Documentation of Endangered Musical Traditions in Mali (Ongoing)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
The Creative Economy
Encompassing the arts, design, media, entertainment, technology and heritage, the creative economy plays a significant role in driving economic growth and employment for people around the world.
Restoration of the Ancient Nabataean Flash Flood Protection System at Petra (1st Century BC)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Cultural Heritage
Provides livelihoods for communities and inspiration for the creative economy.
Preservation work provides jobs. Preserved sites, collections and traditions enable tourism and its associated businesses. Arts and crafts produced from revered traditions can be a way to make a living while keeping those traditions alive.
Conservation of the Early 13th-Century al-Imam al-Shafi’i Mausoleum (13th Century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
AFCP
The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation is one way the U.S. helps communities around the world preserve their heritage, including traditional knowledge and skills that can be a way to make a sustainable living.
Lee Satterfield Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of StateCultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Indigenous Culinary Techniques
This 2022 AFCP project preserves and shares the rich but little-documented indigenous culinary traditions of Indonesia with the world. It supports local cooks, farmers, and food producers in bringing their stories and their products to domestic and international markets.
The project emphasizes the critical role of women in Indonesian communities and creative industries, a driving force in the development of Indonesia's small businesses. It also highlights sustainable agricultural practices and the use of local ingredients.
Marshall Island Handicrafts
This 2010 AFCP project supported the preservation of generations-old techniques for producing fine quality handicrafts: flowers, hats, baskets, and bags woven from processed coconut palm and pandanus leaves.
Intergenerational Learning
The project pairs the documentation of these traditional techniques with a mentorship program that connects handicraft experts with trainees.
An AFCP project in Romania is supporting sustainable local and regional development through the restoration of a fortified Saxon church in the Transylvanian town of Alma Vii.
Conservation of the 14th-Century Fortified Saxon Church (14th century)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Postcard of the Smithsonian Castle (June 21, 1921) by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DCOriginal Source: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 84, Folder 25
Partnering with the Smithsonian
To identify new ways to support local communities in their efforts to preserve and practice their living heritage, the U.S. State Department's Cultural Heritage Center launched a new partnership in 2022 with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which supports traditional artists, musicians, and craftspeople in the United States and around the world.
Oaxaca Handicrafts Mexico (2023/2023) by Cultural Heritage CenterCultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Heritage and Handicrafts
Together we have launched a new pilot project in Oaxaca, Mexico.
This community-based project aims to deepen connections between cultural heritage handicraft entrepreneurs in Mexico and markets for their goods, positioning artists as leaders of the creative economy to strengthen the stewardship of local cultural heritage practices and sites.
Documentation of Endangered Musical Traditions in Mali (Ongoing)Cultural Heritage Center, U.S. Department of State
Culture Enriches
The United States remains committed to safeguarding cultural diversity and cultural heritage in all its forms, because that diversity makes us stronger and helps us build a better world for future generations.
