2. Intangible cultural heritage through the 2003 convention
The first concerns of the UNESCO institution on the question of intangible cultural heritage date back to the recommendation on the safeguarding of traditional and popular culture of November 15, 1989. The concern to preserve cultural diversity threatened by globalization, which tends standardize all forms of culture, has led the institution and its members to reflect on a normative instrument. The latter must not only be an instrument of reconciliation and peace between peoples, but also a factor of sustainable development.
In article 2 of the ICH convention, reference is made to sustainable development. In the conception of ICH, there is a similarity between the intangible and sustainable development in that it is indeed a question of managing viability. “Sustainable development” should be understood as a desire for continuity in respect for the environment and wise management of natural resources.
Thus, in the Turin meeting, the expression “intangible cultural heritage” was opted for in favor of “cultural and popular traditions”. The 2003 Unesco convention defines ICH as follows: “The intangible cultural heritage constitutes a living and perpetually recreating set of practices, knowledge and representations, which allows individuals and women at all levels of society , to express ways of conceiving the world through value systems and ethical benchmarks. »
This intangible cultural heritage concerns five ethnological domains, namely:
oral traditions and expressions (proverbs, riddles, tales, legends, myths, songs, poems, etc.) including language as a vector and means of transmission of this heritage;
performing arts such as music, dance and traditional theatre;
social practices, rituals and festive events;
knowledge and practices relating to nature and the universe and know-how related to traditional craftsmanship.
Nevertheless, these domains through which this intangible heritage is manifested have no defined boundaries. Different types of expressions such as dance, song and theater are often found together in the same ritual, carnival or ceremony and among those inscribed on the World Intangible Heritage List, where we find song, dance and poetry combined we can cite among others the “Ahellil de Gourara” from Algeria, the “Carnaval d’Oruro” from Bolivia, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, etc. The list is long.
The convention adds that the elements listed above can only be considered as ICH if they “are recognized as part of their cultural heritage by communities, groups”, “transmitted from generation to generation”, “permanently recreated by functioning communities and groups” and “give them a sense of identity and continuity. “. In heritage recognition, the UNESCO definition of ICH insists on the role of social actors, communities and groups, on the historical dimension (transmitted from generation to generation) and on the evolutionary dimension (permanently recreated).
In the 2003 convention, the term “protection”, deemed inadequate for ICH, used in the pre-2003 conventions concerning tangible heritage, is replaced by the term “safeguarding”.
Translated by Hope from https://algeriecultures.com/contributions/le-patrimoine-culturel-immateriel-pci-et-ses-enjeux-2e-partie/
