Jean Michel Lapin, the Minister of Culture accompanied by members of his Cabinet and representatives of the Cultural Property Conservation Center, completed a mission to Washington (26-30 November) to strengthen cooperation ties. To this end, Minister Lapin met with authorities representing various subdivisions of the Smithsonian Institution, including the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) and the National Collections Program.

With Ms. Corine Wegener of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, the Haitian delegation discussed the need to strengthen the capacity of cultural actors through training workshops. On the other hand there was talk about the deficiencies in Haiti in the field, such as the lack of a conservation and research laboratory or training in preventive conservation in the face of various natural hazards.

Then, the delegation held a working session with Gus Casely-Hayford the Director of the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) and Karen Milbourne, Curator at NMAfA.

Mr Casely-Hayford hoped that the cooperation with Smithsonian is based on a more ambitious project. This brought the Haitian delegation to reflect on the concept of a "Museum of the Haitian Revolution", with three components : the history of the struggle for independence of the country, voodoo and the arts.

Along with Bill Tompkins and Walter Ennaco of the National Collections Program, the Haitian delegation outlined the need to initiate a survey to assess the state of conservation of cultural property in Haiti.

Finally, at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the members of the delegation met with Mrs. Diana B. N'Diaye, the senior curator and specialist in cultural heritage. Traditional Haitian, African and even indigenous games from South America were at the heart of the discussions. The Folklife team presented the project of producing an album on Haitian music and the realization, in 2019, of a festival of traditional music-voodoo where Brazil and Benin will be in the spotlight. Minister Lapin took the opportunity to propose the participation of Haitian artists and also insisted that the Haitian culture is also honored in this festival.

In addition, the titular of the MCC, Mr. Jean Michel Lapin, had an interview with Assistant Deputy Secretary Kenneth Merten https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26279-haiti-news-zapping.html around the strengthening of the existing partnership between Haiti and the United States and training opportunities and possible other collaborations.

It should also be noted that Minister Lapin has engaged with Paul Altidor, Ambassador of Haiti in Washington, in discussions on strategies for strengthening cultural ties between Haiti and the United States, through exchange programs in Culture, in view of the development of what he calls an active "cultural diplomacy".

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13778-haiti-politic-the-minister-of-culture-seeks-partnerships.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1135-haiti-heritage-rescue-of-the-cultural-goods-of-the-center-of-art.html

HL/ HaitiLibre