13 May 2008/ UNESCOMMUNICATION
The myriad links between cultural and biological diversity are increasingly viewed as key elements in achieving sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.
Because of its interdisciplinary nature, combining natural and social sciences, culture, education and communication, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is in a unique position to mainstream the links between biological and cultural diversity in research, political dialogue and action from local to international levels.
These are the topics discussed in the new UNESCO publication Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity, Report of the International Workshop organized by UNESCO with support from The Christensen Fund (September 2007). (BACK)

14 May 2008/ Press Minculture Colombia
Aimed at promoting cultural diversity and at generating mechanisms that would allow Colombians a comprehensive assessment of the wealth of a multicultural and multiethnic country, the Minister of Culture of Colombia, Her Excellency Paula Marcela Moreno Zapata, will launch this Friday, the 16th of May the official program “Week of Diversity and of African-Colombian culture,” to be held all over the country from the 21st of May.
During the event, to be held at the auditorium of the Theater Colsubsidio in Bogotá, music bands Gualajo, Son Palenque and Las Alegres Ambulancias will perform. The Minister of Culture, on the other hand, will launch the “Campaign for Diversity,” which aims at raising awareness among the population with regards to ethnic and cultural diversity as one of the most important aspects for the consolidation of the project of a nation.
“Colombia is a country both culturally and environmentally diverse, and thus it represents a major component for collective identity, is the basis for social cohesion and the engine that helps interpret reality and develop life projects that would reaffirm our condition and spirit as Colombians,” said the Minister Moreno.
The World Day for Cultural Diversity was established by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in November 2001. On the other hand, the Congress of the Republic of Colombia established the same date to commemorate the Day of African-Colombian culture, as a tribute to the abolition of slavery in Colombia, by virtue of Act 21 passed on May 21st, 1851.
According to UNESCO, “cultural diversity is a critical aspect for innovation, exchange and creativity which helps build the strength of humanity.”

Some interesting information
There are more than 80 indigenous communities in Colombia and 11,6 million African-Colombian, which represents 1,5 percent and 26,83 percent, respectively of the Colombian population.
The African-Colombian population lives mostly in 14 departments of the country and in several regions close to rivers Magdalena, Cauca, Sinú, Cesar, Atrato, San Juan, Baudó, Patía and Mira. Other important locations of these communities are the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, settlement of the Raizal people. African- Colombian communities, however, are not culturally homogeneous, so there is a great diversity of cultural manifestations in the region.
Sixty-five indigenous languages from 21 linguistic lineages are spoken in the country. At present, there are 13 linguistic families in Colombia: Arahuac Family (settled in Guajira, Llanos Orientales, Amazon), Tupí Family (Amazon and Guainía), Carib Family (Amazon, Serranía de Perijá – Motilones), Guahibo Family (Llanos Orientales), Chibcha Family (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Urabá, Catatumbo and Eastern Plains), Chocó Family (Pacific Coast), Quechua Family (South Andes), Uitoto Family (South Amazon), Makú Family (Eastern Amazon), Sáliba-Piaroa Family (Llanos Orientales), Bora Family (Eastern Amazon), Barbacoa Family (South West) and Tukano Family (Amazon). The rest: Tikuna, Paez or Nasa, Camsá, Cofán, Andoque, Yagua, Tinigua and Yaruro are spoken in the Amazon, South Andes and Eastern Plains areas.
It is estimated that, after the conquest, between 100 and 200 languages have disappeared in Colombia. Several other languages are in danger of disappearing, such as Nonuya, of the Uitoto Family (Putumayo); the Carijona, of the Carib Family (Bajo Caquetá); the Totoro, of the Barbacoa Family (Cauca); the Tinigua, an independent language that was spoken in the Sierra de la Macarena and does not belong to any Family (according to the latest reports, only two elders who speak the language are alive); the Pisamira, of the Tukano Family (Vaupés).
As a mechanism to project cultural diversity, the Ministry has implemented from this year the Programme for the Protection of Native Languages. Furthermore, through the Portfolio of Calls for Submissions 2008, it has opened grants and internships specifically for African-Colombian and Indigenous communities. These are grants for research on African-Colombian Languages, the Caro and Cuervo Grants for Translation of Linguistic and Literary Works into Spanish. Applicants can access the Website of the Ministry of Culture to learn about the conditions for entry: www.mincultura.gov.co

Program in the regions During the “Week of Diversity and African-Colombian culture” some 106 activities in 16 cities and municipalities in the country will be implemented (Bogotá, Barranquilla, Bocas de Satinga (Nariño), Cartagena, Cali, Condoto (Chocó), Medellín, Montería, Popayán, Riohacha, San Basilio de Palenque, Santa Marta, Tumaco, Timbiquí (Cauca) and the Department of Meta).

These are some of the activities:
• On the 21st of May, the Cultural Center in the city of Cali (Valle), will have a special gastronomical offer and a showcase of specialized cinema on the topic of the African descendants, as a tribute to Master Manuel Zapata Olivella.
• The Cinematheque of the District of Bogotá, with the support of the City Council, will present on 19 to 22 May a showcase of films related to African-Colombian culture. There will also be a cycle of lectures on the topic.
• The House of Culture of the municipality of Tumaco will deliver a cycle of master lectures from the 21st of May on the African-Colombian Cosmo vision. As part of the program, there will be a talk with living treasures, a representation of rituals to the elders who disappeared in slave trade, as well as funeral rites and cinema cycles.( BACK)

19 May 2008/ La Ventana, Portal of Casa de las Américas and UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean
La Casa de las Américas and the Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean of UNESCO have called prestigious intellectuals and artists from the Caribbean region to reflect and establish a dialogue on important cultural issues and Caribbean societies such as literature, linguistic, imaginary, sites of memory, intangible heritage, popular art, cultural routes throughout time. Specialists from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the United States, Venezuela, Jamaica-Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba will get together on May 26 to 28 to discuss and debate on all these issues.
This event is devoted to the International Day of Cultural Diversity that will be celebrated with the support of UNESCO Port au Prince Office, Kingston UNESCO Office as well as the Embassy of France to Havana.
The Colloquium includes a theoretical part organized in lectures, master conferences and panels, but it also includes a fashion show, an exhibition of popular art, screening of two documentaries, presentation of several publications and a concert. Furthermore, a special tribute to the great poet from Martinique Aimé Césaire, recently deceased, is scheduled for Monday 26 May, at 10 hours, as the opening for the event. The Colloquium will be in session at La Casa de las Américas, in Havana.
Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Mrs. Yolanda Wood, Director of the Study Centre for the Caribbean of Casa de Las Americas, and Mr. Herman van Hooff, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean. The first conference Idendité, citoyenneté et exclusion dans la Caraïbe will be delivered by Michele Pierre Louise (Haiti), Chairperson of the Fondation Connaissance et Liberté (FOKAL) also a member of the Haitian National Committee Mémoire du monde.
Two issues will be addressed during the opening session: Identity and the Caribbean Cultural Space, Popular Art and Handicraft and will end with the opening of the exhibition “Popular Art: The Caribbean in the Art Collection of Our America”. May 27 will be devoted to “Cultural Landscapes vis-a-vis current challenges and Intercultural Dialogue, The Caribbean and its Diaspora”. The session will end with the presentation of Caribbean issues in Cuban magazines and the exhibition of two documentaries on Caribbean migration. Literary and Linguistic challenges for Caribbean diversity and the Indigenous issue, as a Caribbean root will be the subject for reflection during the Wednesday session. The closing of the Colloquium will address Contemporary Musical Path in the Caribbean and will end with the concert: “The Caribbean, always diverse”.
Among the guests invited to the Colloquium Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean are Ernest Pépin from Guadeloupe, First Secretary of the Committee for Culture, Education and Environment and collaborator of the Casa; Marcio Veloz Maggiolo, from the Dominican Republic, writer, archaeologist and anthropologist; Elizabeth Walcott from Trinidad, scholar from the University of the West Indies at St Augustine; Erna Brodber from Jamaica, professor, writer and anthropologist; Mireille Pérodin Jérôme from Haiti who is the director of the art gallery and cultural animation center Atelier Jérôme, since 1985; and poet, historian, curator and actress Afua Cooper (Jamaica-Canada).
Venezuela will be represented by Andrés Bansart specialist in Latin American studies and Professor at the University Simón Bolívar. From the United States of America, Marc Blanchard, Assistant Professor at the Sorbonne and Professor of Compared Literature at the University of California at Davis, and Raquel Scherr Salgado. PhD in Compared Literature and professor of the University of California at Berkeley.
From Cuba, Isabel Rigol, architect and Master in restoration of Built Heritage; architect and visual artist José Antonio Col; Sergio Valdés Bernal, Doctor in Philology; Alejandro Hartman, Historian of the City of Baracoa, and Juan Manuel Noceda, Kenia Dorta, Alejandro Hartmann, Aurelio Alonso and María Elena Vinueza.
The International Colloquium Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean was held for the first time in 2004, also called for by Casa de las Américas and the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean.( BACK)

8 May 2008/ Press Newsletter, UNESCO Quito Office
Cultural diversity defined as the coexistence of human societies or cultures within a certain space and of their expressions is the focus of UNESCO’s concerns since the organization was founded. One of the major results of such concern has been the adoption of the Convention of the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) and the Proclamation of the 21st of May as the “Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.”
As the UNESCO Convention of the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions declares, cultural diversity presents itself not only in the various ways in which world cultural heritage expresses and transmits the variety of cultural expressions, but also through various ways of artistic creativity, production, dissemination, distribution and enjoyment of cultural expressions, notwithstanding what the means and technologies used are.
Cultural diversity is, therefore, an important wealth of humanity, one of the most important indeed, and respecting it is a right of the peoples, and furthermore, within a framework of dialogue and cooperation, is a condition to advance towards peace and world coexistence. This day offers an opportunity for reflecting on the values of cultural diversity and for learning to appreciate it, which would eventually work for a better coexistence and a greater appreciation of one another.
To celebrate this World day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, on the 21st of May, UNESCO Quito, together with several National Cooperation Commissions and Universities of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, has organized the Symposium “Cultural Diversity Seen by Youth,” in which young people will be the only protagonists.
In this Day, young people from Ecuador will present and discuss with other young people from Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela about the topics “Cultural Diversity and Biological Diversity” and “Cultural Diversity and its Expressions.” The exhibition “Encender la Luz” (Turning the Light On) by young Ecuadorian artist Felipe Riofrío will be inaugurated as part of the activities of the Symposium. Both events are open to the general public and will take place in the Casa UNESCO, on Veintimilla 450, entre Plaza y TaMay in Quito, on the 21st of May at 13:00 hours.( BACK)

14 May 2008/ National Foundation of Museums of Venezuela
As every year, the Ministry of the People’s Power for Culture of Venezuela celebrates the month of African-Venezuelan culture, with a series of events that stimulate knowledge and participation of the public in cultural activities inherited from African descendants. The event also celebrates the 10 of May, 1795, the most outstanding date in the struggle for independence headed by José Leonardo Chirinos.
Through the National Foundation of Museums, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) will develop a special program from May 15 to May 23 which includes exhibitions in several museums and art galleries, such as Los Hijos de África, at the Sala Ipostel (avenue José Ángel Lamas, Edificio Sede Centro Postal Telegráfico Ipostel PB. San Martín, Caracas). On May 20 to 23, there will be an encounter of drummers I Encuentro de Percusión. De lo Tradicional a lo Contemporáneo, that also includes a talk about the contribution of African culture to Venezuelan music. On Wednesday 21 at 12:00 m the talk "Africans in Venezuela", will be delivered at the Casa de la Cultura Teatro Alameda (San Agustín).
There will also by a Clinic of Drums at the Auditorio of MAC at 3:00 p.m. with the group Coordinadora La Calle de los Niños (Comunidad de San Agustín), and at 5:30 p.m. with the Group Dirección de Cultura del Instituto Pedagógico José Manuel Siso Martínez.
On Thursday 22 at 3:00 p.m. the Grupo Centro de Educación Artística Andrés Eloy Blanco (Guatire) will continue its activities and at 5:00 p.m. the Grupo Cruzao (Comunidad del 23 de Enero).
On Friday 23, at 3:00 p.m., the program presents Danza de la Casa Cultural Alameda (Comunidad de San Agustín), at 4:00 p.m. the Grupo Chiqui Tambor (Comunidad de San Agustín), at 6:00 p.m. the Grupo Takto (urban drummers), and at 7:00 p.m. the Grupo La Patria Buena (Comunidad del 23 de Enero).

Feast of African Venezuelan Culture at CELARGThe Casa de Rómulo Gallegos (CELARG), on the other hand will celebrate a Feast of African-Venezuelan culture to commemorate the movement headed by José Leonardo Chirinos. The event will begin with a conference on the topic and the presentation of folk Group from the Pedagogical Experimental University Libertador, at Miranda. BACK)

19 May 2008/ Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean
On the celebrations for the 21st of May, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, in Havana, Cuba, has organized a comprehensive program of activities with the cooperation of Casa de las Américas, the Museum - Library Servando Cabrera Moreno, the National Center for the prevention of VDs , HIV and AIDS, the Foundation of the New Latin American Cinema and the Ministry of Culture, among other Cuban institutions. Activities, which began on the 13th of May and will last until the 29th, opened with the Week of the Dialogue Between Arts and Culture in the face of HIV and AIDS, organized between the 13th and the 16th of May. On 19 May, a Press Conference will be held at the Office, together with the cancellation of a Commemorative Postal stamp and the presentation of the new Website of the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The film showcase Las Miradas Cruzadas, organized in cooperation with the Foundation of the New Latin American Cinema, will open on May 20, while on May 21 the Multimedia Tumba Viva will be presented with the Websites of the on-line Journal Cultura y Desarrollo and the Regional On-Line Course on Artistic Education and Preservation of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, Inspira, all projects of the Regional Office.
Also on May 21, The Cuban Institute for Cultural Research “Juan Marinello” will present the first number of the e-newsletter Perfiles de la Cultura Cubana, and at the Cuban Book Institute, Cuban writer Miguel Mejides will give a talk.
At the Museum-Library Servando Cabrera Moreno, two exhibitions will open on May 22: My Memories of Seville and Capturing Voices, devoted to the exchange and relationships between Havana and Seville in the life and the work of the Cuban painter together with the talk Havana and Seville in Servando: two cultures and an artist, on May 29. On May 23, the Museum will present the digital publication Projects for Cultural Creation in the Social Prevention of HIV and AIDS in Cuba.
The National Library José Martí will also offer its spaces to Cuban visual arts with the exhibition Imagen y Posibilidad, with works by several Cuban artists.
Music will also have an outstanding participation in the entire program. On May 22, at the University of Havana, the tour Nosotros los Cubanos (Us Cubans), will turn to an end; a special Carnival for the Cubadisco 2008 Festival will parade on 23rd street in the Cuban capital and a Caribbean Gala show in Mella Theater on May 23.
Other important activities in the program are the International Colloquium on Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean, organized together with the Center of Caribbean Studies of Casa de las Américas on May 26 to 28, and the presentation of the multimedia “Places of Memory of the Slave Route in the Latin Caribbean” as part of the 19th Festival of African Roots Wemilere.( BACK)

21 May 2008/ CARICOM Secretariat Press release 144/2008
As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I wish to acknowledge the lead taken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to observe 21 May as World Day for Cultural Diversity. This year’s observance takes place within the context of renewed international commitment to cultural diversity, given that a year ago on March 18, 2007, the international Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions entered into force.
UNESCO as lead international agency for cultural cooperation has been instrumental in advancing views on culture, diversity and development. In 2001, the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity introduced to international dialogue, the idea that cultural diversity should be considered as a "common heritage of humanity", and its "defense as an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity." The concept of cultural diversity was advanced as “necessary for the human race as bio-diversity is in the natural realm.”
This initial step paved the way for the adoption by the 33rd General Conference of UNESCO of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions on 20 October 2005, the process leading up to which, several CARICOM Member States were involved. The Convention secured agreement on the sovereign right of States to elaborate cultural policies “to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions, and recognizes the distinctive nature of cultural goods and services as “vehicles of identity, values and meaning.”
The regional agenda of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for culture acknowledges and celebrates the richness of the cultural diversity of our Region. National and regional cultural policies in Member States have been evolving, and it is recognized that such policies should be cognisant of and responsive to the unique historical and cultural realities of our people, taking account of the often adverse legacies and impact of slavery, indentureship and colonial rule that have shaped our Caribbean contemporary society. However our cultural agenda also strives to take account of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and the great Caribbean civilization that has emerged in spite of itself. National and regional policies must seek to enable unbridled cultural expression by the people for the advancement of cultural confidence, cultural identity, mutual understanding and social cohesion.
Against the background of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that entered into force in January 2006, it is acknowledged that cultural understanding, cooperation and awareness is central to the effective implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), as the foundation of our regionalism is located in the common historical and cultural heritage of the Caribbean. Culture is central to building a sense of community, of ensuring that the people of the Region feel connected and “intensely Caribbean,” and thereby forging a regional identity.
Given these principles, the promotion of cultural diversity, safeguarding cultural heritage and developing creative industries are important priority areas in CARICOM. Central to the development of the region’s cultural agenda is the recognition of the need to create opportunities for the full development of the creativity of the people of the Community and in particular young persons. Youth must be engaged both because they are primary producers and consumers of culture, and also as a strategy for diverting youthful energy into positive avenues, and away from risky behaviour.
The Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), the Region’s premier cultural festival which is in the process of being restructured to better meet the expectations of artists, regional and international audiences, is one vehicle that presents excellent opportunities for youth engagement and exposure. This regional cultural mega-event will be staged for the tenth time and will take place in Guyana, 22 – 31 August 2008.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions enshrined the right of all people to create, disseminate and benefit from their unique cultural expressions, which is in keeping with CARICOM’s emphasis on the development of cultural industries for enhanced economic prosperity and sustainable development in our region. Several of our Member States have demonstrated their comparative advantage in the cultural industries in areas such as music, art, craft, the literary and culinary arts, fashion, festivals, theatre, film and cultural tourism. Many cultural manifestations in these areas are among those for which the Caribbean is known and respected internationally, and should therefore be the logical point of departure for building competitive export industries that are rooted in local talents and resources.
Let us use today - World Day for Cultural Diversity - to renew and strengthen our pledge, as partners in cultural development, to respect and promote the principles of cultural diversity, and to ensure that our Community is a place built on mutual understanding and respect for all cultures.( BACK)

29 April 2008/ ICOM Press Release
The International Council of Museums (ICOM), announces this year’s theme for International Museum Day: Museums as Agents of Social Change and Development. For the first time since the celebration was created in 1977, ICOM is inviting museums to take action in museums around the globe both in the real world and in the virtual world.
Alissandra Cummins, President of ICOM states: “While traditionally museums are known for their collections, more and more museums are taking an active key role in exploring social issues with communities to contribute to their development. The educational and ethical function of the museum is to engage culturally diverse contemporary communities through exhibitions and workshops and their design. International Museum Day shows that it is possible to gather together in a new way to interpret the past in light of the present to shape a better future.”
In 2007, approximately 20,000 museums in more than 70 countries already participated in the 30th International Museum Day with activities, partnerships, and events connected to Museums & Universal Heritage. This year, to better express changes in society and explore development, ICOM is inviting the world museum community in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, North America, Latin America, and Europe to create activities in their museums based on this theme and to gather in new ways to celebrate International Museum Day. See: http://icom.museum/imd.html
The highlight of the suggested online activities on http://icom.museum is hosted by The Tech Museum of Innovation on 18 May in the replica of its Silicon Valley museum of technology on SECOND LIFE, the virtual 3-D platform created by Linden Lab. From real-world museums, museum professionals and the public will be able to communicate with colleagues, artists and “residents” in the virtual world. They will therefore be able to participate in the collective development of exhibits in The Tech in SECOND LIFE.
Alissandra Cummins adds: “The developing world has been suffering from the digital divide: on International Museum Day, we want to show how museums can help bridge that divide between two worlds through new creative interaction between museum professionals.
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9 May 2008/ [amphi-sirchal]
Brazil will celebrate the 6th National Week of Museums from 12th to 18th May, 2008. This year’s theme will be Museums as Agents of Social Change and Development.
The program for the celebration includes more than 450 institutions and 1470 events all over the country.

19 May 2008/ ILAM
The Institute of Latin American Museums (ILAM), in fulfillment of its Mission statement of "provide concrete support to cultural heritage institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean through research, communication, thus turning them into agents of exchange and development of the communities which they serve," and which coincidentally is the slogan of this year for the celebration of the International Day of Museums and the Ibero-American Year of Museums, has been implementing a number of actions on this Day, namely:
• Support to the work of Museums’ Managers in:
- Caribbean Area: Caribbean Association of Museums (MAC)
- Bolivia: General Division of Cultural Heritage
- Cuba: National Council for Cultural Heritage
- Ecuador: Ministry of Culture
- El Salvador: National Division of CulturalHeritage
- Guatemala: National Coordinating Agency for Museums
- Honduras: Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History
- Panama: National Division of Historic Heritage
- Paraguay: General Division of Cultural Heritage
- Puerto Rico: Association of Museums of Puerto Rico
- Dominican Republic: General Division of Museums
- Uruguay: General Division of Museums
• Provision of instruments and tools developed by ILAM to collect basic information in its museums, such as "Working tool for the inventory and registration of heritage institutions" and "Registration model” for museums.
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13 May 2008/ Office of Communications, National Foundation of Museums
Cultural exchange and mutual understanding in favor of peace are the premises for the Week of Museums, a great celebration organized by the Ministry of the People’s Power for Culture in Venezuela, through the national Foundation of Museums (FMN), to commemorate the International Day of Museums celebrated on the 18th of May since 1977.
From Monday May 12 to Sunday May 18, eight national museums will develop a comprehensive program which includes opening of four exhibitions: "Llegó la salsa", on Friday 16 May at 5:00 p.m. in the Metro gallery of Caracas, Fine Arts Station (organized by the Museum West Jacobo Borges), "Macuto Luz and Memoria. Caribe", on Saturday 17 May at 5:00 p.m. at the National Art Gallery as well as showcases "Soto in Situ" and "Siete puntos de Partida", on Sunday 18 May at 11:00 a.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
There will be exhibition openings, performances, talks, workshops, concerts, dance shows, theater plays, documentary screenings, bazaar of publications and scientific conferences, in all the museums during the week. A further creative activity and ludic will closet he celebration in the Plaza de los Museos, on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18, that include creative workshops for children and young people (painting, printing, plasticine, sculpture, origami and photography), chess and astronomy among others.
The staff of the museums will participate actively in all the celebrations. The Science Museum will host talks about transdisciplinarity and challenges with its director Leonardo "The Trilogy of the New Museology" with the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, (Tuesday May 13 at 6:00 p.m.). All the museum staff, curators, researchers, etc, will participate in the Seminar "The Museum as the agent for change and social development" (Museum of Fine Arts, Wednesday 14 May and Thursday 15 May).
On Monday, the general public is invited to participate in the talk "Reflection on Education and Arts" (12:00 m., Museum of Contemporary Art); "Life and work of our artists" (11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Museum Alejandro Otero), and "Contemporary Art and Community" (Monday 12 may at 5:00 p.m., Museum Jacobo Borges).
Workshops "heritage and Museums" (9:00 a.m. Museum Michelena) and "Murals" for young people (9:00 a.m. Museum Jacobo Borges); screening of documentaries "The Cocoa Route", "Expressions of Agroecology" and "Tambogrande, mangos, muerte, minería" (3:00 p.m., Museum of Sciences), and a film under the stars (7:00 p.m. Museum Alejandro Otero).
The activities will continue during the week. All museums will publish their activities. Admission is free.
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19 May 2008/ Secretariat of Culture of the Nation, Argentina
As part of the celebrations for the International Museum Day on Sunday 18 May, was launched the Guide of Museums prepared by the Secretariat of Culture of the Nation in Argentina. The Guide collects information on more than 500 cultural institutions in the country.
The presentation was made at the National Museum of Decorative Arts and was attended by the Secretary of Culture of the Nation, His Excellency José Nun; the Secretary of Tourism of the Nation, His Excellency Enrique Meyer, and the National Director of Heritage and Museums Ms. María de las Nieves Arias Incollá.
The Guide of more than 300 pages collects information on some 500 public and private museums in the country, organized by provinces. For this occasion 2.000 copies were printed, which will be distributed in museums, schools and universities.
The publication was launched on the International Museum Day, a date when cultural institutions in the country were crowded by visitors. At the Cabildo, a puppet play for the family had to make two performances at capacity audience and Museums such as the Fine Art or the Casa Histórica de la Independencia en Tucumán (History Museum of Tucumán), received double number of visitors. In this way, thousands of people in the whole country participated in activities and enjoyed activities for free, such as for the family.( BACK)

20 May 2008/ ICOM Newsletter, Vol. 61, No. 1 2008
As the round off a comprehensive program of activities implemented around the world to celebrate the International Museum Day (18 May), the International Council of Museums (ICOM) will hold its 23rd Annual General Assembly on next June 3 at UNESCO Headquarters in París.