of the Caribbean continues to inspire, inform, and endure.
The Advisor for Communication and Information at the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean, Dr. Paul Hector, who also serves as the Officer in Charge, highlighted in this speech the crucial relevance of spaces like this to create awareness but also exchange concrete and tangible ideas.
Documentary heritage is not just about the past — it is vital for governance, education, and resilience. As disasters grow more frequent, so too must our commitment to preserving the Caribbean’s documentary heritage. Our collective memory is a shared responsibility, safeguarding it ensures our stories endure for future generations.
In today’s digital age, documentary heritage extends to hard drives, servers, tapes, and cloud. Without proper management, this digital memory is as vulnerable as paper records. The workshop sought to ensure that, whatever the hazard, the Caribbean’s stories are preserved.
