UNESCO lēmums

UNESCO NEMATERIĀLĀS KULTŪRAS 
AIZSARDZĪBAS STARPVALSTU KOMITEJAS SĒDE

Ceturtā sesija

Abu Dabi, Apvienotie Ārābu Emirāti
28.09 – 02.10., 2009

Darba kārtības 14. punkts: 
UNESCO Pasaules nemateriālās kultūras mantojuma saraksta, kam ir nepieciešama neatliekama glābšana, nomināciju izvērtēšana.

Lēmums 4.COM 14.08

Komiteja

1. Ņem vērā, ka Latvija ir izvirzījusi Suitu kultūrtelpu ierakstīšanai Neatliekami glābjamajā nemateriālās kultūras mantojuma sarakstā, aprakstot to sekojoši:

Suiti ir maza katoļu kopiena luteriskajā Latvijas rietumu daļā. Suitu kultūrelpai ir raksturīgas vairākas īpašas iezīmes, kas ietver suitu sieviešu burdona dziedāšanu, kāzu tradīcijas, krāšņos tautas tērpus, suitu valodu (izloksni), vietējos ēdienus, baznīcas tradīcijas, gadskārtu svētku svinēšanu un ļoti lielu skaitu tautasdziesmu, deju un melodiju, kas ir pierakstītas suitu kopienā. Te vēl nereti var atrast senās paplašinātās ģimeņu struktūras un dzimtas, kurās senas zināšanas tiek nodotas no paaudzes paaudzē. Šādas dzimtas šodien ir svarīgi suitu kultūras mantojuma bastioni. Savdabīga pirmskristietības tradīciju un baznīcas rituālu sintēze te, suitu kopienā, ir radījusi patiešām unikālu nemateriālās kultūras mantojumu. Tā kā suitu identitātes stūrakmens – katoļu baznīca – šodien ir veiksmīgi atkopusies pēc padomju perioda grūtībām, arī suitu kultūrtelpa pēdējā laikā piedzīvo pakāpenisku renesansi. Tomēr, tikai daži, galvenokārt gados veci cilvēki, šodien vēl labi pārzina suitu kultūras mantojumu. Šī iemesla dēļ pastāv steidzama nepieciešamība izplatīt šīs zināšanas un iesaistīt lielāku cilvēku skaitu suitu kultūras mantojuma saglabāšanā, atdzīvinot arī tos elementus, kas ir saglabāti tikai rakstiskos avotos, filmu arhīvos un muzeju krātuvēs.

2. Nolemj, ka, balstoties uz Nominācijas pieteikumā 00314 iekļauto informāciju, Suitu kultūrtelpa atbilst nepieciešamajiem kritērijiem, lai to iekļautu Neatliekami glābjamajā sarakstā, jo:

U.1: Daudzas katoļu paaudzes šajā luteriskajā vidē ir spējušas saglabāt un uzturēt Suitu kultūrtelpu tāpēc, ka unikālā kultūras mantojuma saglabāšana un konfesionālā savdabība ir nodrošinājusi divu tūkstošu cilvēku lielajai suitu kopienai skaidru un novērtētu savas īpašas identitātes sajūtu.

U.2: Lai arī suitu rituāli un paražas joprojām spēlē svarīgu lomu kopienas dzīvē, to dzīvotspēja ir apdraudēta gan tāpēc, ka ekonomisku iemeslu dēļ apdraudēta kļūst pati suitu kopienas dzīvotspēja tās vēsturiskajā teritorijā, gan tāpēc, ka mazinās iespējas un resursi mantojuma praktizēšanai, kā arī šis mantojums netiek uzskatīts par pietiekami prestižu jaunās paaudzes vidū.

U.3: Neseni glābšanas pasākumi ietver tādas aktivitātes kā Etniskās kultūras centra „Suiti” dibināšana un kopienas interneta portāla izveide. Glābšanas pasākumu plānā, kuru kopiena ir izstrādājusi kopā ar atbildīgajām institūcijām ar mērķi nodrošināt kultūrtelpas dzīvotspēju, ir iekļauti arī tādi pasākumi kā: novada mācības ieviešana skolās, atbalsts neformālajai izglītībai un interešu izglītības pasākumiem, atsevišķu rituālu atdzīvināšana, tradicionālo zināšanu apmācība, atbalsts suitu valodai (izloksnei), kā arī dažādu suitu nemateriālā kultūras mantojuma izpausmju dokumentēšana.

U.4: Ir nodrošināta pietiekama dokumentācija lai demonstrētu, ka trīs suitu pašvaldības kā arī aktīvās suitu kultūras organizācijas (Suitu novads un Etniskās kultūras centrs) ir devušas savu piekrišanu un pilnībā atbalsta šo izvirzīšanu.

U.5: Valsts 2008. gadā ir iekļāvusi Suitu kultūrtelpu, kā vienu no trīspadsmit visizcilākajiem elementiem, Vissvarīgāko Latvijas nemateriālās kultūras vērtību sarakstā.

3. Ieraksta Suitu kultūrtelpu Neatliekami glābjamo nemateriālās kultūras vērtību sarakstā;

4. Ņem vērā, ka suiti un viņu kultūrtelpa pārstāv arī daudzas citas Eiropas kopienas un tām piemītošo nemateriālās kultūras mantojumu, un ka suitu ierakstīšana Neatliekami glābjamo vērtību sarakstā var tādējādi fokusēt pasaules uzmanību uz nepieciešamību steidzami glābt arī citu Eiropas kultūras mantojumu, kas ir līdzīgi apdraudēts;

5. Atbalsta piedāvātos glābšanas pasākumus, kas ir radīti respektējot suitu kopienas vēlmi pašiem kontrolēt savu nākotni un lemt par savu likteni savas kopienas ietvaros, tādējādi papildus nostiprinot suitu sociālo un kultūras identitāti;

6. Atzīstot Alsungas pils un citu kultūras ziņā svarīgu ēku restaurēšanas, kā arī uz Suitu novadu vedošo ceļu uzlabošanas nepieciešamību, iesaka valstij tomēr vairāk koncentrēt glābšanas pasākumiem domātos resursus uz cilvēcisko elementu.

7. Iesaka valstij un suitu kopienai identificēt virkni stratēģiski svarīgu glābšanas pasākumu un sagaida, ka šīs mērķtiecīgās aktivitātes plašākā nozīmē pastiprinās suitu kultūras mantojumu un identitāti.

Lēmums 17.COM 6.a.16 2022.gadā

Lēmumums UNESCO mājaslapā >>

UNESCO Starpvaldību komitejas lēmums 2022

UNESCO Starpvaldību komitejas lēmums, kas tika pieņemts 2022. gada decembra sākumā Marokas galvaspilsētā Rabātā par Latvijas atskaiti par elementu Suitu kultūrtelpa, kas iekļauta UNESCO Steidzami saglabājamo elementu sarakstā.

Ar visu dokumentu var iepazīties sesijas darba dokumentu sarakstā https://ich.unesco.org/en/17com
Kopīgais dokuments ir 64 lpp. garš, lēmuma teksts par Latviju meklējams no 44. līdz 46. lappusei), sadaļu, kas attiecas uz Latvijas ziņojumu skatīt zemāk.

1. The Suiti are a small Catholic community living in the areas of Alsunga, Gudenieki and Jūrkalne, in the Protestant (Lutheran) western part of Latvia that borders the Baltic Sea. Alongside its cultural identity function, the Suiti cultural space has a significant social function in promoting a link between different generations, a sense of responsibility, and respect towards the knowledge and experience of the older generation in inheriting cultural traditions. The Suiti cultural space is characterized by a number of distinct features, including traditional drone singing, festivals, folk songs and dances, traditional instruments and costumes, the Suiti dialect, wedding traditions and local cuisine. The links between different generations are strengthened by ethnographic ensembles and folklore groups.
   
2. The element was inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009. The first report was examined by the Committee in 2014. Upon its examination, the Committee decided that the next report would follow the normal four-year cycle. The second report was therefore examined in 2018. This is the third report submitted by the State Party on the status of this element, covering the period from October 2017 to October 2021.
   
3. Effectiveness of the safeguarding plan. Throughout the reporting period, the most successful safeguarding measures were activities related to research and documentation, the practice and transmission of Suiti culture, tourism and entrepreneurship development and promoting recognizability of the community via digital platforms. Examples of the abovementioned activities include the establishment of the Alsunga Tourism Information and Historical Heritage Centre, the integration of Suiti cultural heritage in selected schools, the introduction of a weekly Suiti market promoting artisanal production and crafts; the implementation of the project ‘Suitu jauniesi var!’ [Suiti Youth Can!] by the association Suiti Cultural Heritage, investments in the cultural and natural heritage infrastructure, and the creation of a website for the Ethnic Culture Centre Suiti. Furthermore, the ensembles Suitu vīri (‘Suiti men’) and Suitu dūdenieki (‘Suiti bagpipers’) have been created and master classes have been organized to improve knowledge and skills in playing bagpipes. The community has actively sought opportunities to restore traditions that were discontinued and, in addition to playing bagpipes, the skills of playing kokle (traditional string instrument), weaving, making traditional costumes and wedding traditions are also being strengthened. Safeguarding activities were funded mostly by state and local governments, with contributions from European Union agencies and Suiti community organizations.
   
4. In its previous Decision 13.COM 7.b.8, the Committee encouraged the State Party to give the community a central role in safeguarding initiatives, enhance research and documentation, develop entrepreneurship, and diversify fundraising channels. The State Party reports that it followed and supported most of these recommendations. Based on the plans of Suiti community organizations and discussions with them in October 2021, the State Party developed an Updated Plan for the Safeguarding of the Suiti Cultural Space for the period from 2021 to 2024. Research and documentation activities have been enhanced, and funding channels for safeguarding work diversified. Although dominated by state funds, they now include contributions from the European Commission, local governments and self-funding by the community. Nonetheless, the report acknowledges that more effort is required to support entrepreneurship in the community, and more broadly, to safeguard and develop the Suiti cultural space.
   
5. COVID-19. Due to the sanitary crisis caused by the pandemic, public events were either postponed, moved on-line or cancelled. Restrictions on collective gatherings limited the work of amateur art groups and collectives practicing folklore, music, and handicrafts. Despite this, the report notes that the number of participants in such collectives remained broadly stable, and in some cases, was increasing before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. The approval of the updated safeguarding plan was delayed and is currently under review by the government.
   
6. Community participation. The current safeguarding plan is based on a memorandum of cooperation signed in 2021 between fourteen parties, including the State Party and a wide range of Suiti community organizations. Community organizations are setting up initiatives aimed at preserving the Suiti dialect, organizing summer schools for youth and research expeditions to historical sites, among others. A cross-border cooperation project with the Suiti and Livonian communities in Latvia and the Seto and Kihnu Island communities in Estonia (2017-2020), which aimed at developing entrepreneurship for local tourism, was particularly successful in attracting large numbers of visitors to single-day cafes at local Suiti households.
   
7. A letter was received by the Secretariat in November 2021 from segments of the Suiti community on the impact of the administrative territorial reform implemented in 2021 (as reported to the sixteenth session of the Committee; see document LHE/21/16.COM/11 Rev.). In response, the national authorities of Latvia provided in June 2022 information on the legal framework existing since 2016 to safeguard the living heritage in Latvia as well as the new Cultural Policy Guidelines covering the period 2022 to 2027 and a specific activity plan for safeguarding of Suiti cultural space (the latter based on the safeguarding plan developed by the Suiti community itself). The above-mentioned correspondence is reported to the present session of the Committee under Item 8 ‘Follow-up on elements inscribed on the Lists of the Convention’ of the provisional agenda (see document LHE/22/17.COM/8).
   
8. Viability and current risks. Three broad challenges to the viability of Suiti cultural space have been raised in the report. First, as noted in previous reports, the decreasing Suiti population remains an issue, and representatives of the community have highlighted the need to promote a sense of belonging in the younger generation and safeguard the Suiti dialect. Second, financial support for short-term projects remains insufficient. Third, administrative territorial reforms implemented by the State in 2021 are of concern to segments of the Suiti population, and were previously brought to the attention of the Committee (see Decision 16.COM 11). The State Party’s report acknowledges these concerns, and notes that in addition to its updated safeguarding plan, municipalities with Suiti populations are planning specific local government support and budget allocations for Suiti community organizations, among other safeguarding measures.
   
9. The Committee may wish to adopt the following decision:

DRAFT DECISION 17.COM 6.a.16

The Committee,

1. Having examined document LHE/22/17.COM/6.a Rev.,
   
2. Recalling Chapter V of the Operational Directives and its Decisions 4.COM 14.07, 9.COM 5.b.3, 13.COM 7.b.8;
   
3. Expresses its thanks to Latvia for submitting, on time, its third report on the status of the element ‘Suiti cultural space’, inscribed in 2009 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding;
   
4. Takes note of the continued efforts undertaken by Latvia to safeguard the element and, in particular, to support safeguarding efforts via digital platforms;
   
5. Invites the State Party to continue giving the Suiti community and its associations a central role in planning and implementing the safeguarding initiatives;
   
6. Encourages the State Party to continue developing entrepreneurship and creative industries, bearing in mind the possible negative impacts that over-commercialization could have on the social and cultural functions and meanings of the element;
   
7. Further takes note of the concerns raised by segments of the Suiti community on the impact of the administrative territorial reform implemented in 2021 and the response given by the national authorities;
   
8. Further invites the State Party to implement planned and additional safeguarding measures at the state and local levels to ensure the viability of the Suiti culture and its transmission, particularly with regards to education, financial support, and socio-economic development;
   
9. Requests that the Secretariat inform the State Party at least nine months prior to the deadline of 15 December 2025 about the required submission of its next report on the status of this element.