Safeguarding living heritage of Kallawaya communities in Bolivia

21 de septiembre de 2015

Following months of consultation and coordination meetings, Kallawaya community members, as well as representatives of the San Pablo Bolivian Catholic University (SECRAD), has assembled in Charazani, La Paz, from the 13 to 18 September 2015 for a transmission workshop aimed at safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the Kallawayas.
The integrated workshop covered three parts, the first of which focused on the basic principles and concepts of the Convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and community-based inventorying of such heritage. The second part concentrated on transmission of Kallawaya specific knowledge including the history of the Kallawayas, their cosmovision, preventive medicine, ritual preparations, pharmacopeia, and use of natural resources, and will be delivered by six Kallawaya experienced healers across the indigenous communities. The third part was an awareness-raising training for media and staff of the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism that covered the fundamentals of the Convention with an emphasis on obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of communities.
Organized by UNESCO, the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism and SECRAD, the workshops were made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Government of Japan.

• Bolivia (Estado Plurinacional de),