In regional news, the spotlight is on cultural preservation and ancestral knowledge, as Charles Town, Jamaica recently hosted the 18th International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival.
Held from June 20th to 23rd, the event brought together scholars, cultural practitioners, community leaders, and visitors under the theme “Resilience: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” With support from UNESCO’s Office for the Caribbean, the conference featured discussions on heritage preservation, Indigenous knowledge, cultural resilience, and the protection of traditions passed down through generations.
Participants also took part in celebrations of Maroon and Taíno heritage through music, storytelling, traditional ceremonies, local cuisine, and cultural performances.
The Maroons are descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped plantation slavery and established free communities in Jamaica’s mountainous interior. For centuries, they have preserved unique traditions, knowledge systems, and cultural practices that remain an important part of Caribbean identity today.
UNESCO says the event reflects the ongoing importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and ensuring that traditional knowledge continues to be shared with future generations.