The Culture Committee of the Parliament of the French Community (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles - FWB) unanimously approved a draft decree on Tuesday to strengthen the safeguarding of its intangible cultural heritage.
In 2002, the FWB was the first local authority in Europe to introduce legislation aimed at preserving these social, craft and oral traditions, which are the basis of identity and social cohesion.
Brought forward by Culture Minister Bénédicte Linard (Ecolo), the new decree aims to update this decree framework and bring it into line with the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage adopted in 2003.
In particular, the new decree aims to ensure a better inventory of this heritage in Wallonia and Brussels and also equips protected activities with a charter to bring them more in line with the ethical progress of contemporary society.
The Monsieur Goliath character from the Ducasse d'Ath festivities. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
In particular, the aim is to avoid any controversy such as that surrounding the Ducasse d’Ath, which was removed last year from Unesco’s intangible heritage of humanity because of the parade character of the Savage, who is typically played by a white man in blackface wearing a nose ring and chains.
Since 2019, multiple anti-racism organisations have filed official complaints with UNESCO and the Walloon Government. It has since been transformed into a "Diable".
The French Community's intangible cultural heritage currently includes several dozen cultural treasures. These include various popular festivals and activities such as carnivals, ducasses, the Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse marches and the Meyboom, as well as jousting on stilts or the art of falconry, the cultivation of fritkots and dry stone construction.
The tradition of the Meyboom (Meiboom) is based on a medieval legend, to celebrate a victory over the city of Leuven. Nowadays, it is a highly colourful parade, held every 9 August. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Safeguarding heritage has an annual budget of €11,000 per year in the French Community Parliament. With the new decree, Minister Linard hopes to be able to obtain €80,000 at the next budget conclave scheduled for the autumn, she said on Tuesday during the committee debate.
The text should be definitively approved again this summer by the plenary session.
