Hills resembling a dragon tail, composed of arenaceous soft mud stretching for several miles, scarce but fresh and lush vegetation, springs with ice-cold water spouting from the heart of the earth, waves of the salty lake gently crashing against the shore, magnificent white clouds soaring up in the sky and the numerous pilgrims, lined up one by one, treading right upon the “dragon tail” and making their pilgrimage through the sacred site Manjyly-Ata.

"Before starting this project, it was necessary to agree upon some definitions and concepts. Without understanding these concepts, it might have become difficult to create a suitable structure for the fieldwork. With this in mind, at the beginning of the project, which is based on a theoretical framework, we discussed the concept of agriculture.\n\n“To what we call culture in pre-established way is nothing but agriculture,” says Dr. Saheb Khandare in his 2012 book Krushi Sanskruti (Indian Agriculture), written in the Marathi language. Elaborating on this statement, he says, “in prehistoric times the word ‘clan’ was derived from kus. Kus means tilling, in the "

Language is a powerful aspect of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Along with oral traditions and expressions, language is recognized as crucial vehicle for manifestation of ICH.1 It is the gateway to a people’s culture, value systems, and worldviews. Linguistic diversity is correlated with multifarious and unexhaustive dimensions of diversity, including biological, species and ecological diversity. Despite unrelenting colonial attempts at their annihilation, Indigenous Peoples occupy about 22 per cent of global land mass where they continue to exercise their rich traditions and stewardship of nature. With their global population of about 500 million, Indigenous Peoples constitute perhaps the greatest human demographic showcase of the world’s cultural diversity, unlike any other civilization. Indigenous Peoples have retained an untapped capacity to continue to contribute as inventors, re-inventors, speakers, and custodians of a significant portion of the world’s estimated 7000 languages. Revival of Indigenous languages is an acknowledged aspect of Indigenous resurgence.2 This contribution calls attention to the untapped potential of Indigenous languages and oral traditions as vital tools for mitigating current ecological crisis.

"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."

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.

Storytelling is an important aspect of the human experience. Through stories, we learn, we share, we feel, we express, and we remember. And in the Pacific, stories serve as the thread that connects us with our places. Our stories hold lessons of the strength, struggles, and solidarity that shape the identity all Pacific Islanders, as well as the accumulated knowledge, world views, and ways of knowing developed through firsthand engagement with our environment. However, while critical to survival in our places, our stories and the knowledge held in them are not always valued in school. This leaves a gap in education that alienates communities from classrooms and young learners from the collective wisdom that would guide them into a thriving future.

Mehrgan is an autumn harvest festival celebrated during or after gathering a harvest. In ancient times, Mehrgan marked the autumn equinox, and according to an old Iranian calendar, celebrated on the mehr day of the mehr month, equal to 8 October. In the Republic of Tajikistan 15 October is the official day of Mehrgan.

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is known as a city of temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses. Newārs are indigenous people who mostly reside in Kathmandu valley. They have a unique identity among Nepalese people as lovers and preservers of many Nepali cultures and traditions. Newār communities play very active roles in the preservation of unique Newāri cultural elements. Among many, Di pyākhāṁ is a traditional mask dance with a glorious history. In the Newāri language, Di means “goddess” and pyākhāṁ means “dance,” therefore the name can be translated as “Goddess Dance.”\nThe practice of Di pyākhāṁ provides an opportunity for participants to learn to work together in social harmony. To this end, various tasks are assigned according to work required. Not only does Di pyākhāṁ have religious significance but it is also culturally significant, touching on different artistic aspects.

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.

I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to Francis REG, Head of Yap Historic Preservation Office, Federated States of Micronesia; Ratu Jone Naucabalavu BALENAIVALU, Senior Administration Officer of the Collections Team, Fiji Museum; Lynda Dee TELLAMES, Staff Historian of the Bureau of Cultural & Historical Preservation, Palau; and other esteemed guests who have come all the way from the Pacific to Korea for this workshop. I also express my heartfelt gratitude to Sang Kook KIM, Deputy Director at the Records Preservation & Restoration Center, National Archives of Korea; Bong-young KIM, Director of the Department of Planning and Administration, Korean Film Archive; and Minsun SONG, Senior Researcher at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage; and all the other presenters here today.

Klithik form wayang puppetry gets its name from the sound the puppets make—klithik–klithik—when the puppeteer (dalang) performs. The puppet bodies are carved from thin wood while their arms are made from leather. Wayang klithik performances do not use a screen, and the audience directly faces the puppeteer. Performances are accompanied by a small ensemble of gamelan orchestra instruments—namely, kendang (drums), saron, ketuk, kenong, kecer, rebab, and kempul.

How far the objective of the Baul philosophy of secularism or religious tolerance can motivate a people calls for some investigation. Yet, in Bangladesh and in states similarly multicultural and free of racial prejudice, this has achieved unbelievable success. Here, adherence to coded instructions, manners, tradition, and action bears more significance for the people than their personal sense of values. The Baul followers, by moving away from that mindset, placed more emphasis on humanism and religious harmony and created a system where people, irrespective of race, sect, education, and socioeconomic status, get imbued with the same devotional spirit, sitting in the same platform.