Benefitting country(ies): Iraq

Overview:

Funded by the European Union, this project aims to implement a number of urgently needed actions in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen, which will allow for the stabilization and urgent safeguarding of the cultural heritage of these countries and their population. The component related to intangible cultural heritage concerns only Iraq.
The ongoing crisis in Iraq has triggered massive internal forced displacement, as populations faced with persecution and sectarian violence based on their religious and ethnic affiliation were obliged to flee their homes and communities. The internally displaced persons, including those belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, often have little or no established cultural links with host communities. There is a risk that disruption of practice of cultural expressions will lead to an irreversible loss of intangible cultural heritage for internally displaced persons. This, in turn, poses a threat to the protection of cultural diversity in Iraq, and undermines the opportunity of capitalizing on the power of culture to overcome social fragmentation and build social cohesion for reconciliation. Measures to safeguard the intangible heritage of internally displaced persons are therefore urgent and should aim at ensuring that cultural expressions at risk, linked to this heritage, are safeguarded. The acknowledgement that every community contributes to the richness and vibrancy of Iraq’s cultural diversity is vital to ensure inclusiveness and peaceful coexistence.
The component of this project related to intangible cultural heritage aims to foster social cohesion between various communities in Iraq through the urgent safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage at risk.

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