How can we best preserve cultural traditions around the world? | Inside Story

Summary

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is deliberating on the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, including practices like falconry and traditional dances, by considering them for inclusion in its heritage list. The discussion highlights the importance of safeguarding these practices to ensure their survival and the role of international cooperation in addressing threats such as environmental changes and disinterest among younger generations. The program also touches on the significance of adapting heritage to contemporary needs while respecting human rights.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is actively involved in preserving and promoting ancient cultures through meetings and the inclusion of cultural practices on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• 🦅 Falconry, a 4,000-year-old art of training and flying falcons, is one of the cultural practices being considered for inclusion on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• 💃 Malawi's traditional dances and Zambia's colella dance are examples of cultural expressions being evaluated for their significance and potential inclusion on the list.
• 🎉 The colella dance is a celebratory dance that reflects the social setup and daily activities of the people, such as fishing and cassava harvesting, emphasizing the importance of cultural practices in maintaining community identity.
• 🔄 Intangible cultural heritage is dynamic and evolves with each generation, adapting to contemporary needs while maintaining its social function and cultural meaning.
• 📝 The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is an international instrument that aims to protect and raise awareness about cultural practices, ensuring respect for them and fostering international cooperation.
• 🏞️ Environmental concerns are increasingly intertwined with the protection of intangible cultural heritage, as seen in the threats posed by illegal mining and pollution to sacred sites and traditional practices.
• 🏛️ The French Heritage Society works to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance of transmission and the living aspect of heritage.
• 🌱 The adaptive capacity of intangible cultural heritage allows communities to modify practices in response to environmental changes, ensuring their survival and continued relevance.
• 🤝 International cooperation plays a crucial role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage by raising awareness and gathering support to address threats and develop safeguarding plans.
• 🌐 The inclusion of a cultural practice on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list brings awareness and recognition, encouraging states to implement specific actions and plans for its preservation.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the United Nations meetings on cultural preservation?

The purpose of the meetings is to discuss how to preserve and promote ancient cultures globally, considering traditions for inclusion on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list to ensure their survival for future generations.

What is the Intangible Cultural Heritage list?

The Intangible Cultural Heritage list is a compilation by UNESCO that aims to protect and promote cultural practices to prevent them from being lost to history.

Why is it important to protect intangible cultural heritage?

It is important to protect intangible cultural heritage because it forms part of our cultural traditions, has continued social function, and shapes our identity and understanding of the world.

How does UNESCO define intangible cultural heritage?

UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as cultural practices and expressions that communities pass on from generation to generation, which are alive and have a continued social function and cultural community meaning.

What is the 2003 Convention for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage?

The 2003 Convention is an international instrument aimed at safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, raising awareness, ensuring respect for it, and providing for international cooperation between states towards its safeguarding.

What threats does intangible cultural heritage face in Nigeria according to马拉拉·伍德?

In Nigeria, intangible cultural heritage faces threats such as apathetic leadership, policy gaps, environmental pollution from illegal mining, and desertification, which endanger sites and artifacts crucial to understanding traditions and history.

What is the role of the French Heritage Society in protecting intangible cultural heritage?

The French Heritage Society raises funds for the restoration and preservation of historic monuments, parks, and gardens, and promotes the transmission of living heritage and traditional crafts, ensuring they remain relevant and accessible to the public.

What constitutes an intangible cultural heritage according to Juliet Hopkins?

Intangible cultural heritage constitutes cultural practices and expressions significant to communities, which are transmitted intergenerationally and have social functions and meanings, including oral expressions and practices related to organized religions.

How does the recognition of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO benefit a community?

Recognition by UNESCO brings awareness and international recognition to a community's cultural heritage, providing a framework for safeguarding plans and actions, and potentially boosting community pride and cohesion.

What are the main threats to intangible cultural heritage according to Juliet Hopkins?

The main threats include loss of interest from younger generations, urban to rural migration, environmental changes, biodiversity loss, and the adaptive capacity of communities to respond to these changes.

Why is it important to protect contemporary practices as part of intangible cultural heritage?

Contemporary practices are important because they continue to evolve with generations, maintain relevance in community lives, and can contribute to contemporary issues, offering innovative solutions to challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.