The Garifuna Heritage Foundation and the Coordinating Committee of the International Garifuna Summit is pleased to present information to the general public regarding plans for the annual Celebration of National Heroes and Heritage Month, which takes place in March 2015.
As part of our celebration we will be hosting in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture, the First International Garifuna Summit to be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This Summit will be held from March 8th – 15th, 2015 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines under the Theme “The Garifuna, A Nation Displaced- Cultural Rights, Economic Survival and Reparations.”
In recognition of the UN Declaration and Launching of 2015 – 2024 as the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, (Click here to read the UN Resolution) the Summit will seek to focus attention on the African component of the Garifuna Heritage and Culture. A significant part of the Summit will be the organizing of our 2nd International Garifuna Conference – which will be held at the Peace Memorial Hall from March 11th – 13th, 2015 as a follow-up to the 1st International Garifuna Conference held here in 2012.
Opening Ceremony
We are inviting the public to attend the Opening Ceremony on March 11th at the Peace Memorial Hall commencing at 7:00 pm to hear the Lecture from our distinguished Keynote Speaker , Professor Dr. Sheila S. Walker. All persons should be seated by 6:45 pm.
Dr. Walker is a leading scholar of the Global African Diaspora who has published and lectured extensively, is a filmmaker and cultural anthropologist with extensive field experience in Africa, the Americas , Asia and Europe. Dr. Walker co- Produced the film “Slave Routes: A Global Vision,” with Georges Collinet Productions for the UNESCO Slave Route Project. She also edited the volume “African Roots/American Cultures: Africa in the creation of the Americas” and produced the highly acclaimed documentary “Scattered Africa: Faces and Voices of the African Diaspora”.
We are expecting National Delegations from Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala and USA. We will also be welcoming scholars and practitioners of the Garifuna Heritage and Culture from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and overseas to be present for the week of activities.
The events taking place during this Summit will provide a unique opportunity for Vincentians to view displays and presentations as well as participate in discussions on the way of life of the Garifuna and Kalinago people. We are inviting Vincentians nationwide to participate in all the Events which will be free of cost to the public.
We are calling on the private sector for support in developing our cultural heritage and thus strengthening our Heritage Tourism product. We thank the members of the private sector who have contributed generously in the past to support our work. We also express our gratitude to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for its unswerving dedication to strengthening the cultural fabric as a part of the process of Economic development and commit ourselves to continued partnership with all individuals, communities and institutions interested in working along with our organization in pursuing our developmental goals.
