Design intervention has been an established initiative of development projects initiated by governments and NGOs across the world as a means to enhance market reach and the livelihood of traditional craft communities. However, innumerable instances have been cited on the ethics of engagement where design development has ended by benefitting the interests of designers and commercial enterprises while craftspeople have continued to remain unnamed and unknown.

Dibya Jyoti Borah, President of ARHI introduces the role of ARHI in safeguarding of ICH. Established in 2008, ARHI is collaboration of individuals belonging to the indigenous tribe, activist working for the cultural-educational rights of native people. It is a wider platform for all indigenous communities to discuss and reflect upon challenges and problems faced by indigenous communities as well as finding the best means to address those concerns. It is a grassroots organization comprising all small & big indigenous communities.

Within indigenous communities throughout the Philippines, traditional crafts continue to be practiced despite the limited market opportunities. Considering this situation, government and non-government institutions have taken responsibility and initiated an income assistance program while also exploring possibilities for expanding markets for these communities.

Based on the accumulated experience over the course of fifteen years since the adoption of the 2003 Convention, Southeast Asia is well known for its diverse and abundant intangible heritage. Many states in this region have already initiated ICH safeguarding plans with active participation of communities.\nHowever, a number of Member States are still having difficulties employing community‐based safeguarding plan and programs. In implementing the 2003 Convention, much attention should be paid to build capacity to support and safeguard a wider range of ICH Stakeholders, including communities, group, and individuals.\nTherefore, this session will provide an opportunity to share experiences and discuss on the roles the community should exercise in safeguarding ICH. In this session, we will discuss the following questions: (1) Do ICH communities, groups, individuals, and practitioners fully recognise the spirit and significance of the 2003 Convention? (2) Are they subsequently assigned to embody appropriate roles?

An eminent gathering of experts and the diversity of their knowledge based on first-hand efforts at safeguarding intangible heritage makes the task of a rapporteur daunting. Please allow me to share some reflections from a day of intense discussions. Rather than a summary of presentations, which are already provided by the organisers, I beg your attention to the following. The Director-General of UNESCO, Madame Irina Bokova, has consistently emphasised the critical role of a culture in peace and sustainable development. She says that it ‘is a source of identity and dignity for local communities, a wellspring of knowledge and strength to be shared’. The safeguarding of intangible heritage is critical to the viability and sustainability of this ‘source of identity and dignity’. Safeguarding is a process that informs intercultural, intergenerational, interagency, and interdisciplinary dialogue.

From early on in her life, Shyam Badan Shrestha was an inquisitive child, always eager to learn new skills. She became a science teacher in 1968 and, as part of her extracurricular activities, she taught craft skills to the children. Browsing through the school library one day, Shyam stumbled on a macramé book and eventually taught herself to produce knot craft items. She later introduced the craft to the Nepalese marketplace after she left the teaching profession in 1980. Her continued interest in macramé blossomed into an enterprise, the Nepal Knotcraft Centre. Thanks to her passion, macramé became a popular craft in Kathmandu during that time.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

Harmony, social cohesion, integrity, peace and tranquility and unity are; all outcome of good social networking system with core human value. And negative impacts are also inevitable if it is the organization’s aim and objective. But, information-sharing is the fundamental prerequisite for the aforementioned subject as it is a key ingredient for organizations seeking to remain competitive and dynamic. Ever since the human beings had entered the threshold of civilization, the tradition of networking had evolved simultaneously. The historical records explicitly exhibit unbelievable information of both tangible and intangible records. For example; tangible cultural heritage– the figures of the Seven Wonders of the World and the intangible accounts- the imperial figures, legends and myths living even today are the outcome of social networking system. Had there been no networking system, there may not be anything recorded at present but, unless someone has extraordinary capabilities or god-like strength and power.

The role of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as a guarantee for sustainable development has been recognized in the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. The essence of ICH as a living heritage is anchored in the concept of sustainability wherein its practice, intergenerational transmission and re-creation influence its continuity among its bearers and practitioners. One of the safeguarding measures for ICH is through intergenerational transmission where one generation transmits their heritage to the coming generation as a mechanism to keep their heritage alive and thriving. Consequently, sustainability operates in a similar dynamic principle that assures for a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Azerbaijani Carpet Makers Union (ACMU), founded in January 2010, is a voluntary self-governmental public association of citizens rallied to support Azerbaijani carpet weaving.The ACMU seeks to promote a revival of the powerful spiritual heritage of carpets, the national traditions of the Azerbaijani people, a consolidation of the creative potential of seen figures of society and culture, support for talented children and youth, and creative carpet dynasties. The purpose of the ACMU is also to convey objective information about the unique national culture, rich historical heritage, and diversity of the carpet art of Azerbaijan to the international community.

The Azerbaijani Carpet Makers Union (ACMU), founded in January 2010, is a voluntary self-governmental public association of citizens rallied to support Azerbaijani carpet weaving. The ACMU seeks to promote a revival of the powerful spiritual heritage of carpets, the national traditions of the Azerbaijani people, a consolidation of the creative potential of seen figures of society and culture, support for talented children and youth, and creative carpet dynasties. The purpose of the ACMU is also to convey objective information about the unique national culture, rich historical heritage, and diversity of the carpet art of Azerbaijan to the international community.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.