STOP THE PRESS!!!
AN UNPRECEDENTED EIGHT NOMINATIONS FROM THE CARIBBEAN REGION HAVE ON JULY 30 2009 BEEN INSCRIBED INTO THE MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER. TWO OF THESE NOMINATIONS ARE FROM BARBADOS.
THE TWO INSCRIPTIONS FROM BARBADOS ARE:
The Nita Barrow Collection (Barbados): An extensive collection that documents the life and times of the late Dame Ruth Nita Barrow (1916-1995), gender activist, diplomat, healthcare professional and trainer. It contains material pertaining to world events as varied as the Cuban Revolution, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Apartheid in South Africa. In her capacity as president of the World Council of Churches (W.C.C. 1983-91), the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA 1975-83), and the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE 1989-90), Nita Barrow was directly or indirectly connected to all these events.
and,
The Federal Archives Fonds (Barbados): The West Indies Federation (1958-1962) was a political federation of ten territories in the Anglophone West Indies that signalled the beginning of a new era of decolonization after World War II. The history of the West Indies is inextricably linked to the histories of other former British colonies. These records are of international significance as they reflect the interconnectivity of these histories and document one of the decisive periods of the 20th century when territories under British colonial rule first flexed their political muscle and sought to become self-governing nation-states.
Both of these collections which received international recognition are housed at UWI, Cave Hill Campus. With just three staff these extensive archives have been carefully preserved while simultaneously made accessible to the public. Research into Dame Nita Barrow's archives sheds light on a wide variety of topics including health, social welfare, housing and travel. Study of the Federal archives provides insights into economic, social, political and military history as well as regionalism. Indeed it is arguable that without a proper understanding of the lessons contained in these records we cannot overcome the current social, cultural and economic obstacles facing Caribbean integration.
See UNESCO MoW website:
A toast being raised to the success of our national and regional inscriptions during a reception hosted by the Barbados Archives on 30 July 2009 for the 9th IAC. Photo shows Miss Elizabeth Watson on the left and Mrs Joie Springer on the right.
THE OTHER REGIONAL INSCRIPTIONS ARE:
Farquharson's Journal (Bahamas): A handwritten diary by Charles Farquharson, owner of the cotton growing Prospect Hill Plantation in the eastern part of Watlings Island, now known as San Salvador. This day-to-day record from 1 January 1831 to 31 December 1832 provides unique insights into plantation life.
Sir William Arthur Lewis Papers (Saint Lucia): A collection that documents Sir William Arthur Lewis's career as a scholar and as an economic advisor to numerous international commissions and several African, Asian and Caribbean governments. These papers include biographical data, professional correspondence, country files, minutes of meetings, reports, etc. as well as lecture notes and articles pertaining to Sir Arthur's activities as professor and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. The collection also encompasses audio-visual materials including lecture series and the 1979 Nobel Laureate ceremony, when he received the Nobel Prize for Economics.
Registry of Slaves of the British Caribbean 1817-1834 (Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom): This registry was drawn up to help control the illegal import of slaves to the Caribbean after Great Britain abolished the trade in African slaves in the islands in 1807. Enslaved Africans made up the great majority of transatlantic migrants from the 15th to 19th centuries and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade remains a sensitive subject with many ethical implications.
Book for the Baptism of Slaves (1636 - 1670) (Dominican Republic): The book is a source of precious information on American slavery, particularly in the Dominican Republic and provides information about lesser-known aspects of the colonial slave system, namely the transition from a slave society to a society with slaves; from a slave plantation society to a patriarchal slavery. This later system, linked to the economic crisis that marked the Spanish colony in the 17th century, was accepted because it was not dependent on the world market system, but served to consolidate the social stratification of "Creole society".
Documentary Heritage on the Resistance and Struggle for Human Rights in the Dominican Republic, 1930-1961 (Dominican Republic): From 1930 to 1961, the Dominican Republic endured one of the most oppressive regimes in Latin American history: the Rafael L. Trujillo dictatorship. Thousands of Dominicans and foreigners were imprisoned, tortured or killed. Some were mutilated, others endured permanent physical or mental scars. The inscribed items document these atrocities and contain rich evidence of the Dominican resistance movement and its struggle for democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights.
Catecismo Corticu, First Catechism Written in Papiamentu Language
(Netherland Antilles): Papiamentu, an Afro-Portuguese-based Creole, is
widely spoken by almost a quarter million people in the Dutch Caribbean
islands today, across social class, race and ethnicity. The
translations of the Roman Catholic catechism into Papiamentu in 1826
and 1837 had great impact on the history of the ABC-islands (Aruba,
Bonaire, and Curaçao). It is the oldest surviving document where
Papiamentu appears in a full book-form printed publication and marks a
turning point in the evolution of Papiamentu from a popular spoken
tongue to the official language of the people of the ABC.