The Koryo Saram living in Uzbekistan are descendants of Koreans who resettled from Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in Russia to Central Asia around 1937. However, unlike the majority of Korean diaspora communities that were formed through voluntary migration, the Koryo Saram of Central Asia were forcibly resettled as a consequence of political decisions. And as a result the Koryo Saram who settled in Central Asia faced huge challenges adapting to their new geographical and sociocultural environment, and as ethnic minorities these challenges were intensified. The establishment and growth of the Korean diaspora community of Uzbekistan took place within this context. nOf the post-Soviet activities to safeguard and transmit intangible cultural heritage, the efforts of the Koryo Saram dance troupes deserve special mention, especially with the somewhat recently established Samjiyeon Dance Troupe, Asadal Dance Troupe, and Koryo Dance Troupe under the Central Koryo Saram Culture Association of Uzbekistan (Koryo Association). Established in 1998, Koryo Dance Troupe is the oldest of the three while the Samjiyeon Dance Troupe and Asadal Dance Troupe were established in 2014 and 2015, respectively. With the exception of Koryo Dance Troupe, young people (in their twenties and thirties) head up these troupes and the dancers are in their teens and twenties. Key activities of all the troupes include both dance education and performance.\nThese Koryo Saram dance troupes perform at various events, including the traditional Koryo Saram festivals of Chuseok (a harvest holiday) and Seolnal (Lunar New Year), and thus play a central role in the continued transmission of intangible cultural heritage. The dance troupes also perform at events alongside various other ethnic groups, promoting the Koryo Saram community’s place within Uzbek society as an ethnic group with a unique and honorable heritage, living harmoniously with its neighbors.y of Uzbekistan took place within this context.

He started his professional career in Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan in 1977. He worked from 2001 to 2009 at UNESCO where he assumed various posts such as Director of the Division of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education, and Director of the Division of Social Science, Research and Policy at the Headquarters. Back to Japan, he organised at Nagoya in 2014“UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development” as Advisor, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. \n Mr Iwamoto took function of Director- General of IRCI in April 2016. He is also Visiting Professor of Chubu University and Lecturer of National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

.

Ms. Gulnara Ibragimova is the manager of the “International Education Center” at the Educational Complex “Ilim” a UNESCO Associated School. She is also the focal point for the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in Kyrgyzstan.\n\nEducational Complex “Ilim” was established in 1993 and has a long institutional history. Since 1995, it is part of the UNESCO Network of Associated Schools (ASPpnet). Currently, it coordinates the network activities in Kyrgyzstan among its 15 members. The Complex itself includes primary, secondary and high schools as well as kindergarten.\n\nThe school aims to ensure that students have a full conceptual understanding of the subjects they study and helps them to develop new skills that can be applied in real life. Since “Ilim” joined the ASPnet schools Network it also became a key promoter of UNESCO values in the country. It implements multidisciplinary projects related to intercultural learning, human rights, sustainable development, etc.\n\nGulnara is responsible for maintaining international communications, implementing supplementary education programs, and cultural exchanges, and developing academic mobility - attracting foreign teachers, with the aim of convergence educational standards, improving the quality of education as well as the organization and implementing of international cooperation projects with UNESCO. She is also responsible for maintaining contacts with the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO in the realization of joint activities and reporting.\n\nIn 2020-2021 she has supported a pilot project of UNESCO “Integrating the Living Heritage into Education in Asia and the Pacific Region” in Kyrgyzstan, by identifying schools for the project and monitoring their work progress. \n\nFrom 2013 to the present, she is also the director of the “Koldo Shop” Public Foundation, which work is aimed at supporting people from socially vulnerable segments of the population, and these are people with disabilities, single mothers, pensioners, and large families with financial difficulties. The Foundation created a trading and educational platform for artisans from this target audience. \n\n

Dr. Ming Chee Ang is a general Manager of George Town World Heritage Incorporated and a Facilitator of UNESCO Global Network of Facilitators on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Born and raised in the inner city of George Town, she carries her duties with much passion and fervour, incorporating innovative ideas and holistic management on World Heritage Site for the benefit of the local people. Specialized in resource mobilization, policy making, project management and risk assessment, she has incorporated built conservation, with elements of disaster risk reduction and intangible cultural heritage safeguarding to create a sustainable heritage city for the people who live in, work in and use George Town. Ang also showcases active participation in leading projects, programs and panels, as Executive Producer for George Town Heritage Celebrations, Chairperson for Sia Boey Archaeological Advisory Panel, Chairperson for Penang Public Arts Review Panel, Deputy Chairperson for Penang Island City Council’s Technical Review Panel, Committee for Guar Gepah Archaeological Advisory Panel, lead researcher for “Field Survey of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts in the Asia-Pacific Region” and “Feasibility Studies on the Introduction of Rent Regulation Enactment”, as well as project manager for “Sia Boey Integrated Management Plan” and “Supporting Community-Based Management and Sustainable Tourism at Melaka and George Town”

The public foundation "CACSARC-kg" was created on the basis of the Central Asian Association for the Support of Crafts (CACSA) - one of the leading non-governmental organizations in the region with an open membership, working in the field of development of the handicraft sector, whose head office was in Bishkek from 2000 to 2008.\nAt its creation, CACSA consisted of several enthusiasts of the region's craft movement, and by 2009, over eight years, CACSA had created a regional network of 76 organizations (from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia) and implemented more than 50 projects in the field the development and support of crafts, where more than 5,000 artisans across the region have directly and indirectly benefited. During these eight years, CACSA has gained significant experience in the development of the artisan sector of the region, providing artisans with training, marketing and international promotion services.\nAt the end of 2008, the head office of CACSA, according to its Charter, moved to Almaty (Kazakhstan), and in March 2009 “CACSARC-kg” was registered as an independent public fund to continue activities in Kyrgyzstan for the development of crafts and traditional culture.

The Indonesian Heritage Society (“IHS”) is a non-profit organization, established in 1970, by Indonesian and expat volunteers. From the initial group of 17 volunteers, today the organization has grown to include hundreds of individuals. Volunteers form the heart of IHS, organizing all events and operations.

The ICH NGO Forum is the platform for communication, networking, exchange and cooperation for NGOs accredited by UNESCO to provide advisory services to the Intergovernmental Committee in the framework of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The International Institute for the Inclusive Museum (IIIM) brings together a large number ofnclusters of research and capacity building institutions, arts, museums and heritage bodies acrossnthe world. Most of them actively engage on our social media channels. The criteria for participationninclude demonstrated commitment to the ICOM Code of Ethics and Cultural Diversity Charter;nUNESCO Charter and its suite of Soft Law and Hard Law standard setting instruments and theirnethical requirements; UN post 2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. Withnhubs all over the world, IIIM enhances constructive engagement with several knowledgencommunities and promotes state-of-the-art online research, learning and teaching systems.\nnAmaravathi Heritage Society was formed in December 2015 with Amaravathi Mahila Samiti or Women’s Society. The local Ambedkar society advocates the heritage of Dalits. The society directly started working with the poorest and most disadvantaged Chenchu and Yenadi tribal communities. Then the Dhanyakataka (Amaravathi) Buddhist Society was also included. Later on the Women’s Empowerment Development Society WEDS actively participated in their working. Amaravathi is a village and with three other villages and 19 hamlets, it constitutes a mandalam or administrative unit. The total population is about 27,600. After establishment the first challenge for the institute was to raise heritage consciousness and bring together the people to take ownership of their ‘Varasatvamu’ or heritage, especially intangible heritage. Its aim is to practice of heritage tourism, where the valuing and safeguarding of primary resources, cultural and natural, in creating products for the recreational spectrum. Amaravathi Heritage Town is a lead project designated by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Curating the town brings together all the cultural heritage values and environmental ethics into one seamless local community cultural development project.\n Amaravathi Heritage Town project facilitated by the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum has given a platform to many CBOs and NGOs to work together. Participatory cultural mapping enabled the location of the first voice of primary stakeholders in the project. The town has waited for 2000 years to be considered for development since the times of the Satavahana and Ikshvaku kingdoms when Amaravathi was the capital. It was here that Mahayana Buddhism took both and spread all over Asia, especially Korea, Japan and China. It is the civil society that is revitalising and safeguarding the intangible heritage and conserving the tangible heritage. Amaravathi Heritage Town project is the catalyst for sustainable heritage development.