Panama organizes the First Regional Forum on Artisan Fashion and Inclusion
The First Regional Forum on Artisan Fashion and Inclusion was held within the framework of the Fashion Week Panama, which took place between October 26 and 31, 2020. It offered an opportunity to support local creative industries and promote the contributions of this sector in favour of social inclusion and gender equality. The event allowed to present strategies for the development of sustainable and inclusive artisan fashion.
The event included the participation of numerous speakers, who addressed the issue of inclusion through various axes, such as the inclusion of artisans with disabilities, indigenous groups and innovation of traditional crafts, use of digital platforms, business projection and artisan entrepreneurship , copyright, among other issues aimed at empowering the artisan sector in the region.
The event featured designers and artisans from Panama and the region, who presented innovative designs inspired by traditional and ancestral crafts. UNESCO was invited to participate with a presentation on “Culture in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on Intangible Cultural Heritage”, presented by Mrs Caroline Munier, Culture Programme Specialist of the UNESCO Cluster Office in San Jose.
UNESCO’s intervention focused on the relationship between culture and resilience, and emphasized the contributions of living heritage to advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the artistic and cultural sectors of the subregion have significantly suffered from the economic and social effects of the health emergency. UNESCO highlighted how culture, including living heritage and creative and cultural industries, will be key factors in fostering the social and economic recovery of communities, promoting the reduction of inequalities and gender equity.