Congo to host Barranquilla's Carnival

The Republic of Congo will for the first time host Barranquilla's Carnival of Colombia in October as part of activities to mark the Central African country's cultural week, according to a statement obtained here on Thursday. The initiator of the event, Clara Ines Chaves from Colombia, said the event will be held in the Congolese capital Brazzaville on Oct. 8-10 with the theme of "Promotion of Congolese Cultural Heritage, to Achieve Sustainable Development." "The objective of the event is the promotion and development of the Congolese cultural heritage as a country's resource for sustainable development," Clara said. "In the context of globalization and cultural integration, this event will seek to promote the Republic of Congo's cultural heritage," she noted, pointing out that the action is part of the international year for connecting cultures and the United Nations decade (2013-2022) for bringing cultures closer. "By launching this initiative, we also want to make our contribution to the south-south cooperation," she said, and further noted that in the international dimension, the action will demonstrate that culture is a factor of integration which can promote peace and development. The Barranquilla's Carnival which has its roots from Africa, is a Colombian cultural expression. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared it as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Heritage of Humanity.