Global Classrooms International Model United Nations Middle School Conference

Transcription

1 Global Classrooms International Model United Nations Middle School Conference United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage 2016 LIVE DIVERSITY March 31 - April 2

2 Description of the Committee Founded in 1945, UNESCO s establishment was mainly to respond to the belief that political and economic agreements are not enough to build peace. Peace must be based on humanity s intellectual and moral solidarity. UNESCO s goal is to build connection between the nations that enable solidarity, by: Mobilizing for education because every single child should be educated since it is a fundamental human right. Forming intercultural understanding through protecting different heritages and supporting cultural diversities. Pursuing scientific cooperation; early warning systems for natural disasters or water management agreements to strengthen ties between societies. Protecting freedom of expression, which is essential for democracy and development. UNESCO is also known as the intellectual agency of the United Nations. UNESCO is made to bring creative intelligence concerning peace and sustainable development to life. History of Topic According to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICH constitutes practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. Intangible culture includes song, music, drama, skills, cuisine, annual festivals, crafts, and the other parts of culture that can be recorded but cannot be touched and interacted with, without a vehicle for the culture. The 2003 Convention also explicitly defines safeguarding in Article 2.3 as, in part, measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage through formal and non-formal education. These terms provide the foundation for international efforts to preserve and protect ICH. These cultural vehicles are called "Human Treasures" by the UN.

3 The identity and character of a community or a group of people is important to their existence because it represents a record of culture that transcends through generations. It is the mainspring of humanity's cultural diversity and its maintenance is a guarantee for continuing creativity. Since this issue is so globally important, the international community must respond together to safeguard cultural identities for future generations through the transfer of knowledge, skills, and meaning. The big issue in safeguarding this kind of heritage is that it is expressed through living traditions and practices rather than physical objects which makes it impossible to be used. Detailed Description Article 18 of the 2003 Convention specifically charges the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to periodically select and promote national, subregional, and regional programs, projects and activities for the safeguarding of the heritage which it considers best reflect the principles and objectives of this Convention. Consequently, the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices was produced and it contains proposals given in by State Parties and communities who are actively seeking to share and to provide practices for the safeguarding of ICH. It is often the case that programs submitted by developing countries are found to be inadequate or difficult to implement. Since 2008, only 11 practices have been included in the register; these came from mainly from Spain and Brazil. More work should be done to create geographically diverse methods, as well as increasing efforts to solicit preservation and transmission efforts from the underdeveloped world, where ICH is often most at risk. In 2011, Hungary submitted a method called Táncház or dancehouse to transmit fold dance and music-related ICH. This method mixes direct participation and observation with live dance and music, complementing it with singing instruction, handicraft activities, and ethnographic presentation. This method is good because it can be used for all ages through their participation in the practice by learning songs and dances associated with the indigenous culture directly from the culture bearers. Since the transmission of information is fun and entertaining but at the same time

4 maintains educational and communicative rigor, it is quite effective. Safeguarding Cultural Heritage At the 2007 Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO Expert Meeting on Transmission and Safeguarding of ICH through Formal and Nonformal Education, the intersection between education and ICH was highlighted. The meeting highlighted how activities outside of the traditional classroom and informal education can help in the preservation of ICH. Customary methods of education, such as traditional indigenous transmission practices, should complement rather than replace formal educational methods to share and promote ICH. One way to help minimize overlap between formal education programs and customary transmission methods is to integrate and invite recognized culture bearers as experts in educational programs. As one strategy, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) recommends the creation of a culturally relevant curriculum to combat stereotypes and myths about local groups, as well as honoring the school s local context. Climate Change and the Preservation of ICH Climate change is a major problem when it comes to preserving ICH in indigenous communities. The radical changes can be seen through temperatures and humidity, rising sea levels, and natural disasters that are increasingly frequent and severe. When you think of communities that rely on fishing industries to sustain local social and economic systems, climate change can be especially problematic and threatening to these communities. Because of the change in climate, there in turn will be a change in fish populations or migration patterns which in turn might force populations to change their traditional equipment, processing techniques, distribution, and harvesting strategies. Even though this

5 seems to be a problem, little work has been done to incorporate the protection of traditional cultural expressions of folklore in international efforts to confront climate change. Previous Actions UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict in 1954, defining the international community s responsibility to preserve and respect cultural property. In 1966, UNESCO adopted a landmark agreement that formally recognized the innate value and significance of each culture to the pursuit of international cooperation, called the Declaration of Principles of International Cultural Cooperation. In 1972, specific categories and cultural and natural heritage for conservation were designated and international safeguarding efforts were limited to objects and natural features; these changes and improvements were made in the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Furthermore, in the World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT) in 1982, Mexico City refined the definition of cultural heritage to include both tangible and intangible forms. When UNESCO adopted the Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Folklore in 1989, work towards a framework for ICH sped up. This Recommendation was very special because of what it emphasized: specific strategies for preserving ICH, calling upon national archives and museums to collect folklore for posterity and recommending the creation of school curricula to transmit and preserve folklore. More recently, on 17 October 2003, UNESCO adopted the first international instrument to comprehensively address the unique challenges of safeguarding ICH, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The convention identifies several domains of intangible heritage, including oral traditions and expressions ; performing arts; social practices, rituals, and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; [and] traditional craftsmanship. As a result of the Convention, an Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was established and it is made up of State Parties and it was tasked primarily with promot[ing] the objectives of the Convention and provid[ing] guidance on best practices for the safeguarding of ICH. Moreover, it calls upon states to take specific measures to identify, to preserve, to protect, and to promote awareness of ICH within their nation and even region. Four specific means to promote ICH are articulated in the Convention: safeguarding ICH, ensuring respect for ICH, raising awareness for ICH, and ensuring mutual respect at the local, national, and international levels. The convention also highlights the importance of

6 international cooperation and assistance through the execution of joint initiatives, the exchange of information between international actors, the provision by the international community of experts and practitioners of ICH, as well as the provision of related equipment and knowledge. Nevertheless, the 2003 Convention found three important components of the international framework for safeguarding ICH: at the domestic level (the creation of inventories of ICH by State Parties and regular reports to UNESCO); at the international level (continued work on a representative list of ICH; and funding mechanisms, including the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund. Although the 2003 Convention provides a bulk of the framework for ICH internationally, it does not lack criticism. One issue brought up by the civil society is that the language used in the Convention is vague or problematic. An example of this is the obligation imposed on states to take necessary measures to protect ICH which civil society believes will lead to rigid interpretation by states. Rather than forcing communities to continue particular cultural practices, government agencies should work with indigenous groups to preserve traditional cultural expressions while providing opportunities for the community to adapt and evolve new practices. Another criticism that has been voiced is about making inventories of ICH; people complain that although it keeps them on record, it does not do much to allow them to persist. More work should be done to create an environment and economic system that cherishes these traditions and supports local culture bearers. Recommendations/ Questions Recommendations When formulating resolutions, delegates need to understand not only the position of their country but also other countries positions and their previous actions on this topic. When we talk about a topic such as safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, delegates must understand what their country has previously accomplished, what they are currently working on, and the biggest challenges they face in this particular issue. Delegates must also highlight on topics that have not been previously resolved by the committee. A resolution that can approach the problem as a whole by targeting solutions to the main generators of the conflict as it would offer useful solutions for all countries.

7 Questions to consider 1. Are there methods of transmission that can provide more universal application across cases? 2. What might the advantages and disadvantages be of more formalized and universal transmission methods? 3. What can international and domestic actors do to better integrate indigenous culture bearers into transmission and educational methods? 4. What major gaps exist in currently existing transmission methods? 5. How might changes in weather patterns and the degradation of the environment affect not simply tangible forms of heritage, but also intangible forms of heritage? Citations UNESCO, Address by Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, 2003, p. 1. UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003, art UNESCO, Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore, UNESCO, Projects for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. URL_ID=17716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html