The country’s first National Culture & Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan was tabled in the Legislative Assembly’s final session by the Hon. Premier and Minister for Health & Culture, Mr. Alden McLaughlin.

Cabinet approved the historic document on Tuesday, 21 February 2017.

In late 2015, the Ministry of Health & Culture embarked on the development of the unprecedented policy and strategic plan, for the years 2017-2026. The overarching policy outlines what the vision, goals, and objectives are for the culture and heritage fields of the Cayman Islands.

“This policy and strategic plan is an expression of this Government’s belief that we need to adopt and implement a set of coherent principles and aims to foster, nurture and support the cultural expression of the people of the Cayman Islands; preserve our heritage; and help grow our individual and collective knowledge of the arts and creative industries,” the Hon. Premier and Minister for Health & Culture, Alden McLaughlin said in his tabling speech.

The Premier added, “Its achievements will contribute to the sustainable development of our Islands and the social well-being of our communities. This is very much also a social policy; the ramifications of its operationalisation will be felt in other areas across the country as social well-being interacts with crime reduction, health and wellness, and other benefits.”

Mr. McLaughlin also explained in his remarks that several industries and craft forms, such as boat building and thatch-crafting, are in jeopardy of becoming obsolete unless certain strategies and programming are put into place to promote these activities.

“We must recognise the vibrancy of the Caymanian cultural heritage, realise how important it is to us as a people, and how significant it has always been to those who come here and truly want to understand what life is like in the Cayman Islands,” he said.

A final version of the National Culture & Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands 2017-2026 is available to the public on the Ministry of Health & Culture’s website:http://www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky/

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IMAGE: Skip Prichard