By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, July 6, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
VISITING
UNESCO (United Nations Organisation for Education Science, and Culture)
Director for Pacific States, Etienne Clement has praised the 5th Melanesian
Festival of Arts and Culture, labelling as one of the best cultural celebration
in the world.
Here
at the request of festival chairman and Acting Executive Director of the
National Cultural Commission Dr Jacob Simet.
“The
festival is absolutely fantastic to have people all in one place from New Caledonia,
Vanuatu, Fiji, Australia, Timor Leste and Indonesia,”Clement said.
“I
was at the opening ceremony which was a grand event that included members of
the government and the diplomatic corp all present in a marvellous event.”
“I
would like to congratulate the organisers of the festival because I have never
seen such a diverse display of culture in the world.”
He
said that the fact of the numbers of people flocking in to witness the occasion
was a testament to its success.
“I
am new to Melanesia and have only been to New Caledonia and Fiji and it is
amazing to see the spirit of the people demonstrated,” he said.
“It
is a reflection of culture through harmony, movement, and movement- as if they
are living that expression which I can see is deeply rooted in the past was
what struck me the most.”
Clement
added that with the rich culture being portrayed there was also the danger of
losing like other countries in the world; however, he added that PNG had a
comparative advantage in terms of the richness it has in diversity.
The UNESCO regional director will fly
to Kokopo and Rabaul to visit the Satellite of the festival and will be
received by local authorities.
On Monday he will speak at the opening of the
Pacific Islands Museum Association workshop at the PNG National Museum, on the
topic of the illicit trafficking of cultural objects.
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