Benefitting country(ies): Kyrgyzstan

Overview:

This thirty-month project is proposed as a second phase of the project on Safeguarding Practices and Rare Rituals Related to Sacred Sites in Kyrgyzstan, implemented in 2018–2020 with the support of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund. Initiated by community leaders of the pilgrimage practices, the project’s overall objective is to develop a website about ICH elements, with audiovisual materials and comprehensive information about the 2003 Convention, ICH communities, active stakeholders and safeguarding activities. The idea for the development of a digital platform was proposed by the communities concerned to mitigate the regulatory, educational and ideological risks to pilgrimage practices identified during the previous project. The proposed website will address: (a) the lack of knowledge, information, awareness and educational materials on ICH; (b) the underrepresentation of the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities living in Kyrgyzstan; and (c) the need to modernize the mechanism for registering living heritage expressions of the State’s National Inventory. The project is expected to facilitate the transmission of ICH to younger generations, foster a sense of recognition, inclusion and belonging of Dungan and Uyghur ethnic groups, promote social cohesion, mutual respect and understanding between different ethnic groups, and strengthen partnerships among ICH stakeholders, including communities, State structures and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

29/04/2024 - 31/10/2025 – Pilot inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of the communities of the Lobaye forest prefecture22/09/2022 - 18/09/2025 – Sustaining and transmitting Mongol biyelgee