The 39th Congress of the Consejo Internacional de Organizaciones de Festivales de Folklore y de Artes Tradicionales (CIOFF) (International Council of Organizations of Folklore and Traditional Arts will be hosted in Havana, Cuba, from November 8th to 15th, 2009.
The 39th Congress of the CIOFF will be held in the Palacio de las Convenciones (Havana City International Conference Center), supported by the National Council of Houses of Culture and sponsored by the Regional Office of UNESCO for Latin America and the Caribbean. The CIOFF was founded in 1970 as a non-state world institution having non professional character and consultive status of UNESCO. It is composed by representatives of 93 countries and 72 National Sections including the participation of Cuba since 1973.
The Tumba Francesa Pompadour-Santa Catalina de Ricci, stated by UNESCO as the first Cuban masterwork of the Oral and Non-material Mankind Heritage will perform in this Congress.
This worthy heritage artistic grouping keeps on its work through children and youngsters, followers of its structure, its dances, and they also participate on the making of traditional Haitian drinks and foods.
To preserve, to spread and to revitalize the cultural and natural heritage –material and inmaterial- is one of the main guidelines of the CIOFF in its congress.