Benefitting country(ies): Benin

Overview:

Implemented by the Ministry of Culture, this preparatory assistance request concerns the nomination of Vodun, beliefs, social practices and ways of living to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Originating in West Africa and practised wherever enslaved people were deported, it combines beliefs in deities, social practices through rituals, and a way of life. Vodun deities are organized according to the natural elements, namely water (associated with the deity Tôhôssou), earth (associated with Sakpata), air (associated with Dan) and fire (associated with Hêbiosso). Ancestors also occupy a central place in Vodun, as they are believed to influence the lives of the living through blessings or curses. Ancestral worship is often tied to rituals to pay tribute to ancestors and communicate with the afterlife. This project will support the preparation of the nomination file for the element through consultations with various communities, with the goal of obtaining their consent and involvement in the process.

13/08/2024 - 30/04/2026 – Revision of the national intangible cultural heritage inventory and capacity-building on the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the local communities in five provinces of Kazakhstan01/08/2025 - 30/04/2026 – Knowledge and skills associated with the manufacture of the Saponé hat