PROTECTING THE SACRED

Beginning in 2003, an important new international movement for the protection of sacred places began building momentum. At the Fifth World Parks Congress in South Africa in September 2003, delegates produced the Durban Recommendations on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas (see V.13 on pages 168-170), which called for the recognition of the spiritual values of protected areas around the world, and the full inclusion of indigenous communities and spiritual leaders in the management of sacred natural sites.

Then, from May 30 to June 2, 2005, a major symposium convened in Tokyo, Japan: “Conserving Cultural and Biological Diversity: The Role of Sacred Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes.” The discussions were aimed at protecting sacred places, and surrounding ecosystems, through existing international instruments, new laws and improved land management policies.

A number of important documents have emerged as this historic cultural preservation movement continues to grow. Symposium participants in Japan drafted and approved the Tokyo Declaration, which urges the development and implementation of UNESCO and IUCN’s Draft Guidelines for the Conservation and Management of Sacred Natural Sites, and the dissemination of the Convention on Biodiversity’s Akwé: Kon (Akwé: Kon is pronounced agway-goo, and is a Mohawk term meaning “everything in creation.”) Guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessment regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact, sacred sites and the lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities.