🌏 A week at UNESCO in Paraguay: heritage transmission and cultural diversity

🏛️🇵🇾 Back from a week atUNESCO in Paraguay...
My eyes and heart were full of it.

A week I couldn't have imagined, even in my wildest dreams.

🎤 I took part in a round table to share our best practices in engaging communities in our culinary heritage transmission projects with Konstelacio, the NGO I founded.
🎬 I spoke again at the festival #HeritageAlive festival and the screening of our short film, "Le Fabuleux Voyage" to explain how the video tool is central to our work.

As an accredited NGO representative, I had observer status. I took part in the plenary session of the intergovernmental committee and in the inscription of 63 new elements on the UNESCO lists.

I've seen the radiant smiles, but also the tears of joy, relief and sometimes pain, when elements from zones in conflict were registered for protection by the whole of humanity.
I'll leave you to imagine the moving and heart-rending speech that followed the inscription of the Nablus soap tradition from Palestine, for example...

❤️ I've met people who share my passion for the beauty of our diversity. diversity and the richness of our intangible heritage. NGOs, of course, but also ministers, ambassadors and practitioners from all over the world!

I hugged the Paraguayan Minister of Culture, shook hands with the President of Paraguay, the Director General of UNESCO (and our former Minister of Culture), Audrey Azoulay, remembered me and my book, I had lunch with the Consul, the Ambassador and the Director of Cultural Policy of Peru...

You might think I'm telling you this to make myself look good, but I'm not.
I'm telling you this because I realized that there were people in high places who were just as passionate as I was about the theme of cultural diversity.
And that gives me wings and a lot of hope.

🌎 So hold on tight, because I intend to continue shaking up the world with the NGO Konstelacio to educate about dialogue between cultures.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

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🎤 I'm Charlotte Courtoisa lecturer in intercultural management and founder of the NGO Konstelacio and creator of the Surprises Interculturelles podcast.

If you're wondering how to develop your teams' intercultural skills, send me a message, I'll be happy to help!