International Symposium on Patrimonial Management Begins in Camaguey

A master lecture on cultural anthropology by Miguel Barnet, president of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, opened the sessions of the Eighth International Symposium on Challenges in Handling and Managing Cities, in the city of Camagüey, which is celebrating its 500th anniversary.

In his keynote speech, the outstanding intellectual noted how the so-called First World judges by its reductionist perspective, the traditions from regions such as Asia, Africa and Latin America, and turns them into deformed, marketed and consumed products through cultural industries by alienated societies.

He stressed the need to protect heritage as a way to counteract these devastating effects of psychological deception and the misunderstanding civilization-barbarism conflict, through philosophical reflection by looking into other people not as strange beings, but with profound humanistic sense.

He argued that anthropology, as a science studious of man in his cultural evolution, must demystify the Western supremacy and work to eliminate the racial, ethnic, and ideological prejudices, as well as other barriers that hamper the development of peoples.

Barnet insisted that multiculturalism, far from alienating human beings, constantly renews its creative capacity as an ongoing process rather than a fixed point of view.

The event will feature a master lecture by Mexican architect Javier Villalobos, widely recognized for his work in restoring monuments, and former president of the International Council of Monuments and Sites in his country.

A lecture on heritage management in the historic area of Valparaiso, Chile, by Paulina Kaplan, Latin American coordinator of the Organization of World Heritage Cities is also planned.

The event is one of the most important meetings of its kind carried out in Cuba, framed in the context of the Cultural Week in Camagüey.

For the first time the event has had the presence of more than 30 experts from eight countries, and it has working committees according to the following sub-themes: formation processes of historical districts; urban planning and cultural landscape of historical centers and cities; and management, sustainability and community involvement.