Intangible Cultural Heritage refers to practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities, groups, and sometimes individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This heritage is transmitted from generation to generation, constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature, and their history, thereby providing them with a sense of identity and continuity.
The concept of Intangible Cultural Heritage includes:
The term and concept of Intangible Cultural Heritage were formalized by UNESCO with the adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003. This convention aimed to:
Before this, there was an increasing recognition of the need to protect non-physical forms of heritage, particularly in the 1990s, as global cultural homogenization was seen to threaten local traditions and knowledge systems.
Intangible Cultural Heritage plays a vital role in:
Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage involves several challenges:
Strategies for safeguarding include documentation, research, formal and non-formal education, revitalization, and the promotion of awareness and respect for cultural diversity.
Examples of Intangible Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO include: