Tag Archives: HerMaP Mexico
HerMaP Mexico project gains momentum
An oral history and heritage workshop
HerMaP Mexico, HERIΤΛGE’s major initiative to support cultural heritage in Mexico’s northern border states is now in full motion. After crossing the six-month mark of the project, we carried out an intensive, month-long field visit across four states of Mexico’s northern border: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. This on-site engagement allowed us to strengthen partnerships, deliver specialized training, and continue mapping capacity needs across the region.
Throughout the visit, we engaged with a wide range of stakeholders who have been progressively involved in the project. These included representatives from local and federal government bodies, universities, key institutional partners such as the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, and, crucially, community-led initiatives and associations working on the ground to safeguard heritage.
At this stage of the project, the numbers reflect the momentum and progress achieved so far, as well as the strong interest and commitment of heritage professionals and practitioners in northern Mexico:
- Two workshops on Oral History and Heritage have been delivered
- 40 professionals have been trained
- One formal collaboration agreement has been signed
- Two radio programs have been recorded
- Three talks were delivered to university students in tourism, arts, and social project management in the “Heritage Days” Program of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC)
- More than 50 students have been reached through these talks
- One heritage community networking workshop was conducted
- 80+ applications have been received for the grants program
- 100 stakeholders have been mapped through the ongoing mapping process
Beyond these quantitative results, we have witnessed a deep and inspiring commitment across all sectors to the safeguarding, promotion, and sustainable use of local heritage as a driver for development.
The northern border of Mexico is extraordinarily rich and diverse. Its heritage spans marine and coastal landscapes, vast desert and sierra ecosystems, and vibrant cultural expressions rooted in centuries-old traditions. This diversity also includes significant industrial heritage: factories, railways, mining sites, and infrastructure that tell the story of the region’s economic and social transformations. Together, these tangible and intangible elements form a complex and layered cultural landscape.
Through our conversations with heritage practitioners, community leaders, and institutional actors, we have gained a deeper understanding not only of this richness, but also of the challenges that shape the region today. These include issues of preservation, resource allocation, security and the need to balance development with the protection of cultural identity.
We are excited to continue building on the strong collaborations established during this first phase. We remain deeply grateful for the generosity, hospitality, and openness we have encountered, which have been instrumental in reaching these important milestones.
In the coming months, we will expand our activities with a new series of online trainings focused on community engagement and economic development, tailored specifically to the context of the six northern border states and delivered in Spanish.
Academic Days for Heritage in Baja California
Academic Days 2026 at UABC. Photos: Eliott Blanco
HERITΛGE co-organized the Academic Days 2026: Heritage in Action: Social Innovation and Cultural Development from the Community, held from March 17–20, 2026 at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC).
The event formed part of HerMaP Mexico and was developed with partners at UABC. It brought together students, researchers, cultural practitioners, and community actors to explore the role of cultural heritage as a driver of social innovation and community development.
The Academic Day provided a dynamic platform for reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of experiences through a series of conferences, workshops, and academic activities. Discussions focused on how cultural heritage can contribute to community-based development, strengthen local identities, and support innovative social initiatives.
Denise Navarro, HerMaP Mexico Program Manager at HERITΛGE, participated in the event, contributing to conversations on community-centered approaches to heritage management and the importance of linking academic knowledge with practical applications.
As a co-organizer, HERITΛGE contributed to shaping the academic program and facilitating dialogue between international expertise and local perspectives. The organization’s involvement through HerMaP Mexico reflects its commitment to building bridges between academia and the cultural heritage sector.
HERITΛGE extends its gratitude to the Master’s Program in Social Projects UABC, the Faculty of Administrative and Social Sciences UABC, and the Faculty of Arts UABC Ensenada for hosting and co-organizing the event. HERITΛGE also thanks Professor [Name] for the invitation and collaboration.
Advancing the HerMaP Mexico Initiative
The Academic Days forms part of the broader activities of HerMaP Mexico, a multi-year initiative led by HERITΛGE. The program aims to strengthen cultural heritage management across Mexico’s northern border states through training, sector mapping, networking, and support for community-led projects.
As part of this initiative, HerMaP Mexico is currently accepting applications for grants supporting cultural heritage projects in the region, offering funding to organizations, collectives, and individuals working to protect and promote local heritage.
Oral history workshop completed in Chihuahua
The first HerMaP Mexico training workshop for heritage managers has been successfully completed. The Oral History Workshop took place in person from March 4–6 in Julimes, Chihuahua. The initiative’s first in-person workshop brought together 23 participants from 12 municipalities across the state of Chihuahua, including 11 women. Participants also represented four Indigenous groups, including migrants from other Mexican states. The group included community promoters, cultural practitioners, researchers, and heritage professionals working on local heritage initiatives.
The workshop was led by Denise Navarro, Mexico Programs Manager at HERITΛGE.
The training focused on how to document community memories and intangible cultural heritage through oral history. Participants were introduced to key conceptual and methodological tools, including how to design interview guides, ethical considerations in the use of testimonies, and the practical application of oral history in cultural heritage projects.
Through this workshop, participants strengthened their capacity to document community knowledge, lived experiences, and cultural practices, contributing to the preservation of local heritage and collective memory.
This workshop marks the first training activity of the HerMaP Mexico initiative, which aims to strengthen cultural heritage management in Mexico’s northern border states. The program works with local actors through training, sector mapping, networking, and grants for community-led heritage projects.
The HERITΛGE team would like to thank Centro INAH Chihuahua and Secretaría de Cultura de Chihuahua for helping organize the workshop and the Municipality of Julimes for hosting us in its facilities.
New grants initiative for northern Mexico
We are very happy to announce a brand new call for grants for heritage projects in Mexico. Our new call for proposals is aimed at organizations, groups, and individuals working with cultural heritage in northern Mexico, in the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas. HERITΛGE will offer grants ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 50,000 per project.
The grants are part of the HerMaP-Mexico, an initiative to strengthen cultural heritage management and networks in northern Mexico. They will fund projects that focus on the protection of and/or promotion of local heritage for socio-economic development across the Mexico’s six northern border states.
All projects must clearly focus on the protection, safeguarding, strengthening, and/or promotion of local heritage, from approaches that recognize its cultural, social, and community value.
There are three main criteria for selecting proposals under this program:
- Sustainability- Priority will be given to projects that generate a lasting impact and whose positive effects extend beyond the support period.
- Capacity building and network strengthening – Projects that contribute to strengthening local capacities and establishing or consolidating links with similar organizations within heritage management networks will be encouraged.
- Concrete and Community Impact – Priority will be given to proposals that present clear, measurable, and verifiable results in terms of heritage protection and direct benefits for local communities. Each project must define specific indicators of the expected impact.
This call for proposals is the first phase of the selection process. Following an initial review, the shortlisted projects will be invited to submit an expanded and more detailed proposal. These complete proposals will be evaluated by the HerMaP Mexico program’s Support Committee.
The deadline for submitting proposals for this first phase is April 15, 2026. The final selection of supported projects will be announced no later than July 2026.
Contribute to a new mapping initiative in Northern Mexico
HERITΛGE has launched a new collaborative effort to map the cultural heritage sector across Mexico’s six northern border states — Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas — and is inviting heritage professionals, community organizations, educational institutions, researchers, and cultural actors in the region to take part by completing a dedicated survey.
The mapping initiative forms part of HerMaP Mexico, a program that seeks to strengthen cultural heritage management across the northern border region of the country. Through HerMaP Mexico, HERITΛGE works collaboratively with local actors to support training processes, build professional and institutional networks, and assist community-led projects that promote sustainable cultural development.
By participating in the survey, contributors will help identify existing capacities, challenges, and opportunities in the heritage sector. The results will directly inform the design of context-sensitive training programs, technical support, and future program activities tailored to the realities of the region.
“At the heart of HerMaP Mexico is the belief that heritage is best managed when local knowledge, experience, and community voices are recognized and supported,” said HERITΛGE Director, Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis. “This mapping process is a key step toward ensuring that future training and support respond to real needs on the ground.”
Cultural heritage encompasses far more than monuments or collections. It includes living traditions, local knowledge, historic places, cultural practices, and the people who sustain them. Effective heritage management helps ensure that these cultural resources are protected and shared in ways that benefit communities socially, culturally, and economically.
HERITΛGE invites all those working with cultural heritage in Mexico’s northern border states to contribute to this mapping effort by completing the survey.
Access the survey here: https://heritagemanagement.jotform.com/251043774849970