“Naghâli Rituals Are Lovable and Entertaining,” States Kuisch Laroche

Given the coverage it offers over Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, UNESCO’s regional office in Tehran enjoys vast wealth of importance. Iran, being a source of well-known civilization and culture, hosts an office on its soil which can hugely contribute to the elevation of relations between Iran and UNESCO. Iran has registered many works of art and the like thereof and that gave us a chance to hold an interview with Ms. Ester Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office and UNESCO Representative to Iran and Turkmenistan, about the procedure of registering the Iranian works and also her background.

AVA Diplomatic’s Exclusive Interview with Ms. Esther Kuisch Laroche,

Director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office

Interview by Mohammadreza Nazari

You pursued your studies regarding Latin American countries. Did that choice happen for a specific purpose?

I was born in Suriname, a small country in South America and a former Dutch colony, but I grew up in the Netherlands. I visited Suriname for the first time when I was 15 years old and became curious about learning more about my country of origin and the history of Latin America. I therefore decided to pursue Latin American Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, with a focus on indigenous cultures and languages. It was a way for me to learn more about the history and rich cultural diversity of Latin America.

How did you become interested in philanthropic activities?

This is probably the influence of my parents who have always been very engaged in helping others in their community. Being able to make a positive difference in people’s lives is what I find most rewarding. It is my greatest source of motivation and inspiration at work.

Where did you travel on your first philanthropic mission?

My first mission was to Brazil and took place during my university studies. I spent time working there as a volunteer with a small NGO on projects for poor children.

What do your most important activities include in Afghanistan, Liberia, Colombia and Brazil?

In Brazil, I worked with street children and children living in “favelas” (urban slums) whom we supported in education and basic health care. In Afghanistan, Liberia and Colombia I worked with populations who had been internally displaced due to armed conflict. While the circumstances in those three countries were very different, the traumatic stories of displaced persons who had lost their homes and family members, and were living in poverty, fear and insecurity, were often very similar. The amazing resilience of the internally displaced persons and their ability to continue looking forward to a brighter future have left a great impression on me.

What does your best experience in philanthropic works cover?

For me the best experiences have been the times when I could see the tangible results of my work in the lives of people who had been affected by conflict or disasters. During the time I worked with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, I was deployed to many emergencies around the world. Having been a part of humanitarian operations that brought life-saving aid to affected populations was a great experience for me.

You were in South Africa in 2002-2003. What stood on top of your agenda back then?

That was a time when Southern Africa was suffering from a serious food security crisis that affected Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Angola in particular. The crisis was compounded by extremely high rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence, droughts, floods, and governance/policy issues. I was working in a regional office covering the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa and spent most of my time on developing advocacy and policy papers on the need for a holistic response to the complex crisis. I specifically focused on assistance to households affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, widows and other vulnerable population groups.

Between 2003 and 2005 you began working at the website of ReliefWeb. What stood out as a problem which the international community was dealing with?

ReliefWeb is a specialized digital service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and has been the leading source for reliable and timely humanitarian information on global crises and disasters since 1996. ReliefWeb provides reliable disaster and crisis updates and analysis to humanitarians, so they can make informed decisions and plan effective assistance. As the managing editor of ReliefWeb, I was responsible for the quality and timely provision of information on the site and for creating partnerships with all humanitarian actors and news providers. During that period, a number of large natural disasters occurred, notably the Bam earthquake in 2003, the South Asia earthquake and tsunami in December 2004, and the Pakistan earthquake in 2005. At the same time, there was armed conflict in Darfur, Iraq, Central African Republic, and the Kivu.

Between 2005 and 2008 you were the intergovernmental relations expert at UNICEF’s Office for Emergency Programmes. Would you please elaborate on the organizational structure of UNICEF and its realm of operation?

UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child. Its Office for Emergency Programmes, where I worked, focuses specifically on relieving suffering of children during conflicts and natural disasters, as children and women are particularly vulnerable during emergencies.

Between 2012 and 2014 you were aware of the activities for bringing the contributions and aid to Palestine through UNRWA. How were the contributions brought to the Palestinians?

I was the Chief of UNRWA’s Donor Relations Department, and as such was responsible for mobilizing financial resources for the Agency. UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. UNRWA also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations, which is used mostly for international staffing costs. UNESCO and WHO also fund on average 10 UNRWA posts in the education and health programmes.

UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict, to about 5 million Palestine refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank.

Since 2014 you started your work as the regional director of UNESCO in Iran. What is your top priority in this position?

As Director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office, I cover Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. My main priority is to foster greater cooperation between these four countries in the implementation of UNESCO’s mandate.
How can Iran better promote its ties with UNESCO?

Iran has always been a very active Member State of UNESCO and we already enjoy close relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iran, 11 biosphere reserves, 5 research centers under the auspices of UNESCO, 9 UNESCO university chairs, 10 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements inscribed on UNESCO’s List and 7 registered Memory of the World items all show the active engagement of Iran with UNESCO.

This year, UNESCO is celebrating its 70^th anniversary, which could be a good opportunity for Iran to further promote its ties with UNESCO.

Which Iranian works and heritage are on a waiting list for global registration?

In terms of World Heritage Sites, the World Heritage Committee met during the month of June in Bonn, Germany, to consider requests for the inscription of new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. For Iran, Susa and the Cultural Landscape of Maymand were both inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

With regards to intangible cultural heritage, the traditional knowledge and skills of constructing Baadgirs (wind catchers) in Iran will be considered.

In terms of documentary heritage for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2015: Al-Masaalik Wa Al-Mamaalik, Kulliyyāt-i Saʽdi and Mathnawi-e-Mowlawi have been submitted by Iran.

Of the Iranian works documented in UNESCO, which one is particularly attractive to you?

This is very hard to say, as each have their own beauty and historical or cultural importance. I am personally very interested in intangible cultural heritage, as I think it is fascinating that we all have certain rituals, traditions and customs that we identify with and that we transmit from generation to generation.

In that regard, I am quite intrigued by some of the Iranian elements that have been registered on UNESCO’s List, such as the Qālišuyān rituals of Mašhad-e Ardehāl in Kāšān, which I attended last year, or the Naqqāli, the tradition of Iranian dramatic story-telling. Many countries have some form of traditional story-telling, but I find the Naqqāli very interesting and entertaining –even though I cannot understand much of it in Farsi!

What procedures should be carried out for creative works to be registered in UNESCO?

There are different formal procedures in place to register creative works. All information regarding that process can be found on the UNESCO website: www.unesco.org

Which UNESCO educational project is in progress now in Iran?

We are working with the Literacy Movement Organization (LMO) and have provided capacity building workshops on community learning centers and mobile learning for literacy. We are also supporting LMO in the area of literacy data collection and analysis. In addition, we are working with the Technical and Vocational Training Organization by providing technical guidance and information on good practices from other countries in the area of technical and vocational education and training. Lastly, we are planning to organize a regional Education conference to discuss the challenges and achievements made to date and the way forward for the post-2015 development agenda.

To what extent can Iranian artists such as Mr. Farshchian influence the way UNESCO prioritizes its objectives?

Artists play a very important role in the implementation of UNESCO’s mandate and even the UNESCO Constitution was shaped by a group of renowned poets and writers. We, at UNESCO, strongly believe in the soft power of culture and arts for peace and sustainable development. Art is a means of expressing and communicating the conditions surrounding us, which is a powerful means of raising awareness and making us reflect upon our attitudes and behavior.  Through his marvelous works, Mr. Farshchian often shows a perfect harmony between the divine, the humans, the animals and the nature that surrounds us. I believe that this sends an important message to all of us, which is central to UNESCO’s mission of building a culture of peace and harmony; protecting our environment and biodiversity; and achieving sustainable development.

You have been to Rasht. How can its joining UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network be of importance?

The city of Rasht is currently preparing its bid to become Iran’s first creative city for its gastronomy. The creative cities network is a network of cities, working together towards a common mission for cultural diversity and sustainable urban development. Member cities are “creative hubs” that promote socio-economic and cultural development through creative industries. The Network aims at developing international cooperation among cities and encouraging them to drive joint development partnerships in line with UNESCO’s global priorities of “culture and development” and “sustainable development”. Once a city is appointed to the Network, it can share experiences and create new opportunities with other cities on a global platform, notably for activities based on the notions of creative economy and creative tourism.
If Rasht should become part of the Creative Cities Network it will have a number of important benefits for the city: it will highlight the culinary assets of Rasht on a global platform; it will make gastronomy an essential element of the local economic and social development; and it will create new opportunities for cooperation and partnership with other cities.

Your presence at Iranian religious rituals such as the Carpet Washing Ceremony of Mashad-e-Ardehal was a laudable gesture. What memories do you hold from these rituals?

I felt extremely privileged to be able to attend these important religious rituals. Thousands of people had come from all over the region to participate in the events and I was very impressed by the emotions of the crowd, who expressed their love and loyalty toward Soltān Ali.
The Qālišuyān (or carpet washing) rituals of Mašhad-e Ardehāl were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012, because they provide an important sense of identity to the people of Mašhad-e Ardehāl and neighbouring communities, each of which has specific roles during their performance, transmitted from generation to generation. The people of Fin, Xāve, Našalg, and Kāšān consider constant oral transmission of the main principles, as well as the details of the ritualistic procedure, as a crucial part of their children’s education. During the ceremony, I was able to unveil the UNESCO certificate of registration together with Vice-President Dr. Soltanifar, which was a very memorable moment.

Protecting natural works such as ponds and preserved areas are the responsibilities UNESCO assumes. Are there any specific projects in this regard currently in the works in Iran by UNESCO?

Yes, the protection of natural heritage and biodiversity is indeed an important priority for UNESCO. Here in Iran, there are 11 UNESCO biosphere reserves. Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. We are organizing a meeting of all Iranian biosphere reserves in the near future to discuss the challenges that they face in managing and protecting the sites. We also protect natural heritage sites in Iran through our World Heritage Programme.

Considering the intact coastal nature, what plans does UNESCO have to revitalize Qeshm Geopark?

It is up to the Government of the Islamic Republic to decide whether or not they want to re-nominate Qeshm as a geopark. From UNESCO’s side, we stand ready to provide any technical support and help with the development of the master plan as needed.

Over the recent years, what has UNESCO done to promote, and make widespread the access to information and communication?

As the United Nations agency with a specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works globally to foster free, independent and pluralistic media in print, broadcast and online. Media development in this mode contributes to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights.  For UNESCO, pluralistic and diverse media provides information options so that the public can make good choices. In order to empower individuals as informed producers and consumers of information, UNESCO has many global initiatives in media and information literacy and in journalism education. In the past few months, we have supported a training workshop on information literacy and implemented a science journalism workshop here in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are also organizing a regional workshop in Tehran on disaster risk reduction reporting at the end of July.

How much does UNESCO advocate the promotion and variety of culture in the media?

UNESCO actively promotes cultural diversity through all of our Culture programmes and through advocacy and communications. Cultural diversity is our shared heritage. It is an important source of identity and strength, and an engine of innovation and sustainable development. It is also an invitation to dialogue, discovery and cooperation amongst peoples, and enables us to open up to others and craft new ways of thinking. In 2001, UNESCO’s Member States unanimously adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. The Declaration calls for the defense of cultural diversity as an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity, and as a capacity for expression, creation and innovation. Each year we also celebrate “World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development” with many cultural events and conferences around the world.

One of the objectives UNESCO pursues is to fully enhance education from elementary schools to colleges. Considering the human crisis taking place after the Syrian war, what plans are to be carried out to support the education of Syrian children in diaspora?

UNESCO provides educational opportunities for young people affected by the Syria crisis, by building on its existing programmes in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, as well as inside Syria. UNESCO is and will continue concentrating efforts within its programme “Bridging Learning Gaps for Youth” for young people affected by the crisis. Currently, UNESCO is scaling up its work related to providing youth with learning opportunities at secondary and higher education levels, including Technical Education and Vocational Education, and to improving the quality of education, so that it is respectful of the diversity of learners’ needs. UNESCO also works with the surrounding countries to help strengthen education systems to become more resilient to the impact of the Syria crisis on public service delivery.

The world is involved in a serious environmental crisis. What can UNESCO do to make people’s lives more compatible with their environment?

Yes, indeed we are facing a serious environmental crisis. There is a deepening impact of climate change. The planet is under pressure and we are reaching the limits of its boundaries. These issues are raising difficult new questions we must address, about the meaning of ‘progress,’ and about how we can build the future we want for all.

Sustainability requires changes in how we produce and consume. Fundamentally, it requires new ways of seeing the world, new ways of thinking about our responsibilities to each other and the planet, new ways of acting and behaving as global citizens.

UNESCO looks at sustainable development from different angles: science, technology and innovation (focusing on areas such as water management, ecological sciences, earth sciences, oceanography, tsunami early warning systems, disaster mitigation and preparedness in general, engineering, global climate change, biodiversity, etc.); education for sustainable development in order to foster change in our attitudes and habits; and culture.

Supporting traditional systems of environmental protection and resource management can contribute to increased sustainability of fragile ecosystems as well as the preservation of biodiversity. At a time of rapid environmental change, culture can help design better adaptive strategies.

UNESCO works to assist countries to develop national science policies, reform their science systems and build capacity to monitor the impact of climate change. In the area of water, which is a very important issue in this part of the world, UNESCO helps countries manage their water resources in a sustainable way through the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), through leading the UN-wide World Water Development Report, through the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft in the Netherlands, through over 20 affiliated research centers on water around the world and through a series of water-related Chairs.

Here in Iran we have two water-related research centers under the auspices of UNESCO: the Regional Center for Urban Water Management (RCUWM) in Tehran and the International Center for Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures (ICQHS) in Yazd. In addition, we recently agreed to the establishment of a third center on Oceanography.

We hope that through all of these activities we can foster the necessary changes in national policies and the behavior of individual citizens that will allow us to mitigate the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.