ICHCAP

The four participants of ICHCAP’s invitation program successfully completed their sojourn in the Republic of Korea. The program, as a part of the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI), was aimed to build an ICH information network in the Asia-Pacific region. On 21 November 2017, ICHCAP held the 2017 CPI Research Presentation and Completion Ceremony at the Training Center seminar hall of the National Intangible Heritage Center, which was attended by Director-General Kwon Huh and other members of ICHCAP.

The participants, from Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, and Nepal, selected their research subjects at the start of the program in July through discussion and review, which included ICH safeguarding policies and cases in their countries, information sharing, and network building. Over the next five months, they conducted their research, which involved visits ICH institutions and communities in the Republic of Korea.

The participants are experts working in the field of ICH and culture at cultural departments, research institutions, and special agencies in their countries. As the result of their research, the participants submitted the following reports.

• Anil Gandharba (Nepal): “How to Build a Practitioner Network of the Gandharva Community for ICH Safeguarding”
• Yeshi Lendhup (Bhutan): “How to Network and Share Information among Cultural Institutions in Bhutan”
• Hawwa Nazla (Maldives): “The Role of the Government for Community Participation in ICH Safeguarding in Maldives”
• Ershad Komal (Bangladesh): “The Impact of Global Networks on ICH Safeguarding in Bangladesh”

This year, in particular, the participants were given a special opportunity to have additional field experience by attending the twelfth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was held in Jeju. They also played a pivotal role for sharing ICH information in the Asia-Pacific region. By writing articles for ICHCAP’s online newsletter, the participants delivered information about ICH safeguarding activities of their countries and collected local ICH information, contributing to greater visibility of ICH.

As ICH researchers and experts, the participants will serve as focal points in building an Asia-Pacific network for ICHCAP projects. As ICHCAP correspondents, they will also continue to share information about ICH safeguarding activities in the Asia-Pacific region. The CPI program was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The participants’ reports will be published on ICHCAP’s website.