Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "heritage protection" projects in Mexico

The route Zoque is located to the north of Tuxtla Gutierrez in a mountainous chain and it is the land of the ethnic group Zoque. In the region it sits the Dominican church of Tecpatán and it is here and in the ex–convent of Santo Domingo where the project will take place. The complex is in mudejar style but there is a medieval influence. A first project took place last year and this year the World Heritage Center has accepted to support the second edition of it so Tecpatán is one of the 28 selected projects to be part of the Patrimonito Voluntary Action 2010. This programme promotes the cultural heritage preservation through the International Voluntary Service and the project will be carry out by the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service and the Centro Cultural Los Altos de Chiapas –INAH Chiapas
The volunteers will realize works of renovation and restoration in the ex-convent under the supervision of a professional restaurateur. Paralelly the volunteers will participate in an awareness raising campaign aimed to the local population about the importance of the preservation of the local heritage preservation as well as the appropriation of the site by the inhabitants of the village. They will use different disciplines such as puppet theatre, dance, drawing and the new technologies such as video recording, on-line journalism and informatics to raise awareness amongst the population on the importance of the heritage preservation. Besides, during the project there will be workshops on the revalorisation of the Zoque flora as well as the management and the sustainable use of native species of plants for the development and the rescue of the traditional medicine.

in a multipurpose room.

Tecpatán is located 80 km north of Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Tuxtla Gutiérrez

2700 Pesos

Between 1535 and 1540, the Augustans built the Convent of San Juan Bautista and from there they do an important evangelization work, using the spaces and elements taken from the indigenous and Spanish cultures. The site served during the Independence and Revolution wars as a headquarters. Nowadays a local group from the community as well as the local association 'Centro Cultural Talentos y Vida A.C.' together with the priest are interested in the promotion and the preservation of the site which was named World Heritage byte UNESCO in 1994.

The volunteers will realize works of renovation and restauration in the ex-convent under the supervision of a profesional restaurator. In parallel the volunteers will participate in a awareness raising campaign aimed to the local population about the importance of the preservation of the local heritage preservation as well as the appropriation of the site by the inhabitants of the village. They will use different disciplines such as puppet theater, dance, drawing, literature and the new technologies such as video recording, journalism on line and informatics to raise awareness amongst the population on the importance of the heritage preservation.

to be announced.

Yecapixtla is located 20 km from Cuautla, second city in the state of Morelos.

Cuautla, Morelos

2700 Pesos

The San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla ex-convent, built in the 16th century by the Augustans, is part of the 16th century ex –convents Route at the slopes of the Popocatépetl, named UNESCO’s World Heritage Center in 1994. Every year, the village celebrates the nomination of the site with a cultural festival. The volunteers will participate in the preparatory works of the event, in the organization of puppets, handcrafts and lecture workshops. They will help out in the setting up of the different places where the workshops will take place and will support in the promotion of the event as well as in the picture taken, video filming and interviews of visitants and participants to the event.

to be determined.

Yecapixtla is located at about 20 km from Cuautla, the second city of the state of Morelos, in the centre of the country.

Cuautla, Morelos.

2700 Pesos.