Vayali was established in 2004 with the intention of preserving the folklore and folk art of the indigenous communities residing along the banks of river Nila. Originating in Annamalai Hills, river Nila or Bharatapuzha has a strong cultural influence on the south Malabar region. The river has witnessed many historical events and there are numerous rituals, folk tales and myths related to the river. Vayali team members wanted to learn the traditional knowledge system in and around the river Nila, and pass on the knowledge to the next generations.

Khamir was established on 2005 out of a joint initiative of Kutch Nav Nirmaan Abhiyan (KNNA) and Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) to empower Kutch’s creative industry after a devastating earthquake in 2001. Khamir was originally developed to support craft industries where livelihoods were particularly affected. They also wanted to ensure the sustainability of the necessary resources for growth of handicraft industries. Today, it serves as a platform for promotion of traditional handicrafts and allied cultural practices, the processes involved in their creation, and preservation of culture, community and local environments.

Uzbek craftsmanship is one of the most significant parts of the creative cultural industry, contributing to sustainable economic and social development of society. Uzbek craftsmanship has not only historical and functional significance but also great artistic value. It has been attracting the attention of travelers and scholars for centuries. During the years of independence, since 1991, the handicrafts industry has undergone significant transformation. Today, it ranks high among the export-oriented creative industries of the national economy. Handicraft is an essential domain of intangible cultural heritage of humanity and plays key role in promoting creative economic development.

L’anthropologie s’est intéressée à l’alimentation sous diérentes perspectives. Parmi celles-ci figurent notamment les pratiques alimentaires et les manières de table, la diversité des traditions culinaires, la variété des produits consommés, les interdits alimentaires et les repas rituels. Y ƒgurent aussi la place de l’alimentation dans la construction des rapports sociaux, l’importance de la commensalité, la pratique de l’hospitalité, le don de nourriture et l’échange des préparations et des recettes culinaires. Y ƒgurent également l’alimentation comme un indicateur de différentiation sociale entre individus et groupes sociaux, un révélateur d’inégalité et de hiérarchie, en somme un instrument de pouvoir.

These are strange times in India to discuss and evolve strategies for safeguarding the genuine shamanistic heritage of India. Let me begin by narrating two isolated but weird incidents, which generated a great media backlash against shamanistic traditions and the practices in the Indian public sphere in the last two months. Describing them would outline the cultural struggles, shamanistic healing traditions face in India today. It is only a coincidence that the assassination of anti- superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar1 was followed within a fortnight by the arrest of a self styled god-man Asaram Bapu2 on charges of sexual assault on a 16-year-old schoolgirl. But both the incidents were earily connected a s if they were episodes in a novel o f Haruk i Murak ami because Asaram Bapu’s criminal misconduct closely fits some of the offences defined under anti-superstition and anti shamanistic ordinance Dabholkar was campaigning for.

Heritage is not only our inheritance from the past but also an important factor shaping our present and future. Every human settlement with a history of social, political, and cultural activity is characterized by distinct tangible and intangible cultural assets creating identity, a sense of belonging, and cohesion among the dwellers. Intangible cultural heritage or ICH thrives through a dynamic process of transmission through generations. It is an ongoing dialogue with the present, connecting generations through a bond of shared traditional values.

Based on the notion of culture as a complex multi-layered phenomenon, we admit that some cultural elements or expressions may fluidly migrate and adapt to different local settings, not necessarily or exclusively serving as a marker of an ethnic identity. Moreover, an emerging concept of shared cultural heritage allows us to disclose positive potential for joining efforts in safeguarding and enlivening the cultural heritage of the people. Connecting various national and local cultures along the Silk Roads aims exactly at gaining the joy of sharing the values, wisdom, creativity; at nurturing mutual interests and empathy among cultures and people; and at searching for common threads across the rich multitude of manifestations of cultural heritage of a vast region. The joint initiative by ICHCAP and IICAS to launch the Silk Roads ICH Networking Program needs support and actions by the wide range of stakeholder organizations and groups. Two options might be considered for a Silk Roads ICH Festivals network—either establish its own training program, capitalizing on the European Festivals Association’s experience or—cooperate with EFA on arranging a special edition of their Festival Academy focused on ICH and open for young managers from within the new network.

UNHCR works in 134 countries to protect and support 25.9 million refugees. Within this population is a vast, diverse and talented pool of artisans.\nWhenever refugees flee, they carry with them the traditions, skills, knowledge and craftsmanship that unite and define a people. From the expert leatherworking of the Tuareg in Burkina Faso to the fine embroidery of the Syrians in Lebanon, refugees long to sustain these artistic traditions and participate in the growing global artisan economy. There are opportunities for engagement. The artisan sector, behind the agricultural sector, is the second largest employer in the developing world. International trade in artisan crafts is now valued at over $36 billion per year, with 65% of handicraft exports coming from developing countries.1) This means that with the right support, refugee artisans can hold the keys to self-reliance in their own talented hands.

Dr Diego Gradis expressed his regret at Dr Karma Phuntsho’s inability to attend the conference. Mr Guri asked Ms Joanne Orr to expand on the conditions and the environment for NGO network building. He asked Mr Gauthier whether NGOs in Quebec had other focuses besides research. Regarding African countries, he explained that since societies survived for generations before development, it is possible to build on indigenous knowledge—not for the sake of culture, but for the sake of development.

Cultural heritage consists of any tangible or intangible object, group, or natural resource which has been inherited or created by a generation and is safeguarded to be transferred, in excellent condition, to future\ngenerations (after UNESCO, 2019). Tangible cultural heritage refers to monuments, groups of buildings or sites of outstanding universal value, whereas intangible cultural heritage is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill, as well as instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces that communities, groups, or even individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2019., UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2019). The 1972 World Heritage Convention of UNESCO defines the criteria of the natural or cultural sites to be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 1972). The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was drafted in 2003 for the protection and promotion of the aforementioned intangible cultural heritage elements, and such elements may be inscribed on the appropriate Intangible Cultural Heritage List (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003). The two types of cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, are not to be treated separately but in combination, since either one is influenced by and complementary to the other.

Karate is commonly regarded as a traditional Japanese martial art, which was developed on the island of Okinawa. Okinawa belonged to the Ryūkyū Kingdom (1429–1879)—an independent state that held diplomatic, cultural, and economic relations with Japan, China, Korea, and other Asian countries. The Ryūkyū Kingdom had a highly transactional culture with a history of cultural exchange in East and Southeast Asia. Karate, generally known as / (hand) or / (China-hand), blended the indigenous fighting systems of Okinawa with influences from Chinese and most likely other Asian martial arts, worldviews, and folk spiritualities into a cultural practice that became rooted in Okinawan society. Today, karate is a weaponless martial art in which punches and kicks are utilized. Due to its history and social as well as cultural relevance, the prefectural government of Okinawa has, since the 1990s, been actively seeking to inscribe Okinawa karate on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity. However, karate will also make its debut as an exhibition sport at the rescheduled Olympic Games due to be held in Tokyo in 2021. According to the World Karate Federation (WKF), about 100 million people practice karate around the world (WKF, 2014). With a transcendence that goes far beyond its sportive side, karate, as a cultural icon both of modernity and “tradition,” has become a Japanese cultural export incorporated into the global sporting culture.

Indigenous communities around the world are bearers of strong traditional culture, art, craft, and knowledge of the environment, together termed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage (ICH). A fascinating characteristic of ICH is that it is constantly evolving and adapting to its changing physical, social, and economic environment, and in this way can be described as “living heritage.”