Above: Jacmel

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The city of Jacmel, Haiti has officially applied to join the UNESCO Creative Cities initiative, according to the Ministry of Tourism and the Mayor of Jacmel.

There are currently 41 cities around the world that are member of the project, from Edinburgh to Melbourne, each of which is placed in one of seven cultural categories, including literature, cinema, music, craft and folk arts, design, media arts and gastronomy.

Membership in the network is way to “showcase” a given city’s cultural pedigree according to UNESCO, among other factors.

If approved, Jacmel would become the first such city in the Caribbean.

In a statement, the Ministry of Tourism said the decision to apply came after “workshops with stakeholders from the private and voluntary sectors on the future of the city.”

The Ministry said Jacmel was a natural fit, as a place “where the environment is full of creative artists, craftspeople, cultural organizations and major events.”