Sustaining Seperu folk dance and associated practices

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana

Overview:

Implemented by the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, this eighteen-month project aims to safeguard ‘Seperu folk dance and associated practices’, an element inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2019. The element involves singing, dancing and sacred rituals which are significant in the life of the communities in the Chobe District. The kno ›››

Integrating living heritage into primary education in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Overview:

The project aims to strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders in two Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regarding the integration of living heritage into primary education. Building on the recommendations from a previous regional project ('Learning with Intangible Cultural Heritage for a Sustainable Future in Latin America and the Caribbean'; 2021-2022), this new initiative includes capacity-building and teacher training activities ›››

Implementing community-based heritage festivals in eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh

Benefitting country(ies): Bangladesh

Overview:

Implemented by the Bangladesh National Museum, this two-year project aims at implementing community-based and -led intangible cultural heritage festivals across eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. The project is a collaborative effort between the Bangladesh National Museum and the Consortium for ICH-pedia in Bangladesh. It focuses on safeguarding, promoting and transmitting the living heritage of eight communities through capacity building, research ›››

Supporting the community of artists and artisans of the village of Noailles to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of metal cutting in the context of the security crisis and for resilience in Haiti

Benefitting country(ies): Haiti

Overview:

For several generations, the village of Noailles was home to communities of metal cutters, listed in the inventory of Haiti’s intangible cultural heritage. This form of expression was revived in the mid-twentieth century, using recycled drums as raw material. Cutting metal is the primary means of subsistence and source of resilience for the artisans and community members. Implemented by the U ›››

Consolidating and upscaling efforts of community museums to safeguard six intangible cultural heritage elements in Uganda

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

Implemented by the Uganda Community Museums Association (UCOMA), an accredited NGO, this two-year project aims to increase the capacity of community museums to sustainably safeguard Uganda’s intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the Lists of the 2003 Convention. It is the second phase of the project entitled ‘Strengthening the capacity of community museums to promote inscribed intangible cultural heritage’, which was implemented from ›››

Safeguarding of ludodiversity in Malawi through formal and non-formal education

Benefitting country(ies): Malawi

Overview:

The objective of this three-year project, implemented by the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO, is to contribute to the safeguarding of the ludodiversity of Malawi through informal learning and transmission of nine traditional games within practicing communities. The nine games were identified by practitioners in three regions of Malawi and included in an inventory of ludodiversity of Malawi in 2013, but ›››

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 Kazakhstan

Benefitting country(ies): Kazakhstan

Overview:

Implemented by the Kazakhstan Intangible Cultural Heritage National Committee, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Information, this twenty-two-month project aims to build the capacities of local communities and national authorities to safeguard their living heritage. The main focus of the project is to update the existing national intangible cultural heritage inventory of Kazakhstan, which has not been ›››

Safeguarding plans for the transfer of three elements of Mali's intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List to the Representative List

Benefitting country(ies): Mali

Overview:

Implemented by the National Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage, this two-year project aims to support safeguarding plans for three elements inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding: (a) ‘The Sanké mon: a collective fishing rite of the Sanké’ (inscribed in 2009); (b) ‘The secret society of the Kôrêdugaw, the rite of wisdom in Mali’ (inscribed in 2011); and ›››

Consolidating the promotion of intangible cultural heritage education in institutions of higher learning in collaboration with bearer communities

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

Implemented by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), an accredited non-governmental organization under the 2003 Convention, this two-year project aims to promote intangible cultural heritage education in higher-learning institutions. The project builds on the achievements of a previous intervention aimed at raising awareness of the relevance of living heritage in Uganda’s current development context among the management and academic staff of f ›››

Strengthening the capacities of La Cofradía del Espíritu Santo de Los Congos de Villa Mella and El Teatro Cocolo Danzante de Los Guloyas de San Pedro to safeguard their heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Dominican Republic

Overview:

This two-year project aims to strengthen the practice and transmission of these traditions through two pillars: training to build capacities of future generations of bearers and awareness-raising on the importance of these two elements for Dominican society. La Cofradía del Espíritu Santo de Los Congos in Villa Mella and El Teatro Cocolo Danzante Los Guloyas in San Pedro de Macorís a ›››

Inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional and religious festivities in the municipalities of Bluefields, Diriamba, León, El Viejo and Masaya

Benefitting country(ies): Nicaragua

Overview:

Implemented by the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture, this twenty-four-month project aims to prepare an inventory of Nicaraguan intangible cultural heritage and to contribute to the safeguarding of elements related to the following traditional and religious festivities: (a) the traditional May Pole Festival; (b) the San Sebastian Patron Saint Festival; (c) the Festival of the Virgin of the Throne; (d) ‘La G ›››

Practical handbook on periodic reporting with a self-learning tool on the Overall results framework for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Overview:

In the context of the 2003 Convention’s global capacity-building programme, this project aims at creating a practical handbook and a self-learning tool, to address the practical needs of the country focal points in the preparation of their periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention at the national level, as well as to familiarize actors working in the field of safeguarding o ›››

Pilot inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the ten departments of the Centre Region in Cameroon

Benefitting country(ies): Cameroon

Overview:

Implemented by UNESCO’s Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa, in cooperation with the Ministry of Arts and Culture, this eighteen-month project aims to lay the foundations for the sustainable safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Cameroon, re-orienting the inventorying system previously set up in the country. The project involves capacity building for the creation of participatory community-based inventories, raising awareness o ›››

Xhubleta, skills, craftmanship and forms of usage

Benefitting country(ies): Albania

Overview:

This two-year safeguarding programme aims to support efforts to enhance the practice and transmission of Xhubleta craftsmanship in northern Albania. It has three main objectives: ensuring the needed infrastructure for the revitalization of the craft, enhancing the capacities of bearers to make Xhubleta and increasing the visibility of Xhubleta and of intangible cultural heritage values among the community. The proposed ›››

Safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of Ukrainian displaced persons in Hungary: inclusive community practices

Benefitting country(ies): Hungary

Overview:

Implemented by the Hungarian Open Air Museum, this fifteen-month project aims to develop a methodology for engaging museums with the Ukrainian communities displaced in Hungary, while supporting the safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage. The project is based on the outcomes of the UNESCO initiative on community-based needs identification of living heritage safeguarding among displaced communities from Ukraine in five ›››

Pilot inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of the communities of the Lobaye forest prefecture

Benefitting country(ies): Central African Republic

Overview:

Implemented by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism, the purpose of this eighteen-month project is to develop a pilot intangible cultural heritage inventory for twelve ethnocultural communities of the Lobaye forest prefecture. The area ‘Basse-Lobaye’ has also been designated as a Man and Biosphere reserve since 1977. More specifically, it aims to provide Central African Republic with its first intangible cul ›››

Digital journey to intangible cultural heritage of Kyrgyzstan

Benefitting country(ies): Kyrgyzstan

Overview:

This thirty-month project is 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 ›››

Sustaining and transmitting Mongol biyelgee

Benefitting country(ies): Mongolia

Overview:

The purpose of this three-year project is to assess and enhance the viability of Mongol Biyelgee and to transfer the element from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Being implemented by the Institute of Culture and Arts Study of the Mongolian State University of ›››

Identification, capacity-building, safeguarding and promotion of traditional dances of Togo as a vector of sustainable cultural development

Benefitting country(ies): Togo

Overview:

Implemented by CUL.DEV (Culture and Development), an accredited NGO under the Convention, this twenty-five-month project aims to identify, safeguard and promote traditional dances in Togo. The project involves inventorying the dances, including categorizing them and describing the related performance techniques, music, rhythms, contexts, dress and norms, as well as their social, spiritual and secular roles within the communities. The ›››

Living Heritage and The Sustainable Development Goals: Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through formal and non-formal education in the Asia and the Pacific Region and in Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Benin, Nepal, Thailand

Overview:

As part of the implementation of the funding priority under the 2003 Convention 'Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education' and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Target 4.7), the project proposes to develop and pilot learning tools/materials/pedagogies concerning the integration of living heritage in non-formal education in the Community Learning Centers in Nepal and Thailand. It explores the ›››

Capacity building for stakeholders involved in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage in Burkina Faso

Benefitting country(ies): Burkina Faso

Overview:

The proposed twenty-four-month project is geared at building the capacities of stakeholders involved in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Burkina Faso. Following an inventorying process conducted as part of the implementation of the Convention, the need to establish a critical mass of stakeholders capable of taking on the process of safeguarding living heritage at the national level became clear. In ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-12-13 – The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage selected two projects for inclusion on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Safeguarding and inventories of children's tales and narratives in Mauritania

Benefitting country(ies): Mauritania

Overview:

Implemented by Association Maison des Théâtres, this eighteen-month project aims to safeguard children’s tales and narratives in Mauritania by creating an inventory and ensuring the transmission of the practice to future generations. The project involves the implementation of community workshops on how to develop participatory inventories, followed by the identification and inventorying of children’s tales and narratives across Mauritania. The tales ›››

Elaboration of an inventory of national intangible cultural heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Rwanda

Overview:

Implemented by the Rwandan National Commission for UNESCO, this eighteen-month project aims to develop the first inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of Rwanda and to support the government’s national safeguarding efforts. The project involves: (a) implementing a capacity-building training workshop about the Convention and the importance of intangible cultural heritage, including training on relevant techniques and tools; (b) conducting c ›››

Strengthening capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in situations of conflict and forced displacement

Overview:

UNESCO in the framework of the 2003 Convention has explored the role of living heritage in emergencies, including conflict and disaster situations. In 2020, the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention adopted operational principles and modalities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in emergencies, which offers guidance to national and international stakeholders on how best to engage and safeguard living heritage ›››

News and activities:

• 2023-10-23 – Safeguarding living heritage for resilience and recovery at Minawao Refugee Camp in Cameroon
• 2023-10-09 – Training workshop for safeguarding living heritage in situations of conflict and forced displacement at Minawao Refugee Camp, Cameroon

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and contributing to sustainable development in Kenya

Benefitting country(ies): Kenya

Overview:

In the context of the 2003 Convention’s global capacity-building programme, this project aims at strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and contributing to sustainable development in Kenya. The project will deliver training activities to strengthen the capacities of national stakeholders in the following areas: *knowledge of the 2003 Convention, its key concepts and approaches; *methodologies for community-based inventorying for safeguarding i ›››

Strengthening capacities for preparing nomination files for the Lists of the 2003 Convention in Small Island and Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean

Benefitting country(ies): Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Overview:

In the context of the 2003 Convention’s global capacity-building programme, this project aims at building capacities of Small Island and Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean on the preparation of nomination files for the Lists of the 2003 Convention, with a view to improve the effective safeguarding of living heritage across the region and contribute to greater geographical balance of the elements i ›››

Development of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage in South Sudan

Benefitting country(ies): South Sudan

Overview:

Led by the Ministry of Culture, in close collaboration with the UNESCO Office in Juba, the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NICHC) and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, this twenty-four-month project is aimed at developing an inventory of intangible cultural heritage in South Sudan in order to contribute to its safeguarding. Due to the ongoing social transitions in ›››

News and activities:

• 2023-11-10 – Community based inventorying in South Sudan project launch
• 2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

Tais, traditional textile

Benefitting country(ies): Timor-Leste

Overview:

This three-year project is being implemented by the Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCO. Activities include promoting this handwoven traditional textile in fairs, creating a television programme and adding Timor-Leste’s cultural elements, including Tais, to school curricula. In terms of research, the project entails recruiting an international expert to conduct field research and to document and photograph the raw materials used a ›››

Field School for capacity-building in safeguarding living heritage of ethnic communities in Thailand

Benefitting country(ies): Thailand

Overview:

This two-year project seeks to enhance the capacity of five ethnic groups and relevant stakeholders in Thailand to safeguard intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The ethnic groups (Pgakenyaw Karen, Pwo Karen, Moken, Moklen and Urak Lawoi) were chosen on the basis of their vulnerability and their willingness to engage in the safeguarding activities. The project entails establishing the Field School for ›››

Social practices and cultural elements of Toare Gulf mask festival

Benefitting country(ies): Papua New Guinea

Overview:

To be implemented by the Papua New Guinea National Cultural Commission, this project is aimed at preparing a nomination file to the Urgent Safeguarding List for the social practices and rituals related to the Toare mask festival. The Toare community has a population of around six to seven hundred people and is located in the Uamai villages. An annual celebration ›››

Imbalu ceremonies

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

Implemented by the Inzu Ya Masaaba/Institution of the Umukuuka, this project is aimed at preparing a nomination file to the Urgent Safeguarding List for the Imbalu Ceremonies in Uganda. The ceremonies are a rite of passage for young men that involve many activities, from cultural education, to running, dancing and beer brewing. They culminate with the circumcision of initiates ›››

Aixan/Gana/Ob#ANS TSI //Khasigu, ancestral musical sound knowledge and skills (international assistance)

Benefitting country(ies): Namibia

Overview:

Being implemented by the Namibia National Commission for UNESCO, this thirty-six-month project is aimed at safeguarding the Aixan /Gana /Ob #ANS TSI //Khasigu, as the tradition of performing such music currently faces many threats. Specifically, the project intends to: improve the visibility of the element and of living heritage in general; enhance, preserve and promote the element among youth, community ›››

Emergency response to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Lalibela, World Heritage property, and the surrounding area endangered by conflict

Benefitting country(ies): Ethiopia

Overview:

Implemented by the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, in collaboration with the Association of St. Lalibela and Surrounding Heritage Conservation and Protection, this three-year project aims to contribute to the revival of the traditional church schools in Lalibela and the surrounding areas. These church schools, situated within the World Heritage property of the ‘Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela’, have been temporarily closed due to ong ›››

Capacity building for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in emergencies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and the Caribbean

Benefitting country(ies): Bahamas, Belize, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu

Overview:

In line with the Operational principles and modalities for safeguarding living heritage (or ICH) in emergencies, the project addresses the severe threats from natural disasters to the transmission and viability of ICH in five Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean and the Pacific, notably: Belize, the Bahamas, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. It aims to integrate ICH safeguarding into ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-04-11 – Launch of a three-year project for safeguarding living heritage during emergencies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and the Caribbean
• 2022-04-07 – Inter-regional inception workshop for the project ‘Capacity-building for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in emergencies in Small Island Developing States in the Pacific and the Caribbean’

Capacity building on traditional Koryo celadon making practice

Benefitting country(ies): Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Overview:

The proposed six-month project is aimed at building capacities relating to the traditional Koryo celadon making practice. The project is to be implemented by a working group established by the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences, in cooperation with the National Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for UNESCO. Recently, decreased interest in the tradition has resulted in dwindling c ›››

To get together - Enhancement of the capacities of displaced communities from Ukraine living in Slovakia through living heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Slovakia

Overview:

Implemented by the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, this twenty-month project aims to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Ukrainian communities temporarily displaced in Slovakia and raise awareness of the important role of living heritage safeguarding for forcefully displaced communities. The project is based on the outcomes of the UNESCO project ‘Assessing the n ›››

Community-based teaching and learning of Ukraine’s living heritage in Romania

Benefitting country(ies): Romania

Overview:

Implemented by the Asociatia Serviciul Iezuitilor pentru Refugiati din Romania (JRS Romania), this fourteen-month project aims at safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of Ukrainian communities temporarily displaced in Romania and seeks to raise awareness of the important role of living heritage in supporting the resilience of these communities and encouraging social cohesion. The project is based on the outcomes of ›››

Strengthening and promotion of the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and meanings related to the production of traditional pottery in Checca Pupuja, Puno

Benefitting country(ies): Peru

Overview:

Implemented by the UNESCO Office in Lima in cooperation with the Intangible Heritage Directorate of the Ministry of Culture of Peru, this eighteen-month project aims to promote the intergenerational transmission of the knowledge and techniques related to traditional Checca Pupuja pottery. One of the main aspects related to the importance of this pottery is that it fulfils three main functions ›››

Urgent safeguarding of the making of traditional musical instrument Kobyz and its tradition of Zhyrau performance

Benefitting country(ies): Uzbekistan

Overview:

Implemented by the UNESCO Office in Tashkent in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Uzbekistan, this eighteen-month project aims to safeguard and raise awareness of Karakalpak living heritage in Uzbekistan, with a focus on the endangered kobyz and zhyrau traditions. Using a gender-based approach, the project involves identifying and documenting the techniques of creating ›››

Xeedho

Benefitting country(ies): Djibouti

Overview:

Being implemented by the Ministry of Muslim Affairs, Culture and Wakfs Goods, this project aims to revitalize the practice of Xeedho in Djibouti by organizing Xeedho associations consisting of bearers and community representatives from several regions and transmitting the element to younger generations through training sessions. Other project activities include providing capacity-building workshops for teachers, producing television programmes, debates and ›››

Capacity-building for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and contributing to sustainable development

Benefitting country(ies): Gambia, Ghana

Overview:

As part of the implementation of the funding priority under the 2003 Convention ‘Strengthening capacities to safeguard intangible cultural heritage and contribute to sustainable development’, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Target 11.4; 5.5 and 17.9), as well as the African Union Agenda 2063, in the Gambia, the project proposes to train all relevant stakeholders on how to better safeguard intangible cultural heritage through the effective imp ›››

News and activities:

• 2024-07-25 – Ghana engages holistic approach to strengthen living heritage safeguarding
• 2022-11-23 – Inception Workshop for the project 'Strengthening capacities to safeguard intangible cultural heritage and contribute to sustainable development'

Strengthening capacities at the national and local levels for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Dominica

Benefitting country(ies): Dominica

Overview:

This project aims at enhancing capacities for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Dominica. The need for support was expressed in the context of the periodic reporting exercise in Latin America and the Caribbean, which brought to the fore that, to date, the implementation of the Convention in Dominica had not progressed significantly since the ratification in 2005. Therefore, this ›››

Pilot inventory of intangible cultural heritage in six provinces of Chad

Benefitting country(ies): Chad

Overview:

To be implemented by the Ministry of Culture and the Promotion of Diversity, in close collaboration with the Chad National Commission for UNESCO, the proposed eighteen-month project is aimed at inventorying elements of intangible cultural heritage in six regions of Chad. Although the State Party ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2008, the country ›››

Documentation and inventory of peu karioi (performing arts) in the Cook Islands

Benefitting country(ies): Cook Islands

Overview:

Being implemented by the Cook Islands Ministry of Cultural Development, this eighteen-month project is geared at documenting and inventorying peu karioi (performing arts) in the Cook Islands, which constitutes a traditional technique of telling stories, proverbs, myths and legends. Conventionally, the elders of each island transmit knowledge about the peu karioi to the next generation orally. However, this approach is ›››

Community-based inventorying and capacity building of indigenous communities for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces

Benefitting country(ies): Pakistan

Overview:

Being implemented jointly by the UNESCO Office in Islamabad and the National Heritage and Culture Division (NHCD) of the Government of Pakistan, this twenty-four-month project has been designed in collaboration with the communities concerned. The main objective of the project is to enhance the capacities of communities and stakeholders to safeguard intangible culture heritage for sustainable development in the regions ›››

Safeguarding Saint Kitts and Nevis Intangible Cultural Heritage: developing a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy

Benefitting country(ies): Saint Kitts and Nevis

Overview:

This is a two-year project based on a series of consultations with traditional and knowledge bearers and communities, groups and individuals about opportunities and challenges in the practice of their living heritage. The primary objective is the development of a National Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Policy, which was recognized in the consultations as fundamental to safeguarding living heritage and fostering ›››

Strengthening capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in disaster contexts

Benefitting country(ies): Honduras, Philippines

Overview:

In the context of the [[global capacity-building programme|page:00326]], this activity aims to strengthen capacities for integrating disaster risk reduction into community-based inventories of intangible cultural heritage through pilot activities in Honduras and the Philippines. The project will comprise: *Online training workshops on intangible cultural heritage and disaster risk reduction; *Pilot-inventorying activities integrating awareness for disaster risk reduction; *Awareness-raising activities ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-06-29 – Joint capacity-building project on ICH and disaster risk reduction kicks off in the Philippines and Honduras

Strengthening capacities at the national and local levels for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in the United Republic of Tanzania and contributing to sustainable development

Benefitting country(ies): United Republic of Tanzania

Overview:

In the context of the 2003 Convention’s global capacity-building programme, this project is designed to strengthen capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage at national and local levels, including among government institutions and communities in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. More specifically, the objectives of the project are the following: *Contribute to sustainable development in the United Republic of Tanzania through the implementation o ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-12-15 – UNESCO launches new capacity-building project for living heritage in the United Republic of Tanzania

Inventorying of Kuyabila of the Tonga ethnic group of Zambia

Benefitting country(ies): Zambia

Overview:

This twenty-four-month project, being implemented by Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism and Arts, aims to undertake an inventory of the Tonga ethnic group’s poems in the Monze and Namwala districts of the country’s southern province. Accompanied by music and a special dance, kuyabila is the poetry of the Tonga people. It is accompanied by music and a special dance and performed durin ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-06-07 – In Zambia, the International Assistance project to safeguard Kuyabila poetry begins

Development of a national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in Sao Tome and Principe

Benefitting country(ies): Sao Tome and Principe

Overview:

To be implemented by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences, this sixteen-month project aims to strengthen national capacities, raise awareness about intangible cultural heritage among bearers, practitioners and the public, and support community-led safeguarding efforts. It is the first project of its kind in Sao Tome and Principe and will provide the country with an ›››

Empowering communities for the safeguarding of Belize's foodways: a community-based inventory project for sustainable development and disaster resilience

Benefitting country(ies): Belize

Overview:

To be implemented by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), this twenty-four-month project aims to strengthen community capacity and create a comprehensive inventory of foodways in Belize, which faces threats related to globalization, rapid urbanization and climate change. The project will equip community members and cultural officers with the knowledge and skills to document, inventory and safeguard living ›››

Implementation of a plan for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea: training and pilot inventory of traditional dances

Benefitting country(ies): Equatorial Guinea

Overview:

To be implemented by the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Handicraft Promotion, this twenty-one-month project aims to build national capacity for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Equatorial Guinea and to establish a pilot inventory. The project involves a series of training workshops on the principles of the 2003 Convention, inventorying and safeguarding. It also entails carrying ›››

Building capacities on intangible cultural heritage inventorying, safeguarding and awareness raising activities in The Gambia

Benefitting country(ies): Gambia

Overview:

To be implemented by the National Centre for Art and Culture, this two-year project aims to build the capacities of communities and practitioners and to promote the safeguarding and transmission of The Gambia’s intangible cultural heritage. The project has a particular focus on the safeguarding of the Kankurang, Manding initiatory rite, an element inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of t ›››

Safeguarding of Okuruuo through community-based capacity building, inventorying and documentation interventions in Namibia

Benefitting country(ies): Namibia

Overview:

Implemented by the Namibia National Commission for UNESCO, the proposed thirty-six-month project is aimed at safeguarding Okuruuo. The sacred ritual practice of Okuruuo (meaning Holy Fire) is central to the cultural values and social practices of the communities concerned. However, the current situation – including a rapid increase in urbanization – threatens its continuous practice and sustainability. Awareness-raising, capacity-building and training initiatives hav ›››

Capacity building for community leaders and public managers to safeguard the living heritage of Afro-descendant communities in the SICA region and Cuba

Benefitting country(ies): Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

Overview:

This project aims to build a common conceptual and methodological basis for the safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendants in Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. It is the first stage (preparation and planning) of a larger initiative titled ‘Safeguarding of the Afro-descendant Intangible Cultural Heritage of the SICA region and Cuba,’ to be ›››

Community-Based inventory, documenting and safeguarding folklore of the Syunik region of Armenia

Benefitting country(ies): Armenia

Overview:

Being implemented by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, this twenty-four-month project aims to inventory, document, safeguard and promote the oral heritage of the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia. As a response to this lack of documentation and to the dwindling practice of and interest in local folklore, the project seeks ›››

Strengthening capacities for periodic reporting under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

Africa is the fourth region to be undertaking periodic reporting under the revised regional cycle approved by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention [Decision 14.COM 8]. The present project aims to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of States Parties in the region, in conducting a thorough review of the state of safeguarding policies, programmes, and initiatives in ›››

News and activities:

• 2024-04-22 – Milestone achieved as Africa participates in its first regional cycle of periodic reporting

Spring rite of Juraŭski Karahod (international assistance)

Benefitting country(ies): Belarus

Overview:

Being implemented by the Centre of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, the proposed twenty-four-month project has three main objectives. The first objective is to research the area where Juraǔski Karahod was spread historically and develop an effective strategy for its revitalization, performance and transmission. Second, the visibility of the element is expected to ›››

Safeguarding the Oulad Mbarek epic

Benefitting country(ies): Mauritania

Overview:

Given the ever-decreasing number of bearers, namely the griot, the project aims to collect the repertoire of poems in writing, sound and image to promote access to and facilitate transmission of the tradition. The project, which is being implemented by the International Foundation of the Aïn Farba Festival in close collaboration with local communities, is based on three major axes: ›››

Safeguarding semba by creating new levers for intergenerational transmission and income-generating opportunities

Benefitting country(ies): Angola

Overview:

Implemented by the Instituto Nacional do Património Cultural (INPC), this two-year project aims to establish suitable conditions for safeguarding semba, a traditional musical genre and dance, by creating opportunities for intergenerational transmission and income generation. Rooted in working-class neighbourhoods, semba is a symbol of Angolan identity-building and anticolonial resistance. However, lately it has begun to lose influence and significance among ›››

Exchange of experiences and cultural dialogues for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Afro-descendant peoples through the preparation of inventories in the SICA region and Cuba

Benefitting country(ies): Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

Overview:

To be implemented by the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC/SICA) in cooperation with the Regional Center for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL) and with the involvement of the Central American Black Organization (ONECA), this eighteen-month multinational project aims to build collective and participatory knowledge on the processes of inventorying the living ›››

Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in basic education in Namibia and Zimbabwe

Benefitting country(ies): Namibia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

This project will contribute to building coordination mechanisms between the Ministries of Education and Culture in Namibia and Zimbabwe to ensure that a robust methodology for heritage-based education is anchored in national policies and available to enrich teacher training courses and curriculum development for the future. The innovative and transformative methodology of learning with living heritage will be embedded in ›››

News and activities:

• 2024-03-19 – Namibia and Zimbabwe move onward to bridge living heritage and education
• 2023-03-10 – Namibia and Zimbabwe launch project on living heritage in education

Between the Amazon and the Andes: safeguarding and transmission of the Traditional knowledge and techniques associated with Pasto Varnish mopa-mopa of the Putumayo and Nariño departments of Colombia

Benefitting country(ies): Colombia

Overview:

The project supported initiatives led by the practitioners (harvesters, woodworkers, varnishers) to guarantee the future safeguarding of the element. The project developed four main activities: (a) capacity building training for trainers targeting fifty-five practitioners; (b) a pilot apprenticeship programme in which each practitioner worked alongside an apprentice in a one-to-one learning environment; (c) documentation of the life and work of ›››

Nomadic Mongolia festival

Benefitting country(ies): Mongolia

Overview:

Implemented by the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage, this ten-month initiative aimed to prepare a proposal in view of sharing safeguarding experiences related to the Nomadic Mongolia festival through the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, in the sense of Article 18 of the Convention. The Nomadic Mongolia festival is a nationwide celebration of intangible cultural heritage, held ›››

Safeguarding and promoting Gbofe

Benefitting country(ies): Côte d'Ivoire

Overview:

To be implemented by the Office Ivoirien du Patrimoine Culturel (the Ivoirian Cultural Heritage Office), this two-year project aims to ensure the viability of the Gbofe, a transverse trump and a performance of the Tagbana community that encompasses music, song and dance. The element was incorporated in 2008 in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed ›››

Awareness raising on the importance of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage among traditional leadership and local communities in Zimbabwe

Benefitting country(ies): Zimbabwe

Overview:

To be implemented by the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, this two-year project aims to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding among traditional leaders and local communities in Zimbabwe. The project involves translating a summary of the 2003 Convention into local languages and establishing an information centre that will manage online platforms and share content, information and experiences ›››

Ancestral and traditional techniques for the elaboration of the 'Poncho Para'i de 60 Listas', from the city of Piribebuy, Republic of Paraguay

Benefitting country(ies): Paraguay

Overview:

To be implemented by the National Secretariat of Culture in partnership with UNESCO, this project aims to ensure the transmission of the knowledge and techniques of making the Poncho Para’í de 60 Listas. The project involves promotion activities such as a television show, a permanent exhibition, craft fairs and a weaving competition. The homes and workshops of poncho artisans will be gi ›››

The Bandoneon: sound of Tango

Benefitting country(ies): Uruguay

Overview:

Implemented by the Cienarte Foundation in cooperation with the Interministerial Commission for the Support of Tango and Candombe, this thirty-month project aimed at safeguarding the traditional sound of tango produced by the bandoneon, its emblematic instrument. The bandoneon is an essential part of tango (a binational nomination between Argentina and Uruguay, inscribed on the Representative List of the 2003 Convention in ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

Strengthening capacities for the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Antigua and Barbuda

Benefitting country(ies): Antigua and Barbuda

Overview:

This nineteen-month project is aimed at strengthening capacities for the sustainable implementation of the 2003 Convention in Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the inventorying, promotion and safeguarding of living heritage in the country. Being implemented by the Cultural Development Division of the Ministry of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts with the assistance of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

Inventory of intangible culture of craftsmanship in the core of Historic Cairo

Benefitting country(ies): Egypt

Overview:

Implemented by the Egyptian Society for Folk Traditions (ESFT), this project aimed at preparing a community-based inventory of twenty types of crafts produced in the historic areas of Cairo, known as Historic Cairo, a World Heritage property under the 1972 Convention. Previous initiatives provide a useful starting point, particularly for noting the traditional crafts that have already vanished, along with the ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-08-12 – Inventorying living heritage practices in the heart of Historic Cairo, a World Heritage Site
• 2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

Updating of the 2009 inventory of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in Burundi with the participation of the communities

Benefitting country(ies): Burundi

Overview:

Entrusted mainly to the General Directorate of Culture and Arts, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research through the Burundi National Commission for UNESCO, this project is aimed at updating the 2009 inventory of intangible cultural heritage in Burundi, with the participation of the communities concerned. Stemming from the expressed wishes of the communities concerned, the ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

'Proud of my Heritage': transmission and safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Grenada through inventorying and education initiatives

Benefitting country(ies): Grenada

Overview:

Though the country has a rich array of cultural expressions, they are threatened by several factors. In this context, this project had three key objectives. Firstly, pilot inventorying exercises were conducted in the tri-island of Grenada. During this stage, capacity building workshops on the 2003 Convention, mechanisms to safeguard living heritage, and community-based inventorying methodologies were held with local stakeholders. Secondly ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-02-17 – In Grenada, the International Assistance project ‘Proud of my Heritage’ begins

Supporting the resilience of Ukrainian school children through enhancing awareness of their living heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Ukraine

Overview:

On 18 March 2022, the Living Heritage Entity organized a first meeting with key living heritage stakeholders from Ukraine and neighboring countries hosting Ukrainian refugees to discuss how best to support the safeguarding of living heritage of Ukraine. The nexus between living heritage and education was identified as a priority area for action. This project seeks to enhance awareness of living heritage ›››

News and activities:

• 2024-07-05 – UNESCO launches educational resource kit for Ukraine
• 2023-04-13 – Teaching and learning with living heritage in Ukraine

Capacity-building for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through creation of community-based inventory for Luang Prabang

Benefitting country(ies): Lao People's Democratic Republic

Overview:

The project, implemented by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Team of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism in Luang Prabang, aimed at building capacities for safeguarding living heritage through the creation of a community-based inventory for Luang Prabang. In the long term, the project plans to merge intangible cultural heritage mapping with the existing Luang Prabang World Heritage Town Management ›››

Safeguarding and promoting intangible cultural heritage and supporting creativity of young people in the field of the music industry in the eastern region

Benefitting country(ies): Morocco

Overview:

The project consists in highlighting the role of intangible cultural heritage of the eastern region and developing the music sector so that it creates new employment and income generation opportunities for young people, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the country. This will be achieved through the capacity building of the actors concerned by the safeguarding of the intangible ›››

National Oral Traditions (NOT), additional collection component

Benefitting country(ies): Mauritania

Overview:

The project is an additional component of the National Oral Traditions (NOT) project, implemented by the Mauritanian Institute for Research and Training in Heritage and Culture (IMRFPC). The project was set up in 2015 to safeguard and enhance the sound corpus of the IMRFPC. Despite the high value of the corpus of oral traditions housed at the IMRFPC, it is not ›››

Community-based inventorying and transmission of intangible cultural heritage in the island of Tongatapu in Tonga

Benefitting country(ies): Tonga

Overview:

The project was implemented by the Culture Division of the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with community representatives and associations, focuses on community-based inventorying and the transmission of intangible cultural heritage in the island of Tongatapu in Tonga. Numerous elements of Tongan living heritage are currently under threat, for reasons that include rapid changes in Tongan society due to migration ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-08-12 – 2019 Community Based Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Tongatapu

Community based Inventory of ICH in Albania with a view to safeguarding and transmitting to future generations

Benefitting country(ies): Albania

Overview:

Implemented by the Ministry of Culture, the project aimed at carrying out a community-based inventory of intangible cultural heritage in Albania, with a view to drawing up tailored action plans for its safeguarding and transmission to future generations. Though considerable efforts had already been undertaken to safeguard living heritage in Albania, a thorough national inventory of intangible cultural heritage including ›››

News and activities:

• 2023-10-30 – Training for new generation of facilitators from Europe and North America

Assessing the needs of living heritage safeguarding among displaced communities from Ukraine in five neighboring countries: Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia

Benefitting country(ies): Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine

Overview:

In April 2022, UNESCO launched a community-based needs identification for safeguarding living heritage among communities, groups and individuals from Ukraine displaced by the war. Focus was given to five neighbouring countries, which were receiving most refugees in the first weeks and months of the war: Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The project was developed following the recommendations of the first ›››

Pilot project to create a local ICH management committee and first steps towards a national strategy for decentralized ICH management

Benefitting country(ies): Mozambique

Overview:

Implemented by the ARPAC Provincial Delegation in Manica, the project was directed at creating a local committee for the management of intangible cultural heritage in the community of Chinhambudzi, Manica Province. Despite positive results achieved in recent years in safeguarding living heritage in Mozambique, resources and a defined institutional structure for managing living heritage are still lacking. To fill this ›››

Inventorying oral traditions, expressions, local knowledge and practices of the Korekore of Hurungwe district in Zimbabwe

Benefitting country(ies): Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project implemented by Chinhoyi University of Technology, aimed at producing a comprehensive inventory of the oral traditions, expressions, local knowledge and practices of the communities of the Hurungwe district in north-western Zimbabwe. Despite the abundance of living heritage in the region, a shortage of resources and skills necessary for the implementation of the 2003 Convention has been noted, and traditional ›››

Inventory, safeguarding and promoting knowledge of how to manufacture and play Togo’s traditional musical instruments (national phase)

Benefitting country(ies): Togo

Overview:

Implemented by the National Commission for Cultural Heritage, the project mainly aimed to inventory, safeguard and promote knowledge related to the manufacture and practice of traditional musical instruments in Togo. It built on lessons learned from the first phase of the project, which took place in the Maritime region (south Togo) between January 2016 and February 2017. The last general inventory of ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-10-28 – Togo strengthens the safeguarding of its traditional musical instruments

Strengthening the capacity of community museums to promote inscribed intangible cultural heritage elements

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

Implemented by the Uganda Community Museums Association, this project was intended to strengthen the capacities of community museums to promote inscribed elements of intangible cultural heritage in Uganda. Although several safeguarding measures have been proposed for these elements, the concept of intangible cultural heritage was still not well-understood, particularly among young people, and the elements were not sufficiently visible at ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-09-28 – Ugandan museums as key actors for the safeguarding of living heritage

Learning with intangible cultural heritage for a sustainable future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Benefitting country(ies): Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru

Overview:

Under the overall coordination of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago (OREALC) and funded by the generous support of The Netherlands, this project focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating pilot projects in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru and Chile to demonstrate how intangible cultural heritage can effectively be integrated in education programs. The implementation ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-12-12 – Learning with intangible cultural heritage for a sustainable future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Safeguarding ICH in Malawi through non-formal learning and transmission

Benefitting country(ies): Malawi

Overview:

Implemented by the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO, the twenty-four-month project aimed to help safeguard Malawi’s intangible cultural heritage by increasing the number of experts trained in safeguarding, updating and developing new inventories, and disseminating the information through non-formal education. Previous capacity-building efforts trained a group of teachers and youth practitioners on the implementation of the 2003 Convention and safeguarding measures, ›››

Development of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage for Shiselweni region in Eswatini

Benefitting country(ies): Eswatini

Overview:

Implemented by the Eswatini National Trust Commission, the project aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders about the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, build capacity among community members to conduct fieldwork, and produce an inventory of intangible cultural heritage elements in the Shiselweni region. Shiselweni, located in the southwest, is the country’s only region that has not established an inventory. ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-01-19 – Capacity-buliding workshop on community-based inventory of intangible cultural heritage in Nhlangano

Identification, definition and inventory of the intangible cultural heritage in the Cuban province of Guantánamo

Benefitting country(ies): Cuba

Overview:

As part of a long-term national strategy for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Cuba, the project aimed at identifying, defining and inventorying the intangible cultural heritage present in Guantanamo, the easternmost province of the country. Far from the large urban centres, Guantanamo is one of the least socially and economically developed ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-06-09 – Safeguarding female chants in Morocco and inventorying intangible cultural heritage in Cuba

Transmitting and stabilizing the folk long song performance technique of Limbe performers - circular breathing - through the old repertoire to the new generations

Benefitting country(ies): Mongolia

Overview:

The 36-month project, implemented by the National Center for Cultural Heritage and carried out in three regions, aimed to stabilize and transmit the folk long performance technique of Limbe performers – circular breathing through the old repertoire. The circular breathing technique is considered as a great achievement among nomadic Mongolians and is inseparable from the traditional folk long song. However, there a ›››

Strengthening the capacities of States Parties for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Western Africa (Sahel)

Benefitting country(ies): Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal

Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the West African Countries

Benefitting country(ies): Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

News and activities:

• 2021-06-08 – Awareness Creation Workshops on 'Intangible Cultural Heritage-in-Education' for Anglophone Countries in West Africa

Safeguarding and promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage in Central Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon

Strengthen the capacity for the safeguarding and management of intangible cultural heritage in Zambia

Benefitting country(ies): Zambia

Overview:

Since 2010, a number of capacity-building, inventory-making and awareness-creating activities have been carried out in the field of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage by different stakeholders. Participants appreciated these training workshops and were unanimous in calling for a more advanced, comprehensive version of the training to be introduced. To this end, this project intends to develop and implement a degree programme specializing ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-06-11 – Workshop on University curriculum development

Enhancing the capacity of communities to safeguard traditional dance expressions as performing arts heritage in western Zimbabwe

Benefitting country(ies): Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project aims to safeguard the traditional dance practices of six districts of western Zimbabwe and to raise awareness of the 2003 Convention among traditional leaders and members of the community. It arose out of an increasing awareness in Zimbabwe of the value of intangible cultural heritage and its contribution to a sense of cultural identity and social cohesion. Implemented by ›››

Supporting natural and cultural sustainability through the revitalization and transmission of the traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites in Mongolia

Benefitting country(ies): Mongolia

Overview:

Implemented by the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage, the proposed thirty-month project aims to revive forgotten worshipping practices of sacred sites in rural areas in Mongolia, with reference to the element inscribed in 2017 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. These practices – performed at sacred sites that are located throughout the c ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-06-16 – Reviving worshipping practices of sacred sites in Mongolia

Recovery of living heritage from the COVID-19 pandemic: Ulos weavers and Gorga sculptors in the Toba region in Indonesia

Benefitting country(ies): Indonesia

Overview:

Through this project and in the context of enhancing rural community livelihood, Ulos weavers and Gorga sculptors practicing in the remote areas of the Toba region (North Sumatra Province) will be trained on digital platforms for public awareness-raising, improve the production techniques around their living heritage for increased income opportunities and work towards establishing a joint COVID-19 recovery plan in ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-05-19 – Young practitioners in Toba, Indonesia, lead the post-pandemic recovery

Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through strengthening national capacities in Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia

Benefitting country(ies): Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia

Overview:

The aim of this project is to assist three countries in the Maghreb sub-region in the safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage through the effective implementation of the Convention. It aims to build a critical mass of experience and knowledge, both in government institutions and in civil society, so that the beneficiary countries will be equipped with a suitable framework ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-09-12 – Closing workshop for the project 'Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through strengthening national capacities in Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia'
• 2018-06-28 – Final consultation and validation meeting of the multi-year national strategy for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage

Safeguarding and valorization of knowledge and know-how linked to craftsmanship in danger of disappearing

Benefitting country(ies): Morocco

Overview:

Le projet permettra de répondre à une forte demande du Secrétariat d'État charge de l'artisanat et de l'économie sociale pour Ia sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel lié à l'artisanat, à travers Ia valorisation et Ia reconnaissance du rôle des détenteurs des savoirs et savoir-faire qui y sont liés. Ce projet vise à Ia mise en place effective d'un mécanisme opérationnel de transmissi ›››

Support to the development of a safeguarding and valorization strategy for knowledge and know-how linked to craftsmanship in Morocco

Benefitting country(ies): Morocco

Overview:

Le projet vise à soutenir le Secrétariat d’Etat chargé de l’artisanat et de l’économie sociale dans la préparation d’une stratégie de sauvegarde et de valorisation des savoirs et des savoir-faire liés à l’artisanat du Maroc en tant qu’élément du patrimoine culturel immatériel (PCI) marocain. Pour cela il sera procédé à la mise en œuvre d’activités suivantes de renforcement ces capacités permettant aux acteurs concer ›››

Community-based inventorying of intangible heritage in urban areas

Benefitting country(ies): Georgia, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, Peru, Zimbabwe

Overview:

Over the past few years, UNESCO has been leading the initiative to develop new strategies for integrating culture and creativity in urban contexts. Together with its partners, UNESCO supports advocacy, builds and disseminates knowledge and develops the necessary evidence base to promote culture-engaged, people-centered urban development models. The project ‘Intangible heritage and creativity for sustainable cities’ aims to promote the rol ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-10-28 – Irbid (Jordan) is the next pilot city for a project on safeguarding intangible heritage in urban areas
• 2021-06-18 – Wrap-up workshop for the project' Community-based inventorying of ICH in Tbilisi, Georgia'

A systemic approach to advancing SDGs by supporting citizenship and social protection for hard-to-reach populations in Gabon

Benefitting country(ies): Gabon

Overview:

Within the framework of an agreement between Gabon and the United Nations on the access to citizenship and social protection in Gabon, a joint programme involving six United Nations funds and agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNESCO, UNAIDS, ILO) is being implemented to achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to social protection. A small but significant number of people from ›››

Digitization of the intangible cultural heritage elements of communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Benefitting country(ies): Bosnia and Herzegovina

Overview:

The proposed project is to support the ongoing initiative to digitize elements of living heritage practiced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, being implemented by the NGOs familiar with the 2003 Convention. Beneficiary communities will be i) sensitized on the importance of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding and they will also receive support for ii) identifying elements of their intangible cultural heritage and iii ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-03-11 – Bosnia and Herzegovina successfully digitalize its living heritage after the COVID-19 pandemic

Supporting local income-generating activities with the Charles Town Maroons of Jamaica

Benefitting country(ies): Jamaica

Overview:

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many income-generating activities to a standstill, provoking a sudden ​loss of livelihoods for many bearers and practitioners in Jamaica. This 6-month project takes stock of the intertwined relations between traditional craftsmanship and income generation and is geared towards supporting traditional knowledges and practices of the Maroon communities in Charles Town. Training workshops on wicker and b ›››

Living heritage, youth and COVID-19 in Sint Maarten

Benefitting country(ies): Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Sint Maarten

Overview:

How can a storyteller tell a story without an audience? How could a carnival be held online? Following the adventures of the epic character 'Soualigaman', this project seeks to share with children in Sint Maarten how living heritage and public life are impacted during the pandemic. Via an animation and digital comics, the superhero Soualigaman showcases how the embodiment of ›››

Living heritage virtual linkup in Barbados

Benefitting country(ies): Barbados

Overview:

The pandemic brought many activities to a standstill in Barbados. For various communities this has meant a limited embodiment and practice of their intangible cultural heritage. Prior to this emergency, bearers had already called for support in safeguarding their heritage in difficult and changing contexts. Through a series of virtual sessions bringing together various stakeholders, including authorities and communities, this ›››

T-ICH4SD: transmedia intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development in Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador

Benefitting country(ies): Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Colombia, Ecuador

Overview:

Building on ongoing activities coordinated by the UNESCO Office in Quito, this project provides funds for the creation of an online platform designed to increase the visibility and understanding of living heritage and its relation to the pandemic. The platform will be a space for knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning on the contribution of living heritage to sustainable development, with ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-01-27 – UNESCO launches the platform ‘Transmedia Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development in the Andean countries’

Living heritage and crisis situations in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Benefitting country(ies): Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Overview:

Living heritage in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is being exposed to a variety of threats, such as tropical cyclones and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the island was deeply affected by explosive volcano eruptions, resulting in displacements and significant impacts to several sectors of society. This project provides funding to a series of workshops, bringing together indigenous communities in order ›››

Chapei Dang Veng (international assistance)

Benefitting country(ies): Cambodia

Overview:

Chapei Dang Veng is a Cambodian musical tradition closely associated with the life, customs and beliefs of the Cambodian people. It features the chapei (a type of lute often played at cultural festivals) accompanied by singing. Song lyrics range from the educational and a type of social commentary, to satire while incorporating traditional poems, folk tales or Buddhist stories. The ›››

Strengthening the contribution of living heritage in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its integration into national initiatives for disaster risk reduction in The Gambia

Benefitting country(ies): Gambia

Overview:

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for The Gambia to improve the integration of intangible cultural heritage into national initiatives for emergency recovery, preparedness and disaster risk reduction (DRR). To this end, the National Centre for Culture and Arts, in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the National Disaster Management Agency, as well as UNESCO's Multisectoral ›››

Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran - International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Afghanistan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Overview:

UNESCO and the European Union in joint collaboration launched the project “Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran – International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage” in October 2018. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the contribution of culture to sustainable development, notably through heritage-based tourism development, diversifying tourism products, safeguarding and promoting intangible cultu ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-06-18 – Intangible cultural heritage of the Silk Roads: Identification and Inventorying in Tajikistan
• 2019-05-14 – Intangible cultural heritage of the Silk Roads: Identification and Inventorying in Kyrgyzstan

Programme in support of the education system for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage (PASS-TPCI)

Benefitting country(ies): Haiti

Overview:

Implemented by the non-governmental organization Réf-Culture, the proposed eighteen-month project is aimed at safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Haiti through its formal transmission to young generations. The project was conceived to respond to the current education system in the country whose reform was initiated over thirty years ago, partly to promote national identity and culture. The Ministry of National Education ›››

Strengthening the capacities of NGOs active in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Mauritania

Benefitting country(ies): Mauritania

Overview:

The twelve-month project was implemented by the Conservation Nationale du Patrimoine Culturel, aiming to strengthen the capacities of NGOs active in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Mauritania. There are around fifty NGOs across Mauritania working on various activities related to living heritage, comprising a large part of the bearers responsible for safeguarding, disseminating and promoting living heritage. A ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-02-17 – Mauritania launches an International Assistance project on strengthening capacities of NGOs in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Strengthening capacities for the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention of the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Lebanon

Benefitting country(ies): Lebanon

Overview:

Within the framework of this project, UNESCO will provide advisory and training services to build capacities for the implementation of the 2003 Convention at the national level in Lebanon. The activities will benefit the range of different stakeholders involved in safeguarding ICH (government officials, associations, academics, researchers, communities, groups and individuals). The project will build on the activities that have already ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-07-13 – Final activity of a safeguarding project in Lebanon
• 2021-08-25 – Lebanon: UNESCO supports the safeguarding of living heritage

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Egypt for sustainable development

Benefitting country(ies): Egypt

Overview:

This project is the result a of needs assessment in the field of intangible cultural heritage that was made possible thanks to the financial contribution of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA). Funded also by ADTCA, this project intends to support Egypt in its efforts to safeguard its living heritage, in accordance with the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-09-08 – Workshop on preparing nominations and international assistance
• 2019-08-04 – Workshop on developing safeguarding plans for intangible cultural heritage

2018 - European Year of Cultural Heritage: Engaging youth for an inclusive and sustainable Europe

Benefitting country(ies): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Overview:

__UNESCO__ and the __European Union__ have teamed up for a new project to strengthen the connections between young people, cultural heritage and education. The project proposes an innovative approach to education by inviting teachers and learners to explore their living heritage and learn not only about it, but also with and through it. Moreover, the UNESCO-EU initiative will bring together ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-09-24 – Teaching and learning with living heritage: Lessons learnt from the joint UNESCO/EU pilot project for Slovak and Czech speaking teachers
• 2021-09-22 – Slovak and Czech-speaking teachers are celebrating Slovakia’s 15th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention

Safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of Niger in a situation of urgency and for the resilience of displaced populations - pilot project in Tillabéry and Diffa

Benefitting country(ies): Niger

Overview:

Since 2012, Niger has seen the rise of religious fundamentalism in the region, and particularly of Boko Haram. This crisis is combined with increasing poverty and internal ethnic tensions, exacerbated by mass displacements of populations within the country, particularly in the border provinces. In this context, this project aims to raise awareness among the communities, decision-makers, persons in charge and national ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-10-09 – Niger and Namibia: Bureau grants emergency International Assistance and preparatory assistance

Strengthening inventory preparation capacity for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Benefitting country(ies): Saint Kitts and Nevis

Overview:

The proposed twenty-four-month project, was jointly implemented by the Saint Kitts Department of Culture and the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean. The project aimed at strengthening national inventorying capacities with a view to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Due to the combined situation of knowledge bearers growing old and, in some cases, passing away ›››

Capacity building in community-based inventorying

Benefitting country(ies): Djibouti

Overview:

Implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Culture and Charitable Assets of the Republic of Djibouti’s Department of Culture, this nine-month project aimed at strengthening national capacities for inventorying elements of intangible cultural heritage with a view to safeguarding them. The proposed project also aimed to train more than sixty participants through capacity-building workshops that will focus on community-based inventorying a ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-05-18 – News from the Republic of Djibouti: the results of the project funded by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund
• 2020-07-15 – Djibouti prepares its first inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in the countries of Southern African sub-region

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia

Overview:

UNESCO ROSA made significant strides to strengthen national capacities for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage over the past years. This activity seeks to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities for the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention. It will pay due attention to the adequacy of institutional environments, abilities to set up or revise legislative and policy frameworks and ›››

Strengthening capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Eastern Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda

Overview:

This activity aims to strengthen national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Eastern Africa by supporting States Parties with capacity building for carrying-out community based inventories of ICH. It will also aim to secure ratification by Somalia, the last Member State in the region left to ratify the 2003 Convention. For countries developing culture policies, efforts will be made to ›››

News and activities:

• 2022-01-18 – UNESCO publishes case studies on living heritage and climate change in East Africa
• 2021-04-30 – Regional Online Conference on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage for Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in Eastern Africa

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Sudan

Benefitting country(ies): Sudan

Overview:

This project is the result a of needs assessment in the field of intangible cultural heritage that was made possible thanks to the financial contribution of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA). Funded also by ADTCA, the project aims at supporting Sudan in its efforts to safeguard its living heritage, in accordance with the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-02-19 – Sudan takes steps to strengthen the safeguarding of its living heritage
• 2020-02-23 – Workshop on preparing requests for international assistance and nominations to the Lists of the 2003 Convention

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding Palestinian intangible cultural heritage

Benefitting country(ies): State of Palestine

Overview:

This project is the result a of needs assessment in the field of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) that was made possible thanks to the financial contribution of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA). Funded also by ADTCA, this project is designed to support Palestine in its efforts to safeguard its living heritage, in accordance with the 2003 Convention for ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-04-15 – Palestinian authorities take further steps in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage
• 2020-11-04 – Training on Community based inventorying and pilot inventorying exercise

Promoting intangible cultural heritage education in institutions of higher learning in Uganda

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

In line with Uganda’s National Cultural Policy, which underscores the importance of intangible cultural heritage, the three-year project aimed at raising awareness of a core group of twenty management and academic staff from four universities in Gulu, Kampala, Nkozi and Fort Portal, on the relevance of intangible cultural heritage in Uganda’s current development context. For the moment, there are only iso ›››

Strengthening national capacities in the field of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding in Senegal

Benefitting country(ies): Senegal

Overview:

The eighteen-month project was jointly implemented by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and the UNESCO Dakar Office. It aimed at strengthening national capacities for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Senegal by building on technical capacities and implementing concrete safeguarding measures. The project responded to the issues identified in a needs assessment exercise conducted ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-11-19 – Senegalese communities at the heart of inventories of intangible cultural heritage
• 2018-10-15 – Extensive training on community-based inventory on the ICH concept

Safeguarding of practices and rare rituals related to sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan: preparation of an inventory and safeguarding measures

Benefitting country(ies): Kyrgyzstan

Overview:

Implemented by the Aigine Cultural Research Centre (CRC), the proposed project aimed at compiling a unified national inventory of sacred sites and rare ritual practices in Kyrgyzstan, as well as developing effective related safeguarding measures in the form of a national manual on safeguarding sacred sites and rare ritual practices. Such practices form an integral part of people’s traditional belief s ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-07-27 – Safeguarding practices and rituals in sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan

My Heritage, My Region: strategy for capacity-building in social management of the intangible cultural heritage in two departments of the Colombian Orinoco region

Benefitting country(ies): Colombia

Overview:

The proposed fourteen-month project, was implemented by the Fundación Circulo de Profesionales del Arpa y su Música. The project aimed at building capacities of communities and relevant stakeholders in the management of intangible cultural heritage in the departments of Arauca and Casanare, in the Orinoco region of Colombia. The overall objective was to ensure that the different social and institutional a ›››

News and activities:

• 2021-07-13 – Colombian communities of the Orinoco region have strengthened their ICH safeguarding capacities thanks to a successful International Assistance project

Intangible cultural heritage as a basis for resilience, reconciliation and construction of peace environments in Colombia's post-agreements

Benefitting country(ies): Colombia

Overview:

The project was Implemented by the Fundación Universidad del Norte. This fourteen-month project aimed to utilize intangible cultural heritage as a basis for resilience, reconciliation and reintegration in Colombia’s Guajira Department, Conejo village, home to the Pondores ETCR – a temporary shelter for ex-combatants and their families during their transition to civilian life. The project responded to the third point of the ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-11-11 – Paris Peace Forum
• 2018-09-14 – Colombia bets on intangible cultural heritage for peacebuilding

Tais, traditional textile

Benefitting country(ies): Timor-Leste

Overview:

Tais is a form of traditional weaving produced at home or in small groups by women in Timor-Leste, which has been transmitted from generation to generation through oral tradition. The styles and colours vary from one municipality to the other. The cloths are traditionally made of cotton with natural dyes. It used to be very important and valuable in the ›››

Cultural practices and expressions linked to the ‘M’Bolon’, a traditional musical percussion instrument

Benefitting country(ies): Mali

Overview:

The M'bolon is a traditional percussion musical instrument that is mainly found in the administrative regions of Sikasso (Kolondieba and Koutiala Circles) and Koulikoro in the Mandinka cultural area in Mali. It consists of a calabash covered with calf skin, with a wooden handle on which are attached skin strings. The M'bolon was traditionally played to encourage farmers before agricultural ›››

Safeguarding of Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng'esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai community

Benefitting country(ies): Kenya

Overview:

The three male rites of the Maasai community represent stages in the preparation of boys for adulthood – a process called moranism that involves the transmission of indigenous knowledge, including Maasai rituals, legends, traditions and life skills. Enkipaata is the name for the induction ceremony, Eunoto heralds the shaving of initiates before their seclusion in the bush for training, and Olng’esherr i ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-01-28 – Community-based inventorying workshop

Community-self documentation and revitalization of ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system in Uganda

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

Inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List in December 2013, Empaako is a traditional naming system whereby, in addition to their family and given names, a child is given an Empaako from a list of twelve shared by the entire community. The practice is associated with rituals and ceremonies whose meaning is central to the identity and belief systems of the communities ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-08-27 – Five communities in Western Uganda participated in documenting and revitalizing Empaako intangible cultural heritage
• 2018-08-01 – Training of trainers workshop on ICH documentation

Strengthening capacities in the Comoros for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development

Benefitting country(ies): Comoros

Overview:

This project is the result a of needs assessment in the field of intangible cultural heritage that was made possible thanks to the financial contribution of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA). Also funded by ADTCA, this project is designed to support the Union of the Comoros in its efforts to safeguard its living heritage, in accordance with ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-01-16 – Comoros makes significant strides to ensure the safeguarding of living heritage
• 2019-03-19 – Training Workshop on Participatory Inventory Development with Communities

Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the West African Countries

Benefitting country(ies): Ghana, Togo

News and activities:

• 2019-04-19 – Needs assessment for the implementation of the 2003 Convention in Togo
• 2018-12-13 – Validation workshop on needs assessment in Ghana

Strengthening the capacities of States Parties for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Western Africa (Sahel)

Benefitting country(ies): Cabo Verde, Mali, Niger, Senegal

Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Central Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon

News and activities:

• 2019-10-29 – Capacity-building workshop to raise awareness on the 2003 Convention and the elaboration of inventories
• 2018-07-01 – Training on the 2003 Convention and ICH inventory with the participation of communities

Needs assessment for reinforcing Ukraine's national capacities in strategy development for ICH safeguarding

Benefitting country(ies): Ukraine

Overview:

Implemented by the Ukrainian Center for Cultural Studies, the proposed project aims to carry out a needs assessment to reinforce Ukraine’s national capacities in strategy development for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. This request reflects the current situation in Ukraine: while there is an extremely rich, diverse array of living heritage across the country, such practices face threats of d ›››

Revitalization of the female chants of Taroudant

Benefitting country(ies): Morocco

Overview:

This project aimed to safeguard the female chants of Taroudant in the medina of Taroudant, a city situated in the south-west of the High Atlas mountains in Morocco. Practised by women's music troupes during social events, chants not only enliven gatherings of women but, more broadly, convey values that all communities in the region of the western High Atlas mountains ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-10-21 – Revitalizing women’s chants of Taroudant, High Atlas of Morocco

Protecting Cultural Heritage and Diversity in Complex Emergencies for Stabilization and Peace

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 ›››

Strengthening National Capacities for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh

Benefitting country(ies): Bangladesh

Overview:

Bangladesh has a rich tradition in cultural heritage, specifically intangible cultural heritage. However, the more recent history and developments have affected and increasingly threatened the viability of these practices and traditions. Aware of these threats Bangladesh is actively implementing the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which it ratified in 2009, demonstrating its commitment to establish mechanisms ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-05-06 – Training for Bangladesh on the use of the mechanisms of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage
• 2018-05-04 – Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh - Capacity-building training workshop on ICH Nomination

Strengthening the capacities of the DPR of Korea for community-based inventorying of ICH and for elaborating nomination files under the mechanisms of the 2003 Convention

Benefitting country(ies): Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Overview:

The twelve-month project was implemented by the National Authority for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, aiming to strengthen the capacities of national stakeholders to inventory intangible cultural heritage and prepare nomination files under the mechanisms of the 2003 Convention. While there is a growing interest in safeguarding living heritage in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the communities concerned have e ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-09-26 – Training Workshop on Community-Based Inventorying of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Elaborating Nomination Files under the Mechanisms of the 2003 UNESCO Convention

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in seven Southern African countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Phase III)

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project is designed as the third and final stage in the efforts to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in Southern African countries in their implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The main objective is to effectively support the continuity of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding processes in the seven countries, notably Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi ›››

Thailand’s efforts in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through strengthening local communities' capacities

Benefitting country(ies): Thailand

Overview:

In June 2016, Thailand ratified the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. To strengthen capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage at the national and local level, Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion under the Ministry of Culture, the International Training Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP) and UNESCO Bangkok field office undertook t ›››

Aixan (gâna/ōb ǂans tsî//khasigu), ancestral musical sound knowledge and skills

Benefitting country(ies): Namibia

Overview:

Aixan /gâna/ōb ǂans tsî //khasigu ancestral music is performed by the Nama and Damara communities, who mainly reside in Hardap, Karas, Erongo, Kunene and Otjozondjupa, situated in the northern and southern regions of Namibia. The music is practised as a means of entertainment at social events, such as during the dance to welcome the rainy season and wedding ceremonies, an ›››

National Folk Festival of Gjirokastra (NFFoGj), 50 years of best practice in safeguarding Albanian intangible heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Albania

Overview:

Held every five years, the festival has become the most important and largest event celebrating intangible cultural heritage in Albania since 1968. It brings together a large number of bearers, communities, performers, folk associations and cultural centres from the country and beyond, as well as scholars working in the field of intangible cultural heritage in Albania. The festival is organized by ›››

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in eight countries in Africa and the Arab Region: assessing needs and developing project proposals

Benefitting country(ies): Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Madagascar, South Sudan, State of Palestine, Sudan, Yemen

Overview:

The aim of this project funded by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA) is to lay a solid foundation to support eight countries in Africa and the Arab region (Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Madagascar, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen) in their efforts to safeguard their living heritage, in accordance with the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the ›››

News and activities:

• 2015-08-09 – Need assessment for strengthening national capacities in implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Egpyt
• 2015-05-04 – Progress in implementing an eight-country capacity-building project in the Arab States and Africa

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in the countries of Southern African sub-region

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia

Overview:

UNESCO ROSA made significant strides to strengthen national capacities for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage over the past years. This activity seeks to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and national capacities for the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention. It will pay due attention to the adequacy of institutional environments, abilities to set up or revise legislative and policy frameworks and ›››

Strengthening capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Eastern Africa

Benefitting country(ies): Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan

Overview:

This activity aims to strengthen national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Eastern Africa by supporting States Parties with capacity building for carrying-out community based inventories of ICH. It will also aim to secure ratification by Somalia, the last Member State in the region left to ratify the 2003 Convention. For countries developing culture policies, efforts will be made to ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-03-20 – UNESCO awareness-raising workshop in Mogadishu
• 2018-11-21 – Workshop to promote ratification, Somalia

Strengthening the capacities of Suriname and Dutch Caribbean islands for implementing the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Suriname

Overview:

The aim of this project was to strengthen the national capacities of Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean Islands to effectively safeguard intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The project involved a national consultation on the status of ICH carried out in Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Marteen and Suriname, as well as training workshops on the implementation of the 2003 Convention, community-based ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-10-29 – Workshop on natural disaster and intangible cultural heritage
• 2017-10-23 – The 2003 Convention reaches 175 State Parties!

Documentation and inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the Republic of the Sudan (a pilot project in Kordufan and Blue Nile regions)

Benefitting country(ies): Sudan

Overview:

The project aims to conduct a pilot inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of Kordofan and Blue Nile states through documentation and inventorying, and thereby to contribute to a larger inventory in Sudan. At present, no such inventory exists, although there are numerous studies, collections and bibliographies, as well as thousands of photos and audio-visual recordings. This project proposes to ›››

News and activities:

• 2015-10-19 – The Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund supports various safeguarding measures in Africa!

Inventory of the intangible cultural heritage present in Côte d'Ivoire in view of its urgent safeguarding

Benefitting country(ies): Côte d'Ivoire

Overview:

The political and military crisis that the country experienced between 2002 and 2011 halted the active efforts engaged by Côte d’Ivoire since many years in the identification of elements of the intangible cultural heritage present in its territory and affected it negatively, notably by the interruption of certain practices violently suppressed or the denaturation of certain elements emptying them of their value an ›››

News and activities:

• 2020-02-10 – Inventorying intangible cultural heritage for peace in Côte d’Ivoire
• 2016-08-01 – 6 ateliers sur la mise en œuvre de la Convention organisés au niveau régional

Strengthening national capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Guatemala

Benefitting country(ies): Guatemala

Overview:

The project aims, on the one hand, to encourage a better understanding on the part of beneficiary communities of what intangible cultural heritage (ICH) means and strengthen the capacities of these communities to elaborate inventories. On the other hand, it also aims to strengthen the capacities of municipalities that formulate local policies aimed at safeguarding ICH. In order to achieve ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-11-27 – Consultation on the priorities for an Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Guatemala
• 2018-04-26 – Guatemala concludes capacity-building cycle for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in its territory

Strengthening capacity in Seychelles for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development

Benefitting country(ies): Seychelles

Overview:

The project was implemented from 2017 to 2018 by the National Heritage Funds, with the objective to strengthen the institutional and human capacities to safeguard the country’s intangible cultural heritage. Through the implemented activities, the project helped reinforce legal frameworks for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, in particular through its inclusion in the National Heritage Bill. It also raised significant awareness a ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-09-19 – Gabon, Kenya and the Seychelles strengthen safeguarding efforts through International Assistance projects
• 2019-02-26 – Workshop and advisory services on nomination files to the lists of the 2003 Convention

Promotion of earthen ware pottery-making skills in Kgatleng district

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana

Overview:

Earthenware pottery-making skills were inscribed in 2012 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Practised among the Bakgatla ba Kgafela community in south-eastern Botswana and transmitted to daughters and granddaughters through observation and practice, earthenware pottery-making is at risk of extinction. The main factors for its decline are the decreasing number of master potters, lack of ›››

Titajtakezakan. Speaking across time, oral tradition and use of information and communication technologies

Benefitting country(ies): El Salvador

Overview:

The project aims to revitalize the intangible cultural heritage present in the municipality of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, in the west of El Salvador, by making use of information and communication technologies. Emphasis will be placed on oral traditions encompassed within mythology, tales and legends of Náhuat speakers. The small number and advanced age of Náhuat speakers seriously threaten the co ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-10-09 – Young Nahuats from El Salvador contribute to the safeguarding of their living heritage

Inventory and promotion of intangible cultural heritage in Burkina Faso

Benefitting country(ies): Burkina Faso

Overview:

This major project enabled Burkina Faso to inventory around 1,300 living traditions practised by 60 ethno-cultural communities located in the thirteen regions of the country. The project was implemented in two major phases: a pilot phase that involved two regions with six ethno-cultural communities and a second generalization phase that involved all regions and national communities. Its principle objectives were to develop ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-08-30 – Burkina Faso ready for safeguarding living heritage throughout the country
• 2015-02-12 – Financial assistance, a key mechanism for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Africa

Emergency Safeguarding of the Syrian Cultural Heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Syrian Arab Republic

Overview:

Funded by the European Union, this project aims to provide an operational response to halt the on-going loss of cultural heritage and prepare post-conflict priority actions in Syria. The main objectives of the Emergency Safeguarding of the Syrian Cultural Heritage project is to contribute to restoring social cohesion, stability and sustainable development through the protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage ›››

Safeguarding of the traditional knowledge for the protection of sacred natural sites in the territory of the Jaguars of Yuruparí, Vaupés Province, Colombia

Benefitting country(ies): Colombia

Overview:

The project is aimed at safeguarding the knowledge associated with the stewardship of sacred sites of the jaguar shamans of Yuruparí settled in the Pirá Paraná River, in south-eastern Colombia. Inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011, their traditional knowledge is an organic system that seeks to maintain the balance between humans and nature. A ›››

Needs assessment in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Benefitting country(ies): Bosnia and Herzegovina

Overview:

The needs assessment aims to explore the legislative and policy documents in the sphere of ICH in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to analyze the institutional and administrative framework for the implementation of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention, and to study the situation of awareness-raising activities, inventorying procedures, and educational and training programs on ICH issues in the country. It also aims at outlining the m ›››

Safeguarding of Nkhonde, Tumbuka and Chewa proverbs and folktales

Benefitting country(ies): Malawi

Overview:

The proverbs and folktales of the Nkhonde, Tumbuka and Chewa people of Karonga, Rumphi and Lilongwe Districts embody the knowledge, wisdom and culture in Malawi and function as vehicles for the promotion of their cultural values. However, transmission of this heritage is gradually weakening. Only a few members of these communities now transmit proverbs and folktales to their children and ›››

Promotion of traditional pottery making practices in Eastern Kenya

Benefitting country(ies): Kenya

Overview:

The proposed project, which is designed in line with the 2006 National Heritage Act of Kenya, aims to safeguard and revitalize traditional pottery making practices of the Mbeere, Tharaka and Tigania communities in Eastern Kenya. Transmitted by females within families, the technique involves creating clay pots of various sizes and shapes depending on the function and style of the community concerned ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-09-19 – Gabon, Kenya and the Seychelles strengthen safeguarding efforts through International Assistance projects

Inventorying of proverbs of Lala community of Luano District of Zambia

Benefitting country(ies): Zambia

Overview:

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 a ›››

Strengthening the capacities of Eritrea for implementing the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Benefitting country(ies): Eritrea

Overview:

This project aims at enhancing the national capacity of Eritrea to safeguard their intangible cultural heritage through the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It intends to build a critical level of experience and knowledge, both in government institutions, civil society and in selected communities, so that the country is equipped with an ›››

News and activities:

• 2018-03-21 – Eritrea to focus on communities especially youth in their national safeguarding efforts
• 2018-02-19 – Capacity-building Workshop on Preparing Nomination Files and International Assistance Request

Climate change and preservation and valorization of intangible cultural heritage linked to craftsmanship

Benefitting country(ies): Morocco

Overview:

Le projet a été développée par le Bureau de l'UNESCO à Rabat et le Ministère chargé de l'artisanat dans le cadre du suivi de la COP 22. Ce projet a consisté en la réalisation d'une étude sur l'impact des changements climatiques sur le patrimoine culturel immatériel lié à l'artisanat, puis la présentation des résultats de cette étude à la COP 23. Cette présentation a a ›››

Community-based needs identification for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Nord-Kivu

Benefitting country(ies): Democratic Republic of the Congo

Overview:

The proposed activity aims to carry out a needs identification at national and local level with the participation of communities in view of the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in the region of North Kivu, a long-standing conflict zone of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the framework of the 2003 Convention, this needs identification will allow drawing up a ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-11-28 – Local stakeholders in Goma approve the community-based needs identification exercise for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Nord-Kivu
• 2017-09-12 – Atelier de consultation des personnes ressources

Inventory and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of the Pygmy populations of Gabon

Benefitting country(ies): Gabon

Overview:

Having benefited from capacity building activities, Gabon has recognized the need for a safeguarding action towards the intangible cultural heritage of Pygmy populations, for which surveys conducted with these populations highlighted the endangered elements constituent to their identity. The project led to the development of an inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of the Pygmy populations Babongo, Baka and Bakoya ›››

News and activities:

• 2019-09-19 – Gabon, Kenya and the Seychelles strengthen safeguarding efforts through International Assistance projects
• 2015-08-24 – Peacebuilding, natural disasters mitigation and indigenous communities supported by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund

Strengthening national capacities for effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Asia and the Pacific

Benefitting country(ies): Fiji, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Samoa, Sri Lanka

Overview:

With the successful completion of Phase I, thanks to the continued generous contribution of the Government of Japan, it was possible to implement the second phase of the regional programme for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through the strengthening of national capacities from April 2015 to October 2017. The principal aims of the second phase were the following: *Reinforce the human and institutional ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-07-24 – Laos reflects on the linkages between intangible cultural heritage and development
• 2017-06-01 – Community based Inventorying in Mongolia

Safeguarding and promotion of Bigwala, gourd trumpet music and dance of Busoga Kingdom in Uganda

Benefitting country(ies): Uganda

Overview:

The project merged with ongoing safeguarding initiatives of the Busoga communities of Eastern Uganda to revitalize and strengthen Bigwala music and dance traditions, which play a key role in maintaining Busoga collective memory, cultural values and social unity. Involving the performance of five or more gourd trumpet players, each producing a single tone blown in hocket to produce a melody ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-03-20 – Basoga communities of Uganda engage in the safeguarding of the Bigwala
• 2016-06-01 – Workshop in Bigwala and drum playing and Bigwala dance

Strengthening sub-regional cooperation and national capacities in seven Southern African countries for implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Part II

Benefitting country(ies): Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Overview:

The project aims at reinforcing the sub-regional cooperation platform, which was created to support seven countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in southern Africa in their efforts to safeguard the living heritage present in their territories. Consolidating the results of previous Flanders funded projects since 2009, this platform will be driven by the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Committees ›››

News and activities:

• 2016-09-19 – Training of Trainers on Strengthening National Capacities for Implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• 2016-07-25 – Workshop on inventorying, international assistance and nominations in Swaziland

Support to the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Nigeria

Benefitting country(ies): Nigeria

Overview:

A needs assessment carried out in 2011 showed that the national capacities of Nigeria are not yet adapted to meet the requirements of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The aim of the project is to lay a solid foundation to support Nigeria in its efforts to safeguard the living heritage present in the country. Thanks to ›››

News and activities:

• 2017-10-26 – Stakeholders' meeting
• 2017-06-28 – Reinforcing capacities to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in Nigeria

Inventorying of the music and dance of the Lozi and Nkoya people of Kaoma District