| Description |
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH). There can be NGOs with international reach that consistently work with governments and other international organizations, and there are also smaller NGOs that work on a regional, national, or even local level, strengthening ICH values in their communities. All of them are equally important as they create a global network of interconnected organizations and people working towards the same objectives, in this case, promoting and safeguarding all forms of intangible cultural heritage. These partnerships can take different structures, sizes, and levels of commitment or responsibility from each part. I’m going to share my experiences in both perspectives: at the national level with Guamanique, a community-based cultural NGO in Puerto Rico, and at an international level with the International Organization of Folk Art, which is an NGO in consultative relations with UNESCO. |
