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.

The island nation of Sri Lanka was ravaged by a 26-year civil war (1983 to 2009) that was the result of ethnic tensions between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the Hindu Tamil minority. The conflict cost over 100,000 lives and displaced hundreds and thousands of civilians. On this ethic tension and conflict situation Aru Sri Art Theatre emerged with belief that tradition and culture are the tools to bridge the divide between estranged communities and usher in change in the society. They instill their creative energies into the heart of the repertory, producing ethnic harmony concerts and legendary dance dramas. The vision of the team is to develop theatre in such a way that traditional art forms can flourish alongside contemporary interpretations. The belief is that it is as imperative to carry age-old traditions into the new millennium as it is to provide a fertile ground for growth, change and harmony.

This presentation basically focuses on two themes: (1) the meaning of loss and risk in the context of cultural dynamics and (2) the possible articulation between cultural safeguarding and social development projects. I argue that the loss or abandonment of ICH elements by cultural communities does not simply point out at the impoverishment of cultural repertories, but often makes manifest social conflicts and changes which may sometimes be desired by some social agents, yet seen as undesirable by others within the same social formation. Furthermore, I believe that the safeguarding of ICH, particularly endangered social practices and traditional knowledge, can be a crucial component of social development programmes, above all in relation to education, in raising family income, as well as in strengthening senses of identity and selfesteem of minority groups.

Rupayan Sansthan was founded in 1960 by the renowned folklorist and ethnomusicologist writer and Padma Bhushan recipient Komal Kothari and his very close friend, Padmashree recipient Vijaydan Detha, an eminent Rajasthani writer. Their research encompassed folk songs, folk tales, folk beliefs, proverbs, folk ballads, folk epics, folk gods and goddesses, social practices, rituals, fairs and festivals, rural food, nomads and pastoral ways of life. Rupayan’s archive houses have one of the richest collections of folkloristic materials.

Of the fifty-four ethnic groups in Vietnam, the Kinh (also known as the Viet) people account for 85 percent of the entire population of Vietnam while the remaining 15 percent of the population is made up of the other fifty-three minorities. Within the group of minorities are the Nung people who have a population of around one million and reside in the northern mountainous provinces on the border with China.

"As we all know, the importance of intangible cultural heritage has been greatly enhanced since the 2003 Convention though the forms we are talking about are old if not ancient in many cases, and the individuals who have worked in the arts with what was called ‘expressions of folklore’ were involved in efforts to preserve and transmit these traditions. However, the 2003 Convention, which has at its centre the aim of safeguarding, has helped bring these issues to the centre, resulting in debate and the need to define the ‘intangible’.\nI am discussing these issues not only as one who works in this area but as one providing perspective from India, from the standpoint of an archivist who is involved in the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of forms of intangible cultural heritage, including music, oral traditions, rituals, and other forms of performance.1 Though this is an attempt at providing an overview of the status of the Convention, my aim will be to deal with the spirit rather than the Though my experience is limited to India, this paper is based on input from Moe Chiba of the UNESCO New Delhi office for an overview of issues from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, which fall under their aegis."

Established in 2000, The Loden Foundation is a registered civil society organization in Bhutan with the objectives of promoting education, cultural preservation, and entrepreneurship among the Bhutanese children and young adults; promoting education and learning at the preschool, school, and post-school stages, and thereby fostering an enlightened and educated society in Bhutan; promoting awareness of the education and the needs of local communities in relation to entrepreneurship, health education, practical skills and crafts, and literacy among remote villages and communities within Bhutan; preserving and promoting the cultures and tradi- tions of Bhutan; and undertaking, if need be, other charitable work that contributes toward the welfare of the public.

Strengthening the human capacity of creativity is at the basis of much of UNESCO’s work, which recognizes creativity as a multifaceted human resource that can inspire positive, transformative change for present and future generations. Creativity, embracing cultural expressions and the transformative power of innovation, is an integral part of human ingenuity and contributes to finding imaginative and appropriate responses to development challenges. Tapping into creative assets is a viable way of making globalization more human, now and in the future. Creativity is essential to promoting peace and sustainable development. For these reasons, UNESCO included ‘Fostering creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions’ in the list of strategic objectives of its current Medium-Term Strategy and attributed a central place to the safeguarding of intangible cultural in the program and action under this objective.

Established in 2000, The Loden Foundation is a registered civil society organization in Bhutan with the objectives of promoting education, cultural preservation, and entrepreneurship among the Bhutanese children and young adults; promoting education and learning at the preschool, school, and post-school stages, and thereby fostering an enlightened and educated society in Bhutan; promoting awareness of the education and the needs of local communities in relation to entrepreneurship, health education, practical skills and crafts, and literacy among remote villages and communities within Bhutan; preserving and promoting the cultures and tradi-tions of Bhutan; and undertaking, if need be, other charitable work that contributes toward the welfare of the public. \n

Abstract: Shared between China and Mongolia, the element of “Urtiin duu, the traditional folk long song” constitutes the first exemplar of multinational nomination and joint safeguarding effort in the East Asian subregion, from which we can draw certain experiences and lessons both for international cooperation, and domestic policy-making in the safeguarding of shared living heritage, thereby providing further understanding and contributing to the implementation of the 2003 Convention and the 2030 Agenda from perspectives of East Asia. The present paper extends from briefing the bilateral candidature file to its joint 10-year safeguarding actions (2005-2015), covering discussions on post-inscription actions, problematic issues, and possible solutions. \n\nIn November 2005, “Urtiin duu, the traditional folk long song” (hereinafter referred to as “Urtiin duu,”) which connects the man with nature and the universe, was proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity through a joint file by China and Mongolia. In November 2008, Urtiin duu was incorporated in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity (UNESCO, 2008). As the very first case in multinational nomination to the Lists of the 2003 Convention32 from Asia-Pacific region, China-Mongolia cooperation in the early stages of the Convention, paved the way to the safeguarding of shared living heritage and resultedin enriched experience with lessons, extending a meaningful case for reflecting issues in promoting cooperation in East Asian sub-region and beyond.

The time is opportune for nations across the world to take up the cause of safeguarding intangible heritage, for there is a growing awareness and renewed interest worldwide, as evidenced by UNESCO’s initiative to develop the 2003 Convention as a standard-setting instrument for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.