On the occasion of International Day of Biosphere Reserves, the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa presents Tapestry of Proverbs: Recognizing Wisdom in All Cultures, an audiovisual initiative jointly promoted by the Department of the Elderly and Intergenerational Relations, coordinated by councilor Nori Machín, and the Biosphere Reserve Office, headed by councilor Samuel Martín.
This audiovisual production, premiered this Tuesday on institutional social networks, makes the elderly protagonists of a tribute to collective memory, cultural diversity, and knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
The documentary, just over six minutes long, captures the testimonies of eight elderly residents of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, who share proverbs, popular sayings, and teachings that are part of their personal stories and their cultures of origin. Their voices construct a particular tapestry of words, memories, and experiences that highlights how popular wisdom transcends borders, languages, and generations.
The councilor for the Department of the Elderly of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Nori Machín, introduces this audiovisual production, emphasizing the importance of listening to and recognizing those who hold a large part of our collective memory. As she states in the video itself, "preserving our heritage also means taking care of the words that unite us."
The initiative brings together stories from people from Sweden, Morocco, Denmark, Cuba, and Uruguay, along with voices from Lanzarote and La Graciosa, reflecting the multicultural richness of a society that has built its identity from the coexistence of different cultures.
Expressions such as "The farmer's steps fatten the field" or "When the river makes noise, it carries water" serve as a starting point for sharing experiences and reflections on effort, the relationship with the land, the passage of time, coexistence, and the value of inherited teachings. Memories linked to water scarcity and traditional ways of utilizing the islands' natural resources also appear.
The audiovisual production also incorporates "Sal y Arena," an original musical composition by Toñín Corujo, recovered for this project and used with the express authorization of its author. The music accompanies the testimonies and reinforces the cultural and emotional identity of this initiative.
The wisdom of our elders, a heritage we must preserve
Tapiz de refranes (Tapestry of proverbs) is based on a fundamental idea: sustainability consists not only in protecting the territory and its natural resources, but also in preserving the cultural and intangible heritage of the communities that inhabit it.
On an island declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993, the experiences of older generations constitute a source of knowledge about adaptation to the environment, responsible resource management, cooperation, and ways of living together.
With this initiative, the Cabildo aims to recognize the active role of the elderly as transmitters of knowledge, experiences, and values, while promoting respect for the different cultures that coexist in Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
In addition to preserving these testimonies as part of the collective memory of the islands, the project invites the entire population to participate and continue weaving this particular tapestry of popular wisdom. Through publications on the various institutional social media channels, citizens will be encouraged to share the proverbs and sayings they use most in their daily lives or remember hearing at home, from their parents, grandparents, and other relatives, accompanying them, if they wish, with a brief explanation of their meaning or the personal story they hold behind them.
In this way, Tapiz de refranes seeks to give continuity to the initiative beyond the audiovisual premiere, fostering citizen participation, dialogue between generations, and the recovery of popular expressions that are part of our collective identity. Because, although proverbs change from one country to another and are expressed in different ways, they all share something essential: the ability to transmit, in a few words, the wisdom accumulated throughout a lifetime.
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