ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 6 is 'ICH AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS'.

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 8 is 'ICH AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AS AN OCCUPATIONAL LIVING.'

Communities in the Asia-Pacific region greet the New Year at different times depending on region and religion. Communities celebrate a new beginning with traditional songs and dances. This volume introduces traditional performing arts to celebrate the beginning of the New Year in Japan, Nepal, Micronesia, and Myanmar.

ICHCAP, together with the Digital Heritage Lab, Graduate School of Culture Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, organized an international seminar entitle “Protecting the Past for the Future: Digital Documentation as One of the Imperative Tools for Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage,” 20 July 2019.\n\nThe seminar consisted of three sessions: the first covered the archiving and visualization of intangible cultural heritage; the second focused on digital documentation methods for tangible cultural heritage; and the third discussed the challenges faced by Korea in establishing cultural heritage-related digital data.

ICHCAP is unveiling a new online exhibition to promote the understanding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) via an easily accessed online platform. We collaborated with ICH experts from the Pacific islands to curate seven exhibitions on Pacific cultural practices, including traditional knowledge, social rituals, and crafts. You can explore the Pacific islanders’ stories and culture online at the Google Cultural Institute under the title “ICHCAP Collection.” We hope the exhibitions will inspire others to get to know about Pacific ICH.\n\nIn this booklet, we showcase a small part of the exhibitions, covering\n\n- Traditional Fire Walking in Fiji\n- Palau’s Rich Heritage in Nature and Culture\n- Safeguarding ICH of Papua New Guinea Bilum\n- Ngatu, Culture Wealth of the Kingdom of Tonga\n- Inspired Crafts of Samoa\n- Pwo Ceremony, the Initiation Ritual for Traditional Wayfinding Systems\n- Yam Festivals in the Pacific

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN Member States on 25 September 2015, is an action plan for tackling the most challenging issues of our world today. The hope is that within the next fifteen years, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) will encourage universal efforts to end all forms of poverty and ensure that no one is left behind.\n\nThe methods and practices to accomplish these goals will vary depending on the context. In the Pacific region, incorporating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is crucial to accomplish any of the SDGs since it plays an important role as a “driver, enabler and guarantee of sustainable development.\n\nAlthough each nation in the Pacific has its own diverse ICH, they all share a sense of longing for sustainable development and community well-being. Traditional and local knowledge have always played a pivotal role in protecting clean water supplies, coral reefs, and rainforests; healing the sick through traditional medicine; and building homes resistant to climate change. Ensuring the success of the SDGs in the Pacific will require an understanding of how ICH can be incorporated in the SDGs from the local perspective.

“ICH and Sustainable Development” summarizes the contributions of ICH to sustainable development based on three dimensions indicated in the action plan of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—inclusive social development, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic development—and one prerequisite for sustainable development: peace and security.\n\n

Universities are essential vectors to build a skilled workforce to implement and support ICH safeguarding activities in a sustainable and locally-appropriate manner. Whilst there has been an increase in post-graduate heritage education in the Asia-Pacific Region in the past decade, few programmes focus on ICH.\n\nThis survey generates an understanding of current activities and needs of tertiary education actors in the Asia-Pacific Region. It also explores the feasibility of establishing a network of universities to deepen reflection on ICH in the academic world.

This short brochure gives an overview of ICHCAP, providing a brief history of the organization as well as an overview of its functions and activities related to safeguarding ICH in the Asia-Pacific region as a UNESCO category 2 center.\n\n

“ICH and Gender” introduces the mutual relationship between gender norms and ICH and emphasizes that understanding the intimacy between ICH and gender is important for effective ICH safeguarding and gender equality.\n\n

Following the recommendation of the Committee, the seventh session of the General Assembly of State Parties to the Convention approved the overall results framework (Resolution 7.GA.9) and the Secretariat spread the guidance note in 2019 for better understanding of the framework. ICHCAP therefore translated the notes into various languages in Asia.

Resilience makes communities stronger and more sustainable. This volume’s cover stories are about how ICH safeguarding activities in Nepal, India, and Thailand can restore communities. Each story demonstrates the potential power of ICH.