Strengthening capacities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Ecuador

  • Project budget:
    • US$ 250,000
  • Source:
    • Japan Funds-in-Trust
  • Dates of implementation:
    • 01/02/2015 - 01/06/2017
  • Documents:
    • Video - Traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat: Spanish
    • Final report: Spanish
    • Video - Capacity-building workshops: Spanish

Benefitting country(ies): Ecuador

Overview:

Ecuador ratified the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Culture Heritage in 2008. Despite important efforts mobilized by the State Party for the effective safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and an institutional environment conducive to the integration of culture in public policies, as in most countries, the viability of intangible cultural heritage present in Ecuador also faces serious threats of social and demographic nature. Work remains to be done to strengthen the capacities of existing public policies in the areas of sustainable development, gender equality, poverty alleviation, social cohesion and education to effectively contribute to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and vice versa.

The country has implemented a national information system for registering intangible cultural heritage elements and elaborated guidelines for their safeguarding. However community participation is not systematic in drawing up inventories, designing and implementing safeguarding plans or related public policies. The participation is even less important when it comes to communities whose rights are vulnerable.

Activities proposed in the present project aim at providing both national and local institutions and bearers of intangible cultural heritage with knowledge and tools for the safeguarding of such heritage with a particular emphasis on its identification and definition. It will contribute to integrate into existing inventory approaches and relevant public principles of the 2003 Convention, in particular regarding community participation. The present project will thereby complement the work already achieved by the Ecuadorian Government while contributing to implement the political and legal framework in which intangible cultural heritage management is sustained at national, regional and local level. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the National Institute of Culture Heritage and the municipalities.

News and activities:

04/08/2016 - 30/06/2017 – Inventorying of the music and dance of the Lozi and Nkoya people of Kaoma District03/08/2016 - 28/02/2017 – Inventorying of intangible cultural heritage elements in Thaba-Bosiu in Lesotho

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