Decisión de la Mesa: 8.COM 3.BUR 6.2

The Bureau,

  1. Recalling Article 23 of the Convention as well as chapter I.1 of the Operational Directives related to the inscription of intangible cultural heritage elements on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and I.4 related to eligibility and selection criteria of international assistance requests,
  2. Having examined Document ITH/13/8.COM 3.BUR/6 as well as the request for preparatory assistance submitted by Uganda,
  3. Takes note that Uganda has requested assistance in the amount of US$10,000 to elaborate a nomination to the Urgent Safeguarding List of Madi bow lyre music, O'di. The Madi people in Adjumani and Moyo Districts of north-western Uganda use a plucked bow lyre known as O’di to educate the youth about Madi origins or to praise women during courtship. Played by elders often at funerals to accompany solo or ensemble songs, this instrument also serves to warn against the calamities of life. The viability of the practice related to O’di is threatened mainly because of the dwindling number of players after the forced emigration of the Madi people in 1979; currently there are only six practitioners known in the region. A local non-governmental organization, Art for Peace and Community Development, will be responsible for elaborating the nomination file under the overall guidance of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development;
  4. Decides that, from the information provided in file 00890, the request responds as follows to the criteria for granting International Assistance given in Paragraphs 10 and 12 of the Operational Directives:
The strengths of the request lie in the fact that the activities planned reflect the concern of the practitioners, Madi elders and community at large as well as local cultural associations and community development officers of the districts concerned, as their consent to participate in the elaboration of a nomination file has been obtained prior to the submission of the request (criterion A.1);

The funds will be used primarily to undertake consultation meetings, documentation through photography and video recording and the drafting of a nomination file. Although ambitious, the proposed timetable reflects activities planned for elaborating the nomination that are well planned and feasible (criterion A.3). The requesting State shares 49% of the costs of the proposed activities (criterion A.5); it is not in default of any previous contract with UNESCO (criterion A.7);

  1. Commends the effort of the State Party to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of a group severely affected by political conflicts and to do so through collaboration with a local non-governmental organization;
  2. Encourages the State Party to strengthen the capacity of the communities in safeguarding the practice in question by explaining the purpose and the mechanism of the 2003 Convention during the consultations;
  3. Approves, as authorized body, preparatory assistance request 00890 for an amount of US$10,000;
  4. Requests the Secretariat to reach agreement with the requesting party on the technical details of the preparatory assistance, including a revised timetable.

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