The 8th UNESCO Youth Forum was held in Paris from 29th to 31st October 2013. I got the chance to follow the debates at the Headquarter and I got aware of the development policies at social, educational and cultural level in different world regions.
UNESCO aims to maintain the original tradition of any population to counter the standardiziaton and substitution driven by globalization.
After three days of debates, ateliers and desks I understood that Oceania was not considered, why?
Far from Western culture and society, not simply geographical, little is known about this side of world, which is still simply associated to a Paradise on Earth, uncontaminated and radically tribal.
Oceania, and Papua overall, was discovered and explored late in time. Some tribes are still living in hut in the midst of impervious jungle, or along seaside, or have just came in contact with the contemporary world. They speaks hundreds of different languages though on the same island, where one tribe hardly understand and recognize other tribes. They speak some derivations of the pidgin to understand among different tribes, languages mixed with the XIX colonizers speaking.
The projects were introduced by young coming from Africa and in a smaller number from South America, South East Asia and Europe. All projects were really interesting, mainly for the commitment shown by my peer. They were looking for a better education, a deeper social integration and a fair job but within a world vision. Therefore, UNESCO was the right place to involve a discussion on these topics.
I’d love that Oceania will stay the hydilliac romance out of time but the resource curse is coming up also down under. Several countries targeted its land of plenty, breaking the natural peace of those remote islands.
I’d love also to give voice to my call to save Oceanic culture since UNESCO should protect every world heritage, mainly the lost and fragile ones. It’s gone differently.