The Committee

1. Takes note that Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus and France have proposed Tocatì, a shared programme for the safeguarding of traditional games and sports (No. 01709) for selection and promotion by the Committee as a programme, project or activity best reflecting the principles and objectives of the Convention:

As part of coordinated efforts to safeguard traditional games and sports in Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus and France, the Associazione Giochi Antichi launched Tocatì (‘it's your turn’), a festival and platform uniting communities, groups and individuals that practice traditional games. Tocatì links traditional games and sports to the values of intangible cultural heritage, mobilizing thousands of players, volunteers, admirers and media actors. By taking place in the streets and rendering highly urbanized and touristic areas spaces of inclusion and equality, it also raises awareness of the existence of intangible cultural heritage and the related risks. The five main objectives of the Tocatì programme are to: (a) enhance a common ground of exchange between practitioners and institutions; (b) establish a process for the participatory identification, documentation and monitoring of traditional games and sports; (c) improve the transmission of traditional games and sports in formal and non-formal education; (d) empower and protect communities and increase their ability to secure access to and manage public spaces; and (e) involve communities, groups, individuals, institutions and other stakeholders in innovative capacity-building initiatives. These objectives were identified through community consultations and meetings at the local, national and international levels and have dynamically shaped Tocatì, contributing to the programme's growing participation and reach.

2. Considers that, from the information included in the file, the programme responds as follows to the criteria for selection as a good safeguarding practice in paragraph 7 of the Operational Directives:

P.1:   Tocatì is a shared programme for the safeguarding of traditional games and sports that has been developed over the years through the efforts of an international network of communities, groups and individuals. Tocatì has evolved to become a permanent year-round programme that encourages the exchange of knowledge, practices, skills and projects. Since 2016, annual international seminars and workshops have been taking place, creating opportunities to identify and discuss safeguarding priorities and good practices across the submitting States Parties. The file explains the five main objectives of the programme, as well as the six main types of safeguarding measures, which are: (a) transmission of traditional games and sports through formal and non-formal education; (b) identification, participatory research and documentation of traditional games and sports with a community-based approach; (c) enabling a common ground of exchange in a multilevel network; (d) protection and advocacy for adaptation of the legal framework, improving the active participation of communities, groups and individuals in the sustainable management of public urban/rural spaces; (e) training and capacity-building activities; and (f) awareness-raising and promotion of the traditional games and sports as intangible cultural heritage, at the national and international level.

P.2:   The programme involves international collaborations across different countries in Europe. The Verona Protocol was set up as a shared tool for coordination with the different partners in the Tocatì programme. Regular meetings, joint capacity building workshops, and transmission activities in formal and non-formal education support these coordinated efforts. The programme involves an integrated and connected approach across the borders of the different submitting States Parties, as well as participation in and coordination of various regional and international networks. Examples include the participation of Tocati networks in regional meetings, joint participation in European programmes (such as Erasmus), and capacity-building workshops that reinforce regional coordination. The file provides detailed information about the international and regional forums and worshops where discussions about the Tocatì programme were conducted.

P.3:   The programme reflects the various principles and objectives of the Convention, including: (a) the role of communities in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, by involving the communities, groups, individuals, practitioners and bearers; (b) highlighting the dynamic and living nature of intangible cultural heritage; (c) encouraging respect for intangible cultural heritage by strengthening intercultural dialogue and using traditional games and sports as tools for social inclusion, well-being and peace; (d) encouraging greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage and the principles of the 2003 Convention; (e) encouraging exchange and dialogue; (f) inventorying with a view to safeguard intangible cultural heritage; and (g) fostering international dialogue and mutual cooperation. In particular, the programme strongly highlights the role of NGOs in community-based safeguarding efforts, in the form of educational activities, active support for the transmission of traditional games and sports, mutual cooperation among international experts, inventorying associated with traditional games and sports, and technical exchange and dialogue.

P.4:   The file demonstrates the effectiveness of Tocatì in several areas. Its effectiveness in empowering communities is shown through the increasing number of participating communities from Italy, France, Croatia, Cyprus and other European countries, as well as their ability to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme effectively inspires communities to turn the principles and objectives of the Convention into practice by safeguarding traditional games and sports and paying attention to the use of associated local languages, oral and musical traditions, handicrafts and rituals. The file also provides statistics and examples of formal and non-formal education and transmission, such as through the example of the traditional stick game S-cianco in Verona. Furthermore, Tocatì has effectively set up international networking and cooperation with accredited intangible cultural heritage NGOs.

P.5:   The Tocatì programme was initiated by the communities and is a community-based programme. The file describes the range of community-based events at the local, national and international levels. Tocatì is inclusive and open to the participation of communities, groups and individuals at all stages of its implementation. The communities concerned are invited to the annual international symposium and participate in exchanges and trainings. They can also invite their local administrations, NGOs, schools, and representatives from universities and cultural institutions. These meetings have reinforced the communities' efforts to safeguard traditional games and sports, reflecting the participatory spirit of the network while empowering institutions in their supportive roles. The file also highlights that various meetings were held in 2019 and 2020 between representatives of institutions and communities for the preparation of the multinational nomination. Several letters of consent were provided by the submitting States Parties, demonstrating the consent and support of the communities concerned.

P.6:   Tocatì is a community-based and multi-actor programme that provides a model for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage at the regional, subregional and international levels. Various methods and components of the Tocatì programme have been identified and can be adapted to other contexts. The programme's methods are based on a participatory approach, communication and coordination between various parties, developing conventions and cooperation tools, and safeguarding expertise at all levels, among others. Some components that could be adopted for other contexts include the building of networks among the communities, groups and individuals concerned, the implementation of strong participatory methods, community-based management of traditional games and sports, annual educational programmes for transmission and capacity-building, research and publications, and festival coordination across countries.

P.7: The file explains that the Tocatì programme is committed to international cooperation, the exchange of experiences, and the dissemination and sharing of good practices on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage among communities, NGOs and institutions at all levels. The partners of the programme will continue to share and disseminate the good practices. At the European and international levels, the regular participation of the Tocatì network in meetings and general assemblies of the European Traditional Sports and Games Association demonstrate its strong willingness to cooperate internationally. The network also cooperates with accredited NGOs within the ICH NGO Forum. The five submitting States Parties have also indicated that they will reinforce their cooperation in the coming years through various efforts and events.

P.8:   The assessment of the results follows the identified objectives of the programme and is in alignment with the Overall Results Framework. In the five submitting States Parties, the increased number of ratifications of the Verona Protocol by organizations involved in safeguarding traditional games and sports and the participation in the annual symposium even during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate the relevance of Tocatì to the needs of communities at all levels and the effectiveness of the programme. The file also indicates various programmes in Europe that are linked to the Tocatì programme. In addition, it provides various examples of assessments of the programme's results. These include indicators on the participation of primary and secondary schools in the Verona region. In France, traditional games and sports associations are invited to take a critical look at their practices and to assess the results of the programmes every year.

P.9:   The Tocatì model avoids extreme specialization and professionalisation, and its inclusive approach allows the events to be scaled according to local resources. The file describes the specific components of the programme that can be relevant in developing countries. These include the involvement of volunteers and youth in the organization of activities and events, the exchanges between associations of practitioners at the regional, national and international levels, the participatory and community-based approaches to inventorying intangible cultural heritage, and the exchange of know-how and experiences in activities, events and networking.

3. Decides to select Tocatì, a shared programme for the safeguarding of traditional games and sports as a programme, project or activity best reflecting the principles and objectives of the Convention;
4. Commends the States Parties for a well-written file demonstrating strong community engagement and support for the programme in the safeguarding of their collective intangible cultural heritage at a large scale;
5. Further commends the States Parties for a good quality video that clearly explains the details of the programme and represents the views and involvement of the communities, groups and individuals concerned.