Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, U.S. Government, World Monument Fund to Sign Pact for the Preservation of Liberia’s Historical Island
Monrovia – The Government of Liberia, represented by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, will on Friday April 30, 2021 enter into an agreement with the U.S. Government, through its embassy accredited near Monrovia, and the World Monument Fund for the development and preservation of the Providence Island.
The ceremony marking the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding amongst the parties is expected to take place at 3pm and will be graced by senior government officials, including His Excellency President George M. Weah, U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy, WMF’s Representative Stephen Battle, and other dignitaries.
The agreement will pave the way for funding to be provided by the American government through the World Monument Fund for the transformation of the historic site into a major destination for international tourism and cultural preservation.
A delegation from the WMF, along with the University of Virginia’s in the U.S., has arrived in the country, and will be on hand to consumate the deal. The University of Liberia is also expected to be a part of the historic event.
The program will include cultural performances, an official touring of the Island by President Weah, Amb. McCarthy, Mr. Battle and other officials.
A dinner to be hosted by U.S. Ambassador McCarthy at the U.S. Embassy will follow the official program.
In 2020, World Monuments Fund was awarded a grant by the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation to develop a preservation and reuse plan for Providence Island.
Efforts to preserve Providence Island as an urban park that tells the story of the founding of the nation and its deep historical ties to the United States began in October 2020, in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism. WMF’s project will include research, documentation, surveys, and an extensive field study developed jointly by students from the University of Liberia and the University of Virginia School of Architecture’s Center for Cultural Landscapes, which will provide recommendations for the preservation and reuse of the island.
