The punnuk is a tugging ritual of the village folk from three communities in Hungduan, Ifugao in Northern Luzon, Philippines. It is performed at the confluence of Hapao River and a tributary as the final ritual after the rice harvest. Its consummation brings to a close an agricultural cycle and signals the beginning of a new one. \n\nThe punnuk is a ritual of pomp and revelry. Garbed in their predominantly red-col-ored attire of the Tuwali ethno-linguistic subgroup, the participants negotiate the terraced fields in a single file amidst lush greens under the blue skies. The tempo builds up as the participants reach the riverbank, each group positioned opposite the other. The excitement is sustained through the final tugging match, and the sinewy brawn of the participants is highlighted by the river’s rushing water.

"BeezBistar Foundation (BBF), a community action-based non-governmental organization, was formed in 2009 by development workers and researchers. “BeezBistar” means prosperity in life and peaceful and joyful relations between human beings and all other life-forms. BBF works with local communities, especially farmers, weavers, fishers, adivashi, dalit, and other marginalized and socially vulnerable people for a prosperous and healthy life. Its guiding ethical principles are non-discrimination on the grounds of caste, race, class, and gender. BBF believes in people’s capacity to transform their existing situation of poverty and become pros- perous through a mediated process of interdependent, collective, and community support and actions. The notion of BEEZ is grounded in the local and indigenous culture of the peoples of Bangladesh, as well as advanced by science and life-affirming knowledge and technologies."

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan acknowledges the importance of cultural issues at both the governmental as well as the non-governmental levels, as it promotes the significance of culture for sustainable development and cultural dialogue. Included in this concept is cultural heritage, which shapes the basic elements of identity and social cohesion among communities and minorities of the country. In our assessment report about ICH in Jordan, we were able to trace administrative strengths and weaknesses embraced in this field. For example, subjects included the government’s developed interest on ICH issues, the existence of certain Jordanian institutions, organizations that contributed in various and divergent ways to this field, and the potential and adaptability of the Jordanian laws and legislation to deal with culture related matters. Based on the information collected, it became evident that there were considerable weaknesses in integrating cultural heritage issues into the strategic planning of the nation. Additionally, disseminating the importance of ICH and its great value among Jordanians on governmental, institutional, and public levels was not carried out satisfactorily, resulting in a lack of awareness programs. If awareness efforts were carried out, this would have enabled the people to explore the value of their ICH and allowed them to become aware of its importance as reflected in the cultural diversity of the Jordanian society.

In Hungduan, Ifugao, three communities—Hapao, Baang, and Nungulunan—observe three post-harvest rituals, collectively known as huowah. Punnuk, an intense tugging match in the Hapao River, is the last of the three rituals.

The question of how to apply integrated approach in ICH safeguarding is a fundamental issue in implementing the 2003 Convention. It also entails further questions not only for intangible heritage field, but also other relevant cultural heritage fields.\n\nThis session aims to find out the best method of integrated approaches from the viewpoint of ICH safeguarding within the framework of the 2003 Convention. Such aim will require a discussion of the intangible value of tangible heritage and an inquiry of the tangible elements of ICH by looking into various case studies of 'cultural spaces’.\n

The arrival of a newborn baby is cause for great joy, particularly for a newly wedded couple if it is their first child. In traditional Fijian society, when a married woman was expecting, her husband and his kin would plant uvi (yams), a root crop known as dalo (Colocasia esculenta), and stock pigs in pens. The matriarchs from both the man’s and woman’s sides would also begin weaving new mats in anticipation of the birth. In the past, marriage was a decision made carefully, based on kinship connections and traditional alliances, because the shared commonalities facilitated collaboration on both sides.

The eco-cultural practices in Fiji demonstrate the wisdom and knowledge in understanding the relationships between ecological change, cultural practices and livelihood that contribute to the sustainability of traditional food systems. \n\nIn Fiji, this is based on the traditional lunar calendar (vula vakaviti) and its value systems. This traditional lunar calendar is associated with ecological changes of the food systems and how they are regulated accordingly. Hence, it is used as a guide to determine and manage monthly foods across the entire food system with associated activities. This is identified through observed ecological changes in the food system of the various agricultural and marine foods species. \n\nThe traditional lunar calendar identifies specific foods or plants and related activities respectively in an annual lunar cycle. This helps rotate the use of various food resources all year around, which reduces the over-use and over-harvest of one resource and allows for the recuperation and recovery of resources in a given environment. Similarly, the declaration of tabu (no take) for a temporary closure of a section of a land or community’s fishing ground for a certain period, the use of traditional farming and fishing methods, such as vucivuci and yavirau, as well as the barter system between the coastal and highland people are also ecocultural value systems that act as adaptation techniques. These systems help preserve the recovery of the environment to allow increase in breeding and growth of the various species of food resources, enhancing the culture of exchange and sharing of goods that strengthens kinship relationships. \n\nWhile the traditional lunar calendar and its value systems are useful, the impact of climate change and the apparent loss in the value systems have limited their usefulness and applications, which warrants further investigations and research.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

"About the Centre for Intangible Heritage Studies (CIHS) The Centre for Intangible Heritage Studies (CIHS) is an academic center based at the Sree San- karacharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady (SSUSK) in the state of Kerala in India. It is the first academic center in India established exclusively for the study of intangible heritage. It should be noted here that the discipline or subject of intangible heritage is relatively new, coming into existence only with the launch of the 2003 UN Convention for the Safeguard- ing of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Up to then, all discussions on heritage were restricted to its tangible aspects. More than a decade since the 2003 Convention, there remains a lack of awareness about."

"In this region of many “lands” surrounded by water, knowledge of the land and its harvests is tied closely to identity and heritage. This section’s themes thus offer a closer look at how the knowledge of caring for the land and harvests is a way of feeling for the Pacific islanders. This ICH, in addition to coloring people’s interactions on the land and carrying expressions of respect, is a means of ensuring sustainability and prosperity.\nPacific islanders depend largely on the land and their harvests from it for their survival, but these also hold deeper meaning for life. To the people of Vanuatu, for instance, laplap soso'ur is more than an edible delicacy: it is a feature of their cultural identity and a means to bring people together across societal levels. Similarly, in Palau, the mesei taro fields are valuable property, but they are also much more in that these pieces of land are deeply connected to the identity of the people, particularly women, and figure prominently in the colorful oral histories of the Palauans. Both of these cases, along with the other themes in this section, reflect the profound value of ICH related to the Pacific islands and their harvests."

The arrival of a newborn baby is cause for great joy particularly for a newly wedded couple if it is their first born. In traditional Fijian society, when a married maiden is expecting, her husband and his kin plant uvi (yams) dalo, a rootcrop (Colocasia esculenta) and stock pigs in the pens. The matriarchs from both the man and woman’s side also begin weaving new mats in anticipation for the birth.\n\nPrior to hospitals, traditional midwives known as VUNIKALOU were approached and on hand when labour contractions were expected. These VUNIKALOU had diverse knowledge about herbal medicines to administer to the expecting mother during and after pregnancy.\n\nThere are also elderly matriarchs on hand to administer to the expecting mother’s needs like washing, cooking, tending to the bedroom. The sleeping area is cordoned off with a huge taunamu or wall-length tapa as traditional Fijian houses do not have separate rooms. All the while mother and newborn baby must not emerge from behind this barrier until the end of the fourth night. Males too are forbidden from entering the residence where mother and newborn are until after the fourth day otherwise they will be meted out traditional punishment called ORE by the matriarchs. And young men, the baby’s father and other menfolk intentionally violate the rules as an excuse for them to bear the burdens of the ‘punishment’. This is their indirect way of showing their affection and pride towards the arrival of the newborn baby. They take a day or so to prepare their ‘punishment tokens’ which could be cooked fish, or dalo, fruits, vakalolo (grated starch with sweetened caramelized coconut milk), cigarettes, etc for the matriarchs’ enjoyment serving in the home.\n\nWhen the baby is born, it is the responsibility of the baby’s father’s kin to relay the message traditionally to the baby’s vasu or maternal kin. A whale tooth is presented traditionally to relay the joyful news.\n\nDuring the first four nights of the baby’s birth, kinship from both the mother and father’s side present raw dalo, freshly woven baby mats, oil, brooms, tapa cloth. The dalo presentation is called DREKEBA (stress on –a). The boiled dalo stalk is the primary meal of the new mother for it is believed that it improves lactation.\n\nThe mats are gifts for the matriarchs serving in the household. This occasion is called the ROQOROQO meaning ‘to carry’. When the women arrive (no males are still allowed in but they still do so eager to receive their ‘punishment’), they sing meke and folk songs. The matriarchs serving in the house entertain the roqoroqo parties and there is much joy. The reason behind the loud noise and merry making is said to make the newborn baby begin to understand in his/her spiritual mind and heart that there is a large family waiting for him/her and ready to support in the rearing. This is the actual roqoroqo! There is no actual carrying and kissing of the newborn baby until after the fourth night as it is believed that baby is still spiritually and physically vulnerable to all sorts of bad air and malevolence. On the fourth day, the baby’s paternal kin prepare a feast called VAKATUNUDRA (warming the blood) for the village to enjoy.\nThe serving matriarchs take turns in carrying the baby as the mother recovers. The one on whom the baby’s umbilical cord falls onto is the one who will provide the four night feast. This role is quietly contested as each matriarch is eager to show their affection and home network support.\n\nMuch has changed from the original notion of roqoroqo or baby showers. Today babies are born in hospitals and the ceremonies, pomp and jovial camaraderie between kinsfolk is diminishing. A version of it exists though in the modern version of visitation to a newborn baby’s family with modern gifts for both baby and mother.\n\nphoto 1 : Women from the village visiting new born baby (carried in center) and present traditional gifts to mother (Left) and family.© ITaukei Institute of Language & Culture\nphoto 2 : Men carrying dalo plants for a traditional baby shower in Kumi village, Verata, Tailevu, Fiji © ITaukei Institute of Language & Culture\nphoto 3 : Trimmed green dalo stalks for boiling to enhance mother’s breast milk production.© ITaukei Institute of Language & Culture