In the 70 years of national division, the society and culture of the two Koreas have moved very far apart, through severance of ties, alienation, and the rule of hostile ideologies in the Korean War and Cold War era. The North Korean society and culture borne of dogmatic communism and armed with Juche ideology feels too different and unacceptable to South Koreans awash in liberal capitalism. I personally have a deeper understanding and greater acceptance than the average since I met with North Korean bureaucrats frequently and made several visits to North Korea in my former role at a UNESCO organization, but still would never be able to adapt to life in North Korean society. Just as we find it difficult to accept their invocations of the great leader and inflexible expressions about capitalism and imperialism, the North Koreans reject terms like liberty, human rights and civic society as bourgeois ideology. This difference in political regime and ideology has created heterogeneity between the two Koreas in every aspect of society and culture- education, culture, arts, religion, theater and movies. The heterogeneity and hostility in political and economic regimes make reconciliation or unification difficult. However, if the heterogeneity in culture, arts and lifestyles intensifies, even the establishment of a peace community, let alone peaceful unification, would appear to be an impossibility. Overcoming differences in ideology to achieve national unity (as proclaimed in the July 4th Joint Statement) does not seem possible.

“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.

Session 1. What effects has the 2003 Convention had in the Asia-Pacific region?\n\nChairperson Professor Noriko Aikawa opened the conference by welcoming all of the participants. She explained the topic of the first session and introduced the first two speakers: Dr. Tim Curtis and Professor Amareswar Galla. She then invited the first presenter, Dr. Curtis, to give his presentation. Dr. Curtis’s presentation provided data on where ICHCAP stands and what has been accomplished so far. ICHCAP is getting close to including the entire Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Curtis’s data showed that this region is particularly active, representing almost half of the listings worldwide. Dr. Curtis argued that the unprecedented rapid\nincrease in popularity ICHCAP has experienced means that it has responded to a need. Dr. Curtis’s data showed that ICHCAP has been successful in raising awareness. However, he argued that while awareness is necessary for progress, it is not sufficient. He explained that people may be aware of the need to safeguard ICH but it is difficult to measure how successful ICHCAP has been in actually safeguarding ICH.

The Maranao of Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines has a vibrant culture that is evident in their way of living. It is as colorful as the malong1 they wear and as elaborate as the okir2 designs on their architectural structures. One of the more intricate pieces making up Maranao culture cannot be touched but heard through the epic singing of the Darangen.

Ms Suzanne Ogge, Heritage Specialist and ICH Consultant/ Accredited trainer for the UNESCO Global Capacity-building Program in the Asia Pacific Region. \nThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) ratified the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention (hereon ‘the 2003 Convention) in 2008. Since then, the country has nominated three elements to the Convention’s Representative List, which is aimed at drawing attention to the importance of living heritage in general, both within the nominating country, and on an international level. As most of you would be aware, State Parties to the Convention may prepare nomination files for the purpose of listing a living tradition (also referred to as ICH) and in doing so, contribute to raising awareness both nationally and internationally about the importance not only of the element inscribed on the list, but of intangible heritage in general.

Afghanistan is a culturally rich and diverse country with an abundance of tangible and intangible heritage stretching back from over a millennium. The nation has suffered a lot during the long years of war and conflict and the generations of ancestors who depended on transferring their intangible cultural heritage skills and knowledge to descendants were severely affected and displaced during the years of war.\n

Central Asia stands at the crossroads of ancient civilisations. Its territory, crossed by the northern part of the great Silk Road, constitutes an ensemble of cultural heritage sites and monuments that express common historical experiences as well as reflect an extraordinary cultural diversity dating from prehistoric times to the Islamic period and beyond. For centuries, the phenomenon of intangible cultural heritage was a key factor for the transmission of indigenous cultural traditions for future generations as well as a matching point for intercultural dialogue in Central Asia—a region with unique oral and music traditions.

The statement on Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines shows the need for the preservation of shamanism, which is one of the original forms of ancient human cultural arts and is under the threat of degenerate alteration. I feel that the preservation of the past and present forms of shaman practice must be recorded and passed down with the least alteration in order for culture to maintain its diversity. However, as Dr. Jesus Peralta of the Philippines pointed out, “As the belief system changes, the value system changes also.” It is only natural that aboriginal religions mixed with foreign religions such as Christianity. I’ve lived in the Republic of South Africa for two years. The country is very Christian, but in many shaman rituals Christian songs were sung. And in the midst of their shaman rituals, the people very often shouted the name of Jesus and prayed to Him.

Traditional music: the soul of the universe! Traditional music: the unspoken language!\n\nAll around the world music plays an important role in communicating human expressions and emotions. Besides being an artistic and creative form of expression, music is associated with festivity—the celebrations of new beginnings, birth, initiation, courtship, marriage, and death. Music, with or without instruments, is an integral part of traditional occupations and daily chores, such as planting, harvesting, and processing food, herding, fishing, and craft making, such as carpentry, pottery, and basketry. \n\nMusic communicates meaning during rituals and rites and is often used as a tool for meditation. With or without song, the sounds of flutes, drum, trumpets, gongs, bagpipes, and others can evoke memories and transport people to places of happiness, peace, hope, nostalgia, and melancholy. As Plato, the philosopher said, “music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” The ability to sing and create music is a gift bestowed on a person regardless of his or her social status. Regardless of its source, music can be embraced by people of all walks of life and is an intrinsic part of cultural heritage

Xẩm is a folk performing art form of Vietnam with unique and typical lyrics. Among the national traditional art forms, only Xẩm singing is regarded as an occupation for its artists to earn for a living.

What do sauna bathing, folk dance tikkuristi, rag rug weaving, picking mushrooms and snow games have in common? They are all part of living intangible cultural heritage, present in the everyday life and celebrations of the people in Finland. They are practised by people of all ages, in different corners of Finland. And yes, they are very much alive! \nAll of the Nordic countries have ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Web-based inventories have been created in all of them to make it possible for strong standing of grass-roots communities to create more awareness for their ICH and to dig deeper into safeguarding. This paper looks more closely on the example of Finland with its Wiki-Inventory for Living Heritage. As a good example of Nordic cooperation, the web platform Nordic Safeguarding Practices is introduced.

Johan Huizinga coined the term homo ludens to define humans as animals that play. The playful nature of Koreans as homo ludens is represented most definitively by the game, yutnori. It has been well loved by young and old and men and women alike throughout history. The game is especially important as a children’s game that helps develop strategic thinking skills while still being simple to learn.