The Bureau,
- Recalling Chapter V of the Convention and Chapter I of the Operational Directives,
- Having examined Document ITH/16/11.COM 1.BUR/1, as well as the international assistance request no. 01216,
- Takes note that Zambia has requested international assistance for a project entitled ‘Inventorying of proverbs of Lala community in Luano District of Zambia’:
Lala people live along the eastern portions of the Luangwa River in Luano District in the central province of Zambia. Among their various cultural practices that include social gatherings, festivals, celebrations and life cycle rituals, proverbs in particular hold a central place in the transmission of community values to the younger generation. Reflecting people’s living heritage and wisdom, Lala proverbs are used in different contexts, from the subject of marriage to dispute settlement among community members. Despite the essential role they play, several factors threaten the viability of the proverbs that are disappearing and their associated cultural practices, affecting community identity and way of life. The proposed project aims to draw up an inventory of the proverbs of the Lala community with a view to safeguarding practices, transmission modes and knowledge associated with them. Implemented by the Department of Arts and Culture of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, activities include identification of custodians and practitioners of proverbs, training on community-based inventorying for local communities, fieldwork and processing and analysis of collected data. The project also plans to disseminate its results and raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding this living heritage among young people through culture clubs in schools and non-formal education settings.
- Further takes note that this assistance concerns support for a project carried out at local level with the aim of drawing up an inventory in accordance with Article 20 (b) of the Convention, and that it takes the form of the granting of a donation in line with Article 21 (g) of the Convention;
- Also takes note that Zambia requested an allocation of US$24,999.90 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for implementation of the project;
- Decides that, from the information provided in file no. 01216, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting international assistance given in paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
- Decides to approve the international assistance request from Zambia for a project entitled ‘Inventorying of proverbs of Lala community in Luano District of Zambia’ and to grant an amount of US$24,999.90 to this end;
- Requests the Secretariat to reach an agreement with the requesting State Party on technical details of the assistance, paying particular attention to the detailed budget and timetable of activities to be covered by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, paying particular attention to issues raised in the assessment of criterion A.3;
- Invites the State Party to use the ICH-04-Report Form when reporting on the use of assistance provided.