Montserrat Workshop

The first workshop of the DELOS Initiative

The first workshop of The DELOS Initiative, part of the WCPA Task Force on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas, was held from November 23-26 in the Monastery of Saint Mary of Montserrat, nested in the Mountain of Montserrat Natural Park. Montserrat is a holy mountain, located in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Catalonia, Spain.

The workshop was attended by participants from eight countries, as well as a group of observers from Catalonia, which included representatives of the Catalan government, local governments, academia, as well as some Catholic and Buddhist monks related to Benedictine, Cistercian and Sakya monasteries, located within natural protected areas around Barcelona.

Several case studies from Finland, Greece, Japan, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, and the USA which had been prepared according to the pilot plan were presented and discussed, with the aim of distilling the lessons learned, to identify ways to promote positive synergies between the conservation of natural values and the conservation of spiritual and intangible values at the same protected areas.

In addition, the participants discussed the UNESCO-IUCN Draft Guidelines on Natural Sacred Sites, as it is felt that they should take in the points of view of mainstream religions, as well as a short position paper about the inclusion of the concept of sacred natural sites in all the IUCN categories for protected areas, to be presented in the WCPA summit of Seville, Spain, in March 2007.

All the participants considered that the pilot plan of The Delos Initiative and the workshop of Montserrat were a success and agreed on the need to move forward the Initiative, preparing a second workshop by the end of 2007 in order to be able to make a significant contribution to the 2008 IUCN World Congress.

The workshop was sponsored by the Board of the Mountain of Montserrat, the Ministry for the Environment and Housing of Catalonia, the Fundació Territori i Paisatge of Caixa Catalunya Savings Bank. Collaborators include the Monastery of Montserrat, Metsahällitus, Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos, Fundación de Estudios Tradicionales and Silene Association.

The DELOS Initiative Workshop | Nature and Spirituality

23-26 November 2006Monastery of Montserrat - SpainMontserrat Workgroup Proceedings

The Montserrat Statement

Observers

Altayó Josep

Spain

L'ARSA Montserrat

Ariño Xavier

Spain

Catalan Federation of Climbing and Mountaineering

Bernbaum Edwin

USA

The Mountains Institute

Bisbal Ramon

Spain

Natural Park of Montserrat

Casado Santos

Spain

Europarc España

Catanoius Sebastian

Romania

Vanatori Neamt Nature Park

Diego Francesc

Spain

Ministry of the Environment and Housing of Catalonia

Falgarona Jordi

Spain

Ministry of the Environment and Housing of Catalonia

García-Varela Jesús

Spain

Fundación de Estudios Tradicionales

Higgins-Zogib Liza

Switzerland

WWF - Protected Areas Initiative

López Jordi

Spain

Board of the Mountain of Montserrat

Määttä Matti

Finland

Metsähallitus, Conservation

Mallarach Josep Maria

Silene Association

Spain

Motonaka Makoto

Japan

Agency for Cultural Affairs

Norokörpi Yrjö

Finland

Metsähallitus, Conservation

Oviedo Gonzalo

Switzerland

IUCN WCPA

Papayannis Thymio

Greece

Med-INA

Rafa Miquel

Spain

Fundació Territori i Paisatge- Caixa Catalunya

Ribera-Mariné Ramon

Spain

Monastery of Montserrat

Soria Isabel

United Kingdom

University of Glasgow

Verschuuren Bas

The Netherlands

University of Wageningen

Participants

Aparicio Torrents Xavier

Spain

Board of the Mountain of Montserrat

Badia Aleix

Spain

Natural Park of the Mountain of Montserrat

Bardají Oscar

Spain

Press Monastery of Montserrat

Canals Purificació

Spain

IUCN Vice-President

Castell Carles

Spain

Natural Parks Area, Diputació de Barcelona

Fossas Ignasi

Spain

Monastery of Montserrat

Ngawang Dorje (Jordi)

Spain

Monastery of Sakya Tashi Ling

Ortí Mariona

Spain

Silene Association

Pungetti Gloria

Italy

University of Cambridge

Richardson Kenty

Spain

Ministry of the Environment and Housing of Catalonia

Rodríguez Ignasi

Spain

Ministry of the Environment and Housing of Catalonia

Torcal Lluc

Spain

Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet

Zabala Mikel

Spain

University of Barcelona