LOCAL GOVERNMENT URGED TO PRESERVE AND USE CULTURE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT URGED TO PRESERVE AND USE CULTURE

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has called on local government authorities to make more use of culture in promoting economic activities. He was addressing the opening ceremony of the international local government conference of the Intercity Tangible Cultural Cooperation Network (IICCN) September 15 in downtown Kingston.

Noting that the Caribbean had an enormously powerful heritage that was as yet unexploited, the Prime Minister said that the conference provided an opportunity to place the preservation of culture and heritage within the responsibility of local government.

"Preserving our culture, our heritage and those things that are important to us is a challenge for local government authorities to assume some responsibility and to play a significant role in transforming that culture into economic activities," the Prime Minister said and appealed for greater collaboration between the agencies for cultural preservation.

Speaking on behalf of the City of Kingston, the co-sponsor of the Conference, Mayor McKenzie highlighted Kingston's recent cultural investments including the Bolivar Centre and the refurbishing of the Ward Theatre.

Under the theme, "Local Government at the Forefront of Preserving our
intangible Cultural Heritage." The two-day conference is a forum aimed
at local government administrators across the world to share
information, best practices, and experiences; and to explore the methods
and means of capacity building of the communities by local governments.