A total of 23 young people from Colón Province have strengthened their knowledge and skills for the protection, interpretation, and enhancement of underwater cultural heritage, within the framework of the training program “Youth for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.”
The Panamanian Caribbean hosts a rich cultural diversity closely linked to the sea. Much of this historical legacy lies submerged or semi-submerged along the Colón coastline, reflecting the ancestral relationship between communities and the marine environment.
The program is part of the multinational project “Improving Access to and Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Caribbean,” promoted by UNESCO and funded by the Spain–UNESCO Trust Fund. In Panama, the initiative was implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, with support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
Over ten weeks, participants received hybrid training, combining virtual sessions with in-person meetings. As a result, they developed skills in cultural mediation, heritage interpretation, and community awareness.
“We take away not only technical information, but also the commitment to care for and value what lies beneath our waters. Underwater cultural heritage is memory, identity, and future,” said Gisselle Muñoz Chavarría, a participant in the program.
As a major milestone of the process, the youth organization Red Baluarte: Sentinels of the Caribbean was formed, with the mission of protecting, promoting, and sustainably utilizing underwater cultural heritage in coastal communities.
The closing ceremony was held on April 11 at the Royal Customs House of Portobelo, a site of great historical value linked to the system of fortifications declared a World Heritage Site. During the event, the young participants reaffirmed their commitment to conserving this heritage, highlighting its importance as a source of memory, identity, and future development.
“Our mission is to spread the importance of underwater cultural heritage in coastal communities, so that they appreciate it and see how their history influences our daily lives,” said José Luis Valdés during the closing session.
Underwater cultural heritage faces multiple challenges, including looting, unregulated commercial exploitation, and the effects of climate change, such as ocean acidification. Within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), UNESCO calls for strengthening community participation and local capacities as fundamental pillars for its protection.
“The safeguarding of underwater cultural heritage is a living process that gains meaning when communities take the lead, especially young people. Today, Colón has a group of young people with great capacity to lead safeguarding projects in coordination with the State and other actors,” said Pamela Campos Chavarría, facilitator of the training process.
Panama was the first country in the world to ratify the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, consolidating its commitment to the conservation, research, and dissemination of this legacy. The Ministry of Culture, a key strategic partner in the implementation of the program, actively contributes to strengthening local capacities and safeguarding cultural heritage.
Thanks to the valuable support of AECID, this project has positioned youth as agents of change in the sustainable development of their communities. Initiatives such as Red Baluarte demonstrate that young people are not only beneficiaries of these processes, but also key actors in building sustainable cultural governance models adapted to their territories.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/young-people-panamanian-caribbean-are-organizing-protect-their-underwater-cultural-heritage?hub=701
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/young-people-panamanian-caribbean-are-organizing-protect-their-underwater-cultural-heritage?hub=701
