UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

1. National Capacity-Building Workshop on the Implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Reiko YOSHIDA Intangible Cultural Heritage Section UNESCO Maputo, Mozambique 19-20 September 2008 UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

2. UNESCO • UNESCO: founded November 1945 • Paris based, under control of permanent delegations; some 45 field offices • Mandate: contributing to international cooperation, and bridging gaps, in the fields of Education, Sciences, Culture and Communication, as a laboratory of ideas, standard setter, clearing house and capacity builder

3. I tenori, Italy Heritage: from outstanding monuments to collective traditions and expressions

4. Early development of cultural heritage policies within UNESCO • 1966—the Declaration on the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation “each culture has a dignity and value which must be respected and preserved, and that every people has the right and duty to develop its culture and that all cultures form part of the common heritage belonging to all mankind.” Devastations by WWII Development of policies for cultural heritage Monuments confirm the promoted past The effort— concentrated on the tangible aspects of the cultural heritage Birth of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage

5. Early development of cultural heritage policies within UNESCO (cont’d) • 1960/70s: Dominant & non-dominant communities turn to living heritage for confirmation of present-day identities • 1970/80s: Harmonious development of communities asks for balanced management of – new term -ICH • 1982, the World Conference on Cultural policies Mondiacult (Mexico city) “The cultural heritage of a people includes the works of its artists, architects, musicians, writers and scientists and also the work of anonymous artists, expressions of the people’s spirituality, and the body of values which give meaning to life. It includes both tangible and intangible works through which the creativity of that people finds expression: languages, rites, historic places and monuments, literature, works of art, archives and libraries.”

6. Early development of cultural heritage policies within UNESCO (cont’d) • Did not meet expected results due to… • Its non-binding character • Absence of funds, too much focus on documentation and research, not enough involvement of practitioners 1989 Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore • 1998—Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity • Feasibility study—concluded that a new legal instrument is necessary 2003 –the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

7. The Culture Sector Core functions: • Advocacy • Normative • Clearing house • Capacity building • International cooperation • Programmes: • World Heritage • Intangible Heritage • Museums and cultural objects • Cultural policies • Cultural industries 2008-2009: • Biennial sectoral priority 1: promoting cultural diversity through the safeguarding of heritage in its various dimensions and the enhancement of cultural expressions • Biennial sectoral priority 2: Promoting social cohesion, by fostering pluralism, dialogue of cultures and the establishment of a culture of peace Kabuki, Japan

8. UNESCO Conventions and cultural diversity • 1954: Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict • 1970: Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property • 1972: Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage • 2001: Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage • 2003: Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) • 2005: Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

9. Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity • Created in 1997 • Proclamations in 2001, 2003, 2005 • 90 Masterpieces have been proclaimed in all • No new Proclamations will be organised • Masterpieces located in States Parties to the Convention will be inscribed in the List of the Convention in Nov. 2008 Zápara People, Ecuador-Peru

10. The ICH Convention • Adopted: October 2003 • Open for ratification since November 2003 • Ratified by 30 States: 20 January 2006 • Entered into force: 20 April 2006 • Ratified now by 101 States The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt Vietnamese Court Music Nha Nhac The Cultural Space of Sosso-Bala in Nyagassola, Guinea

11. Defining ICH: Expressions and practices, knowledge and skills that • are recognised by communities, groups, and in some cases individuals, as forming part of their cultural heritage • are living, transmitted from generation to generation and constantly recreated • are crucial for the sense of identity and continuity of communities and groups • are in conformity with human rights (+ sustainable development) The definition also includes objects and spaces that are associated with manifestations of ICH

12. Domains • Oral traditions and expressions • Performing arts • Social practices, rituals and festive events • Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe • Traditional craftsmanship The Traditional Music of Morin Khuur Mongolia

13. Goals • Safeguarding ICH: ensuring its viability (continued enactment and transmission) within communities/groups • Awareness-raising • Sharing and celebrating • Dialogue, respect for cultural diversity • International cooperation and assistance

14. Safeguarding: ensure the viability

15. Role of States Parties • Take necessary measures to ensure safeguarding (= ensure the viability of ICH) • Identify and define elements of intangible heritage, with participation of communities, groups and NGO’s The Garifuna Language, Dance and Music,Nicaragua

16. National Safeguarding Measures • Inventory making • Adopt a general safeguarding policy • to promote the function of ITH • to integrate safeguarding into planning programmes • Establish competent safeguarding bodies • Foster studies and research methodologies Shashmaqom Music Tajikistan - Uzbekistan

17. National Safeguarding Measures (2) • Adopt legal, technical, administrative and financial measures: • training institutions for intangible heritage management and transmission • ensure access to intangible cultural heritage with respect to customary practices • establish documentation institutions The Gbofe of Afounkaha: the Music of the Transverse trumpets and the cultural space of the Tagbana Community Côte d'Ivoire

18. Education, awareness-raising, capacity building • ensure recognition of and respect for intangible heritage • inform the public of dangers threatening intangible cultural heritage • promote education for protection of natural spaces and places of memory Gbofe of Afounkaha: the Music of the Transverse trumpets and the cultural space of the Tagbana Community, Côte d'Ivoire

19. Obligations of States PartiesICH inventory(ies) States Parties are committed to safeguarding the ICH present on their territory, starting by its identification, leading to one or more inventories. • Community, groups to be involved • Access to be regulated • To be regularly updated • To be spoken about tomorrow

20. Mechanism of the Convention • General Assembly of States Parties • Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage • Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity • List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding • Practices reflecting the principles and objectives of the Convention • Fund for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage • International assistance and cooperation

21. General Assembly • Sovereign Body of the Convention • Ordinary session every two years, and in extraordinary sessions • Elects the members of the Committee • Approves the Operational Directives for the implementation of the Convention • 27-29 June 2006: 1 GA • 9 November: 1 EXT GA • 16-19 June 2008: 2 GA The Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah Epic, Egypt

22. Intergovernmental Committee • 24 Members • 4-year term, renewal of half of the members every 2 years • Membership: determined by equitable geographical representation and rotation • Members to send experts as their representatives • Algeria: 1 COM (Nov.2006) • China: 1 EXT COM (May 2007) • Japan: 2 COM (Sept. 2007) • Bulgaria: 2 EXT COM (Febr. 2008) • Istanbul: 3COM (Nov. 2008) The Art of Akyns, Kyrgyz Epic Tellers Kyrgyzstan

23. Functions of the Committee • Prepare Operational Directives for implementation • Implement the Convention • Examine requests for: • inscription on the Lists • Article 18 • international assistance • Make recommendations on safeguarding measures • Seek means of increasing its resources • Examine periodic reports of States Parties The Pansori Epic Chant Republic of Korea

24. Intergovernmental Committeecomposed of 24 members • Group I: Cyprus, Italy, Turkey • Group II: Belarus, Croatia, Estonia, Hungry • Group III: Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, • Zenezuela • Group IV: India, Republic of Korea, Viet Nam • Group V (a): Central African Republic, • Gabon, Kenya, Mail, Niger, • Zimbabwe • Group V (b): Jordan, Oman, United Arab • Emirates

25. The Lists • Representative List of the ICH of Humanity • List of the ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding Criteria for inscription • Prepared by the Committee • Adopted by the General Assembly in June 2008 The Garifuna Language, Dance and Music,Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

26. Criteria Criteria and nomination procedure have been approved by the General Assembly in June 2008

27. International Assistance (Tokyo, September 2007): Safeguarding of heritage inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List Preparation of inventories Programmes, projects and other activities in the States Parties (incl. capacity building) Preparatory assistance The Fund: International Assistance Congos of Villa Mella Dominican Republic

28. Features of the Convention • Introduces a list system for visibility and safeguarding; other main focus on programmes and projects • Deals with heritage representative for communities (not of outstanding universal value) • Emphasis on living heritage, enacted by people, often collectively, mostly transmitted orally • Attention for processes/conditions rather than products • Role of communities/groups • Contribution to promotion of creativity and diversity, to well-being (of communities and groups and societies at large) and peaceful development

29. 101 ratification as of 1 September 2008 Algeria Mauritius Japan Gabon Panama China Central African Rep. Latvia Lithuania Belarus Republic of Korea Seychelles Syria United Arab Emirates Mali Mongolia Croatia Egypt Oman Dominica India Viet Nam Peru Pakistan Bhutan Nigeria Iceland Mexico Senegal Romania Estonia Luxembourg Nicaragua Cyprus Ethiopia Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Hungary Iran Belgium Jordan Slovakia Moldova Turkey Madagascar Albania Zambia Armeria Zimbabwe Cambodia The former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia Morocco France Cote d’Ivoire Burkina Faso Honduras Tunisia Sao Tome and Principe Argentina Philippines Burundi Paraguay Dominican Republic Spain Kyrguzstan Mauritania Greece Lebanon Norway Azerbaijan Saint Lucia Costa Rica Venezuela Niger Cuba Monaco Djibouti Namibia Yemen Indonesia Mozambique Kenya Italy Belize Saudi Arabia Uzbekistan Ecuador Guinea Georgia Colombia Sri Lanka Portugal Ukraine Chad Sudan Switzerland Lesotho Qatar … … … …. … … …

30. UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 France E-mail: r.yoshida@unesco.org Tel: 00 33 (0) 1456 84124 Fax: 00 33 (0) 1456 85752 r.yoshida@unesco.org www.unesco.org/culture/ich UNESCO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE SECTION

31. ICH Definitions, Domains and Communities

32. Definitions: article 2 The “intangible cultural heritage” means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. For the purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such intangible cultural heritage as is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development.

33. Key points • Intangible heritage gives us an opportunity to celebrate aspects of heritage (practices, ideas) that were not included in the traditional western model of great buildings and artworks • It is not separate from ‘tangible’ heritage, as it can include the meanings associated with material objects and places. World Heritage Convention could cover places that are significant for their ICH. • Definitions of intangible heritage place great value on the significance of the heritage to communities, groups or individuals who practice that heritage.

34. Aspects of heritage value Practising communities Social value:a sense of belongingtrust and mutual respectvaluing the group (ubuntu) Economic value: community developmenttourism Heritage professionals and institutions (e.g. museums) Government Intrinsic value: engaging with our past Adapted from Hewison & Holden 2006

35. Why is ICH important? • ICH is important because it provides practising communities with a sense of ‘identity and continuity’ – practising it is a responsibility to the group, and may be integral to its well-being • Thus, ICH can, but does not have to be: • practiced by everyone, even within a community • available to everyone, even within the community • known to everyone, outside the community (and layers of knowledge within the community) • significant to everyone, outside the community

36. ICH in context • ICH is not important just because of the objects, or the rituals themselves, but because of what lies behind them – their meaning for the practicing community over the generations • ICH can be used / applied in other cultural contexts, but in so doing it may gain other values (including monetary ones) and other meanings • Change and communication between various cultural practices is positive, but so long as we do not lose the core significance of the ICH

37. Domains: article 2 • oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage; • performing arts; • social practices, rituals and festive events; • knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; • traditional craftsmanship

38. Inclusions and exclusions • Prioritisation generally extended to: • ICH threatened by colonisation / political marginalisation • ICH threatened by globalisation • ICH that reflects national / regional identity • Main exclusions: • organised religion (but could be included under (d)) • language (except as a vehicle for ICH) • human rights violations (process for decision-making?) • environmental non-sustainability (process for decision-making?)

39. Key points • The ‘domains’ of the Convention provide a very broad framework for defining ICH at a national level: this provides flexibility for communities to define their ICH. • The main problem is deciding what to inventory and what to fund at a national level, and what to list at an international level. • Because communities define their own ICH it is better for governments or heritage managers to restrict what gets funded or prioritised for funding rather than what gets defined as ICH.

40. Community • Communities are networks of people whose sense of identity or connectedness emerges from a shared historical relationship that is rooted in the practice and transmission of, or engagement with, their ICH; • Link between defining heritage, minority identities and land claims • Defining the boundaries of communities: recent and political inclusion and exclusion of community members • Choosing representatives: the unequal nature of access to knowledge and power within communities

41. Role of the community • The practicing community is the key point for heritage recreation. They have to be involved in the inventorying and listing processes, and in heritage management. • Who ‘owns’ the heritage and what does ‘ownership’ mean? • Who has the right to speak for the community? • Who should define its meaning?

42. Safeguarding Measures:Promotion, Documentation, Research, Education, Revitalization

43. SAFEGAURDING ICH • Safeguarding of ICH is different to TCH because we are essentially dealing with conserving human knowledge and practice rather than their products. • To start we need to come back to the question of definition. What is ICH and what are we safeguarding?

44. Safeguarding • The Convention gives domains and Definitions. • For Safeguarding measures it is important to remember that the focus of conservation in ICH is the know-how or knowledge rather than the product of the knowledge. Hence ‘ the ‘intangibility’; the focus on 'people' and 'transmission.

45. Safeguarding • However safeguarding the know how can also mean the necessity to safeguard places and/or things (materials objects etc…). Makonde sculpture (Mozambique/Tanzania)

46. Important also to note that change does not necessarily mean the ICH is lost or distorted, change can be a sign that a culture is vibrant. • Cannot ‘freeze’ ICH -- safegaurding measures should not seek to do so.

47. Safeguarding • Within a specific expression of ICH, there are often specific elements of the process which are the important elements to safeguard. • Identifying these ‘core’ elements/processes is crucial for safeguarding measures. • For a sculpture it may be the specific carving technique, or the choice of material, or the story behind the sculpture, or the ceremony in which the object is to be used, that is the most important element.

48. Safeguarding • Since the focus of heritage safeguarding is the knowledge/practice, the issue of inter-generational transmission is vital in safeguarding measures for all domains of ICH.

49. Threats? What are the main threats? They may vary according to Types of ICH, Specific social,political or economic contexts of concerned communities Global issues

50. Threats? • Some common threats: • Lack of income generation can lead to abandonment of certain practices expressions. • Loss of political or economic significance of a particular practice due to development, emerging market economy or political structures of nation states • ie. Traditional rulers lose their power-base and so no longer prepared to invest in all the ‘hard and expensive work’ for a particular ceremony • Lack of valorization or pride in the culture among younger generation