7 News Belize

NICH Celebrates First Decade
posted (August 28, 2013)
It's seems hard to believe now, but ten years ago, if you said the word "NICH,", you'd get a response like "What?"

Indeed, it's an odd little word, and in 2003, no one knew for sure what it meant, or worse, how to pronounce it – a lot of times people said "neesh" – as if it was French.

But in the past decade, NICH, The National Institute For Culture And History has become a household name; the combined institutes of creative arts, institute of archaeology, and institute for social and cultural research appear on the news almost weekly – all under the NICH Umbrella. In fact, NICH has become so omnipresent, that it's hard to remember a time when it wasn't there. Today, the institution celebrated its 10th anniversary with a ceremony, luncheon and presentation of a culture policy. President Dianne Haylock referred vaguely to the vision of the framers of the NICH Act in 1999:…

Dianne Haylock - President, NICH
"So while I cannot speak directly for the framers of the NICH legislation which was done in 1999, a clear and lasting impression is provided in its objects and guiding principles that culture should be afforded a much higher priority on the National Agenda. With the establishment of NICH, one could imagine culture emerging from a place of obscurity to one of centrally in the social economic development of this nation. With this mandate, one could envision NICH being the match to set a fire at culture rebirth across the length and berth of Belize; NICH igniting a cultural renaissance. Priot to NICH and I speak as an artist and cultural worker myself - culture, our tangible and intangible heritage were at best treated as secondary or peripheral appendages to more important ministries but comparable resources -meaning very little - to execute necessary actions in the sector. Artist and culture workers were to a large extent, forgotten or invisible species - that is until they were needed to perform for visiting dignitaries or occasionally requred to represent Belize abroad.

I think that a lot of attention has been paid to the development of artist in the country. Different organizations and mechanisms have been put in place, to be able to address the needs of those atists and cultural workers that were not there before. So what you're seeing today is that there is greater opportunity for your artistic and your cultural forms to be able to allow you the possibility of earning a livelihood from your craft, from your art and what you do."

Reporter
"Now there may be some cultural practitioners who feel that NICH does not probably do enough to fund and support culture. How do you respond to such criticism?"

Dianne Haylock
"I understand and I accept that - NICH can't do everything. Of course in every enterprise you have shortcomings."

Reporter
"How has NICH changed culture or our perception of it?"

Dianne Haylock
"How has changed culture or the perception of it? I think that it is more in people's sighting, it is being talked about more, it is being understood as being important to development."

Daniel Ortiz
"Really NICH was the brain child of Assad Shoman and then implemented by the Said Musa and Yasser Musa - is their essential contribution being acknowledged here today?"

Dianne Haylock
"Of course, I absolutely acknowledge, recognize, respect and have appreciation for the work that was done."

Reporter
"Were they invited here today?"

Dianne Haylock
"I cannot answer that question because I was away and so I didn't really have a time to look at the invitations and all of that. This current government has continued because it saw the importance of it and for me there's only one way forward and that is for all of us as a people in this country to see the importance of this institution and do all we can to make it work for us."

The first NICH President Yasser Musa told us he suspects he was invited, but couldn't attend.

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