The Gingerbread district of Port-au-Prince has been inscribed on the list of World Monuments Protected Observatory for the year 2020 of the World Monuments Fund (WMF) alongside 24 other iconic world treasures located in 22 countries , like Easter Island in Chile, Notre-Dame Cathedral in France or the sacred village of the Incas in Peru.

The WMF list is a biennial selection of cultural heritage sites in danger that combine historical significance with contemporary social impact that offers compelling conservation opportunities, even when faced with threats such as increasing urbanization, political unrest, natural disasters and violent conflict.

The Gingerbread district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where "investment in its historic homes will continue to house a vital educational and cultural offer in the Haitian capital", was selected for the year 2020 among more than 250 applications, after a series of in-depth reviews, by an independent panel of international experts in heritage preservation.

"The chosen locations are determined not only by their architectural value, but also by their impact on communities around the world," said Bénédicte de Montlaur, CEO of WMF. "These remarkable sites demand sustainable, community-driven solutions that bring people together and combine conservation and social change [...]"

Recall that the inscription of the Gingerbread district of Port-au-Prince on the list of the WMF in 2010 had given a scale to the project of restoration of the houses Gingerbread unique of the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, led by FOKAL since 2011, in collaboration with the WMF and several other partners.

Note that the WMF will now partner with local stakeholders at each site to design and implement targeted activities. Funders, primarily American Express, joined by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Ford Foundation, will provide funding to each site.

Learn more about the WMF :

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is the leading independent organization dedicated to safeguarding the most valuable places in the world. For more than 50 years, the WMF has worked in more than 100 countries, and its highly qualified experts have applied proven and effective techniques to the preservation of important sites of the world's architectural and cultural heritage.

HL/ HaitiLibre