Anthropology Colloquium Series

"The Vanuatu Cultural Centre: Safeguarding Living Cultural Heritage," a talk by Ralph Regenvanu, Director, Vanuatu National Cultural Council -- The Vanuatu Cultural Centre has been described as one of the most dynamic cultural institutions in the Pacific Islands. This talk will provide a historical background to the development of the work of the Cultural Centre since the mid-1970s, showing how the Centre has adapted its mandate to address changes in Vanuatu society. Alongside its conventional functions of preserving heritage collections and providing access to them, the Cultural Centre has maintained a focus on documenting aspects of Vanuatu’s living heritage as a tool for both preservation and promotion.

The role of the Cultural Centre as an advocacy organization will also be highlighted, using case studies of its unique community fieldworker program and the recent Traditional Money Banks project. Ralph Regenvanu retired in October 2006 after 12 years as Director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, Vanuatu’s principal cultural heritage management agency. With a background in anthropology and development studies, Ralph has focused on strengthening community participation in cultural heritage management, from international to local levels. A founding executive board member of the Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA), he was on the drafting committee of the “Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage,” which was adopted by the General Assembly of UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2003. He retains roles as Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council (the board of the cultural centre) and as a board member of PIMA and is currently representing the Pacific on an advisory committee drafting the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. The talk is part of the UHM Anthropology Colloquium Series and is cosponsored by the Winter Institute on Black Studies, the Museum Studies Program, the Hawai‘i Museums Association/Bishop Museum, and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies.

Ticket Information
Free and open to the public

Event Sponsor
Anthropology, University of Hawaii - Manoa

More Information
Geoff White, 956-5601, anthprog@hawaii.edu

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