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Introduction to ‘Messages’ – Editorial
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Introduction to ‘Messages’ – Editorial

Introduction to ‘Messages’ – Editorial

Français plus bas Introduction to Messages – Editorial In the autumn of 2023, an open call was launched by the ICH NGO Forum to provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to contribute messages and creative expressions in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage,…
Warsaw Intangible Cultural Heritage Team – Poland
Warsaw Intangible Cultural Heritage Team – Poland

Warsaw Intangible Cultural Heritage Team – Poland

"Happy Birthday" toast on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Convention, taken during the Intangible Warsaw conference, 16-17th October 2023, organised in the Praga Museum of Warsaw. For 4 years, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Team has been operating in the capital city of Poland, Warsaw, established at the…
Valentina Zingari – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – SIMBDEA NGO – Italy
Valentina Zingari – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – SIMBDEA NGO – Italy

Valentina Zingari – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – SIMBDEA NGO – Italy

Letter for the XX Anniversary of the Convention ICH. Ritorno ai sogni Ho pensato di condividere un sogno con voi.  Il sogno di essere presente quel giorno, quei giorni, durante quegli incontri che portarono all'elaborazione e all'approvazione della definizione di patrimonio culturale immateriale che troviamo nell'articolo 2 della Convenzione. Il…
Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK
Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK

Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK

Twenty Year Syne A sense o the past, in ballad and tale, Buried ower deep, it whiles can seem frail But it aye wants tae thrive, tae dance an tae sing Tradition’s a chiel that juist winna ding Sae let’s hae a cheer for the auld clootie well A cheer…
Susan Keitumetse – UNESCO Chair University of Botswana – Botswana
Susan Keitumetse – UNESCO Chair University of Botswana – Botswana

Susan Keitumetse – UNESCO Chair University of Botswana – Botswana

Message on the Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO Convention From Dr Susan O. Keitumetse - Botswana UNESCO Chair on African Heritage Studies and Sustainable Development, University of Botswana The UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage is a vital international instrument that has brought…
Sekou Berte – President ICH NGO Forum – Mali
Sekou Berte – President ICH NGO Forum – Mali

Sekou Berte – President ICH NGO Forum – Mali

Messsage from Mr. Sekou Berte President - ICH NGO Forum Executive Board 2022-2023 Mali Cultural Heritage Agency - NGO - Mali
Saudi Heritage Preservation Society SHPS – NGO – Saudi Arabia
Saudi Heritage Preservation Society SHPS – NGO – Saudi Arabia

Saudi Heritage Preservation Society SHPS – NGO – Saudi Arabia

Shedding light on the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society’s role in safeguarding heritage through working with local communities throughout Saudi Arabia. Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, Saudi Arabia Accredited NGO in the field of ICH Download PDF: Saudi Heritage Preservation Society SHPS - NGO - Saudi Arabia.pdf
Riet de Leeuw – (former) Ministry for Education, Culture and Science, The Hague – Netherlands
Riet de Leeuw – (former) Ministry for Education, Culture and Science, The Hague – Netherlands

Riet de Leeuw – (former) Ministry for Education, Culture and Science, The Hague – Netherlands

The Intangible Cultural heritage (ICH) Convention has been the leading policy document for the Netherlands to develop policies on safeguarding ICH; set up the Dutch Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage; launch the bottom-up procedure for inventory making; and develop a research agenda on ICH. The Convention has been successful in…
Pier Luigi Petrillo – UNESCO Chair ICH and Comparative Law – Italy
Pier Luigi Petrillo – UNESCO Chair ICH and Comparative Law – Italy

Pier Luigi Petrillo – UNESCO Chair ICH and Comparative Law – Italy

Pier Luigi Petrillo UNESCO Chair Professor on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Comparative Law Past President ICH UNESCO Evaluation Body Download PDF: Pier Luigi Petrillo - Italy - ICH after 20 years.pdf
NAKS – NGO – Suriname
NAKS – NGO – Suriname

NAKS – NGO – Suriname

OUR MESSAGE ICH NGO NAKS SURINAME   The year 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. We are so excited to be joining in on the Celebrating of 20 years of safeguarding living heritage. So, here is our message in which…
Milivoj Pacenti – Istarski Pljočkarski Savez – Croatia
Milivoj Pacenti – Istarski Pljočkarski Savez – Croatia

Milivoj Pacenti – Istarski Pljočkarski Savez – Croatia

Which major subjects, goals or ambitions do you hope to be developed by the Convention in the next 20  years? ✓ I believe that in the future, the Convention should pay more attention to nonprofit organizations and  NGOs as the bearers of cultural heritage, because they are the only ones…
Mila Santova – NGO Member ICH Evaluation Body 2023 Cycle – UNESCO
Mila Santova – NGO Member ICH Evaluation Body 2023 Cycle – UNESCO

Mila Santova – NGO Member ICH Evaluation Body 2023 Cycle – UNESCO

Anniversary Message from  Mila Santova ICH Evaluation Body NGO Member for The 2023 Cycle European Association Of Folklore Festivals – NGO – Bulgaria
Martin Andrade Perez – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Erigaie Foundation NGO – Colombia
Martin Andrade Perez – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Erigaie Foundation NGO – Colombia

Martin Andrade Perez – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Erigaie Foundation NGO – Colombia

From the Erigaie Foundation, a Colombian NGO accredited to provide services to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, we began to work on the idea of intangible heritage by making the first inventory for a Colombian region in 2005. Our organization has a long history working…
Marilena Alivizatou – Academic – Greece & UK
Marilena Alivizatou – Academic – Greece & UK

Marilena Alivizatou – Academic – Greece & UK

Intangible heritage, from safeguarding anxiety to sustainable futures – A message for the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Convention   This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage (2003 Convention); an opportune moment to reflect on its significance. It is also the…
Marcel Zounon – Towara EAC – NGO – Benin
Marcel Zounon – Towara EAC – NGO – Benin

Marcel Zounon – Towara EAC – NGO – Benin

Rôle par rapport à la convention 2003: sensibiliser les communautés à la sauvegarde de leur patrimoine, assurer la transmission vers la couche juvénile par trois(3) répétitions par semaine en vue de la recréation du patrimoine dont la promotion est faite au plan national, régional et international ( participer aux activités…
Marc Jacobs – Academic – Belgium
Marc Jacobs – Academic – Belgium

Marc Jacobs – Academic – Belgium

Tug of Peace.                                                                                                 Marc Jacobs Since 2001 I have been involved and engaged in the making of global tools for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Today many of those instruments are presented (and updated every two years) by UNESCO as a set of so-called Basic Texts, either in printed form…
M. Öcal Oğuz, Evrim Ölçer Özünel & Ahmet Erman Aral – Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University – Türkiye
M. Öcal Oğuz, Evrim Ölçer Özünel & Ahmet Erman Aral – Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University – Türkiye

M. Öcal Oğuz, Evrim Ölçer Özünel & Ahmet Erman Aral – Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University – Türkiye

Celebrating 20 Years of Safeguarding Living Heritage  Türkiye The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage strongly emphasizes individuals, communities, and their active involvement in heritage-safeguarding processes. Community participation, both at local and national levels, in the planning and execution of the Convention, remains a pivotal concern for…
Lucas Lixinski – Academic – Australia
Lucas Lixinski – Academic – Australia

Lucas Lixinski – Academic – Australia

The ICH Convention turns 20 – what a ride it has been! This treaty was my very first exposure to a cultural heritage instrument. It was early 2004, I was a fourth-year undergraduate student looking for a topic for my presentation at a student research conference. The topic of intangible…
Lia Gianchristofaro – Academic – Italy
Lia Gianchristofaro – Academic – Italy

Lia Gianchristofaro – Academic – Italy

The ICH Convention has the great merit of having demonstrated the organisational capacity of civil society, and I still believe in it. However, today the communities often focus too much on their economic interests, the governments are unfair, and it is rather difficult to compare and consider the contents of…
Laurier Turgeon – Folklore Studies Association of Canada – NGO – Canada
Laurier Turgeon – Folklore Studies Association of Canada – NGO – Canada

Laurier Turgeon – Folklore Studies Association of Canada – NGO – Canada

All On Board to Tackle Climate Change Message for the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO 2003 Convention The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been a success story. Although criticized at its outset, to the point that a number of countries refused to adopt it in…
La Lega Bisse del Garda – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy
La Lega Bisse del Garda – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

La Lega Bisse del Garda – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

"La Lega Bisse del Garda auspica che i giovani si innamorino di questo nostro meraviglioso sport che è la voga in piedi e che unisce la tradizione alla sana competizione sportiva sulla Bissa. Felice di festeggiare insieme alla rete Tocatì e a voi tutti questo importante anniversario della Convenzione UNESCO…
Kristina Avouzoa d’Ekoulikang – Poète-Dramaturge-Doctorante-Médiatrice culturelle – Cameroun
Kristina Avouzoa d’Ekoulikang – Poète-Dramaturge-Doctorante-Médiatrice culturelle – Cameroun

Kristina Avouzoa d’Ekoulikang – Poète-Dramaturge-Doctorante-Médiatrice culturelle – Cameroun

Expression du leg Incitant à l'ancrage des âges, Sa sauvegarde honore les identités. Le patrimoine culturel immatériel, Et ses expressions diverses, Alimentent notre éveil. Fond de la conscience, Qui nous encourage à l'humanité. Aux pratiques où nos ambiances, Alliant expressions culturelles Aux couleurs des convivialités, Écument la postérité. Artisans, Artiste…
Jorijn Neyrinck – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Belgium
Jorijn Neyrinck – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Belgium

Jorijn Neyrinck – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Belgium

A Message – to reflect on 20 years of UNESCO 2003 Convention We love living heritage - for a future leaving no one behind Dear UNESCO 2003 Convention, I remember arriving for the first time at the UNESCO Headquarter in Paris to participate in the intergovernmental meeting of the 2003…
Joanne Orr – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Scotland UK
Joanne Orr – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Scotland UK

Joanne Orr – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Scotland UK

The UNESCO 2003 Convention is in its twentieth year and is gaining traction and agency as the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage or living heritage, becomes increasingly internationally recognised. The safeguarding of our living heritage is imperative for all our shared futures. The traditional and indigenous knowledge, which is part…
Janet Blake – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & Persian Garden Institute for Living Heritage – NGO – Iran / Scotland UK
Janet Blake – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & Persian Garden Institute for Living Heritage – NGO – Iran / Scotland UK

Janet Blake – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & Persian Garden Institute for Living Heritage – NGO – Iran / Scotland UK

The 2003 Convention, which entered into force in 2006, has now reached early adulthood and so is on the cusp of reaching full maturity. Since I have been involved in its story from before the 2003 Convention was actually drafted, it is interesting for me to see how some of…
Histories – NGO – Belgium
Histories – NGO – Belgium

Histories – NGO – Belgium

We embraced our connection to celebratory traditions with a video: ‘Happy birthday’ to the UNESCO-team for our Histories-team with an applause and a birthday cake with candles that we blew out while wishing for a strong ICH-network and lots of safeguarding-opportunities in the years to come. Histories vzw - NGO…
Historic Environment Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK
Historic Environment Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK

Historic Environment Scotland – NGO – Scotland UK

    While the United Kingdom has not ratified the 2003 Convention, the Convention has nevertheless guided Historic Environment Scotland’s efforts to safeguard ICH in  Scotland. We have drawn on the Convention, the ICH domains, and the best  practice register to inform development of our Policy Statement on ICH, and…
Giovany Arteaga – Mundo Espiral Foundation – NGO – Colombia
Giovany Arteaga – Mundo Espiral Foundation – NGO – Colombia

Giovany Arteaga – Mundo Espiral Foundation – NGO – Colombia

San Juan de Pasto, October 21, 2023 Dear 2003 Convention UNESCO Paris, France Subject: a journey that never ended: Amazon and Immaterial Cultural Heritage, nature and culture. As a sociology student at the University of Nariño, I thought that culture is a powerful instrument to achieve different objectives. The first…
Gioco delle noci – Tocatì Network – Italy
Gioco delle noci – Tocatì Network – Italy

Gioco delle noci – Tocatì Network – Italy

Video message by Gioco delle noci, Monterosso al mare - Italy Member of the Tocatì network, selected as Good Safeguarding Practice in the UNESCO Register – 2022 Membro della rete tocatì - Buona pratica iscritta nel registro del 2022
Flemish Department for Culture, Youth and Media – Belgium
Flemish Department for Culture, Youth and Media – Belgium

Flemish Department for Culture, Youth and Media – Belgium

A message to the Unesco 2003 convention from Flanders We, Arno, Kari, Inge and Sophie, from the Flanders Department of Culture, Youth and Media wish the Unesco 2003 convention and all ICH enthusiasts worldwide a very happy 20th anniversary!! As a small but dedicated group in our Department, we feel…
Eva Kuminková & Ľubica Voľanská – Czecho-Slovakia
Eva Kuminková & Ľubica Voľanská – Czecho-Slovakia

Eva Kuminková & Ľubica Voľanská – Czecho-Slovakia

Message from Ľubica Voľanská & Eva Kuminková, Czecho-Slovakia Global Network of Facilitators, and many different roles...
Emily Drani – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & CCFU NGO – Uganda
Emily Drani – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & CCFU NGO – Uganda

Emily Drani – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator & CCFU NGO – Uganda

Celebrating 20 years of implementing the 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage   Congratulations to UNESCO and all actors in the culture sector for contributing to 20 years of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for future generations! In 2006, when the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) was…
Eivind Falk – Heritage Alive & Norwegian Crafts Institute – NGO – Norway
Eivind Falk – Heritage Alive & Norwegian Crafts Institute – NGO – Norway

Eivind Falk – Heritage Alive & Norwegian Crafts Institute – NGO – Norway

Mind the gap Eivind Falk Director Norwegian Crafts Institute / Editor-In-Chief #HeritageAlive since 2012   I remember well the first committee meeting I attended. It was in Abu Dhabi at the 4.COM in 2009. We were just a handful of NGOs, but we had our first meetings around a round…
Edoardo Marini – Comune della Città di Pienza / Gioco del Cacio al Fuso, Tocatì NGO Network – Italy
Edoardo Marini – Comune della Città di Pienza / Gioco del Cacio al Fuso, Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

Edoardo Marini – Comune della Città di Pienza / Gioco del Cacio al Fuso, Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

«Tutti siamo parte del patrimonio vivente delle nostre terre e della nostra gente. Ma essere il proprio patrimonio significa anche trovare qualcosa in comune con altre terre e altre genti coi loro patrimoni, diversi ma con alla base qualcosa in comune, cioè il bagaglio che ciascuno di noi si porta…
Democracy through Culture – NGO – Ukraine
Democracy through Culture – NGO – Ukraine

Democracy through Culture – NGO – Ukraine

ICH: tender but strong as our will The strength and richness of intangible cultural heritage multiplied by international cooperation could be an efficient answer to emergencies, including the war. On the 613th day of the large-scale military aggression of Russia against Ukraine, the exhibition Ukrainian intangible cultural heritage: crafts, practices…
Deirdre Prins – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – South Africa
Deirdre Prins – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – South Africa

Deirdre Prins – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – South Africa

...Imagining a Future...where...   The bus(y)ness of diversity is the norm Where languages and sounds roll off tongues To reach ears attuned to their sounds of awe And wonder, Soundscapes in which imagination And creativity may take root in words which carry wisdoms and ways of being in the world…
Cultures du Monde – ONG – France
Cultures du Monde – ONG – France

Cultures du Monde – ONG – France

For about 50 years, our National Association "Cultures du Monde" in Gannat has been involved in the dissemination of Intangible Cultural Heritage for everyone and works to promote access to cultural diversity for all.  Among our activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ICH we have made some video…
Culture – Développement – CUL.DEV – ONG – Togo
Culture – Développement – CUL.DEV – ONG – Togo

Culture – Développement – CUL.DEV – ONG – Togo

Download PDFs: Âme Africaine ou Héritage vivant - Francais.pdf  African Soul or Living Heritage - English.pdf
Contact Base – NGO – India
Contact Base – NGO – India

Contact Base – NGO – India

A Message on two decades of the 2003 Convention by Contact Base - NGO - India
Circolo Sportivo Olimpia Il Maiorchino – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy
Circolo Sportivo Olimpia Il Maiorchino – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

Circolo Sportivo Olimpia Il Maiorchino – Tocatì NGO Network – Italy

Message from Circolo Sportivo Olimpia il Maiorchino Traditional Game and Sport member of the Tocatì network - Good Safeguarding Practices Register
Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (Ministry of Culture) – State Party – Italy
Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (Ministry of Culture) – State Party – Italy

Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (Ministry of Culture) – State Party – Italy

"Kaleidoscope of the Intangible Heritage" - produced by Istituto Centrale Patrimonio Immateriale (ICPI- Italian Ministry of Culture   "(In)visible Tales. Between Heaven and Earth." Itinerant exhibition project for the promotion of Italian living heritages in the world. From 2019 in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Spain...…
Belgian Brewers Association – Belgium
Belgian Brewers Association – Belgium

Belgian Brewers Association – Belgium

Message from the Association of Belgian Brewers  /  vzw Belgische Brouwers  / Conseiller Brasseurs Belges asbl   We are still very honoured that UNESCO decided to include the rich beer culture in Belgium in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. First and foremost, making and appreciating…
Association pour le Devenir des Autochtones et de leur Connaissance Originelle (ADACO) – NGO – Gabon
Association pour le Devenir des Autochtones et de leur Connaissance Originelle (ADACO) – NGO – Gabon

Association pour le Devenir des Autochtones et de leur Connaissance Originelle (ADACO) – NGO – Gabon

ASSOCIATION POUR LE DEVENIR DES AUTOCHTONES ET DE LEUR CONNAISSANCE ORIGINELLE   Contribution de l’ADACO relative au 20ème anniversaire de la Convention de l’UNESCO pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel sous le thème d’anniversaire : « Nous sommes Patrimoine vivant » (le rôle de la Convention dans la sensibilisation…
Association and Ecomuseum ‘House of Batana’ – NGO – Croatia
Association and Ecomuseum ‘House of Batana’ – NGO – Croatia

Association and Ecomuseum ‘House of Batana’ – NGO – Croatia

Sailing a batana boat in front of the City of Rovinj  |  Children during a workshop on batana boat building.  Photo credit: Dalibor TalajićOur community is growing each day... our living heritage seems to be in good hands... The 2003 Convention and all the people behind it have been an…
Andoni Castillo Perez – Garifuna Living Heritage – NGO
Andoni Castillo Perez – Garifuna Living Heritage – NGO

Andoni Castillo Perez – Garifuna Living Heritage – NGO

Lumagien Yurumein daga Lamida Meriga The living heritage of Garifuna people from the Island of Saint Vincent to Central America and the United States Andoni Castillo Perez Garifuna writer and historian UNESCO-Research Commissioner Member of Black Central American Organization “The image describes the spiritual ceremony of the indigenous Garifunas, through…
Alissandra Cummins – Barbados Museum & Historical Society / Former Chairperson ICH Intergovernmental Committee – Barbados
Alissandra Cummins – Barbados Museum & Historical Society / Former Chairperson ICH Intergovernmental Committee – Barbados

Alissandra Cummins – Barbados Museum & Historical Society / Former Chairperson ICH Intergovernmental Committee – Barbados

ICH+ 20: CELEBRATING THE ICH CONVENTION VALUES, VOCALITY, VISIBILITY AND VIABILITY   Alissandra Cummins Barbados Museum & Historical Society (NGO) Expert / Lecturer in Heritage Studies/ Former Editor in Chief, International Journal of Intangible Heritage   The adoption of the ICH Convention on 17th October 2003 following several years of…
Alexandra Denes – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Thailand
Alexandra Denes – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Thailand

Alexandra Denes – UNESCO ICH Global Facilitator – Thailand

Reflections from Three ICH Workshops in Mongolia Celebrating 20 years of safeguarding living heritage together, reflecting on the road traveled and the way forward.   Since 2015, I have had the honor of serving as a facilitator for the UNESCO global capacity-building programme, which offers training to support states parties…