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Our Mission
The Inter-American Culture and Development Foundation (ICDF) seeks to strengthen cultural development in Latin America and the Caribbean through plans, programs, and projects designed to promote socio-economic sustainable ways of reducing poverty, improving quality-of-life, and achieving greater social equity in the region.
Read More >>Our Projects
The projects supported by the ICDF help to preserve the cultural patrimony, increase the community participation and education, strengthen cultural industries, and improve the living conditions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean through culture.
Success Stories
Museums of Lake Titicaca: A Sustainable Community Development Program
In 2005, the ICDF identified a project that, as conceived, was fully consistent with the Foundation’s mission insofar as it would strengthen Bolivia’s cultural patrimony and, most importantly, would provide people of the municipality of Guaqui with the opportunity to broaden their economic opportunities through the possibilities that increased tourism implies in areas such as training and generation of jobs.
The US$30,000 grant to the Quipus Cultural Foundation of Bolivia and the technical support provided by the ICDF helped leverage resources from private and public funds including the Japanese Fund, FONDESIF, the Canadian Government, the Municipality of Guaqui, the Government of Bolivia, and Plan International for a total of US$1.6 million.
The ICDF actively supported the Quipus Foundation through technical assistance and project promotion, and is following up with the implementation of the project.
Funds have been destined to the construction of four community museums: Historic Cultures, Daily Life, Contemporary Celebrations and Ceremonies, and 19th Century Locomotives sin the community of Guaqui, 15 Km. from the border with Peru.
The socio-economic benefits of the project are far reaching. Completion of the project will not only preserve Bolivia’s cultural patrimony, but will also generate more than 200 sources of employment, and will provide access to water sanitation, and solid waste disposal systems to approximately 5,000 local residents. To date, 80 Aymara youth have participated in handicrafts workshops and classes targeted at improving their craftsmanship; and 120 have received training in tourism management and services including workshops in tourist reception and gastronomy, as well as language instruction for bilingual guides. Construction of the museums began at the end of February 2008.