Dr. Jyldyz Doolbekova is an anthropologist, researcher, and consultant with a background in traditional ecological knowledge, place-based education, and local development to support and preserve the biocultural diversity and the well-being of mountain local communities in Kyrgyzstan. \n\nShe participated in the research within the project "Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Contribution to SDGs - Community Education and Development" initiated and supported by International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia-Pacific (IRCI, https://www.irci.jp/). The results of the study entitled "Visionary Local Communities in Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage in Kyrgyzstan" (2020), and "The Evolving Role of Community Museums in Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation: A Case Study from Kyrgyzstan" (2021) were presented at the International Symposium in Tokyo (online).\n\nShe has 15 years of experience with the Christensen Fund Central Asia Program (California, San Francisco) as a Special Advisor, Program Manager, and Regional Coordinator. Before joining The Christensen Fund, she was the University Projects Officer for the Aga Khan Humanities Project (AKHP), based at project headquarters in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), where she developed and implemented programs in conjunction with Central Asian universities to promote pluralism in ideas, cultures, and people through innovative humanities curricula rooted in traditional arts and knowledge. \n\nShe received a Ph.D. in anthropology, ethnology, and ethnography with a thesis on "Traditional ecological culture of the Kyrgyz (on the example of the Murghab Kyrgyz in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries)" at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic; received the equivalent of her MA from Kyrgyz National University Department of History and also earned a Master’s in International Relations from the International University of Kyrgyzstan. \n\n

The iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture (TILC) is responsible for safeguarding iTaukei culture and heritage. In that regard, it updates and edits entries into the iTaukei monolingual Dictionary. It is also custodian of significant iTaukei records such as iTaukei dialects from the fourteen (14) provinces. An important program of the Institute is the culture mapping of the 1,171 villages in the 14 Provinces of Fiji. This exercise is focused on recording all traditional knowledge and expressions of culture significant to the iTaukei but more importantly, it is for the purpose of addressing issues such as intellectual property. nnThe Institute was initially formed as the Fijian Dictionary Project funded by renowned actor Raymond Burr and the American-Fiji Foundation in 1974. The Government later funded the project and in 1986, the Great Council of Chiefs, with Cabinets' endorsement renamed the iTaukei Dictionary Project as the iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture. The Institute was then charged with the three major responsibilities: completion of the iTaukei Monolingual Dictionary; safeguarding and preservation of iTaukei Culture; research and documentation of all iTaukei dialects from the 14 Provinces.

Khamir was established in 2005 as a joint initiative of Kachchh Nav Nirman Abhiyan and the Nehru Foundation for Development to strengthen and promote the rich artisanal traditions of Kachchh district. The name ‘Khamir’ means ‘intrinsic pride’ in local language and it stands for Kachchh Heritage, Art, Music, Information and Resources. The organizational aim is to provide a platform for the promotion of traditional handicrafts and allied cultural practices, the processes involved in their creation, and the preservation of culture, community and local environments. Also a common roof of a democratic and empowering space has been created, where a range of stakeholders can exchange their ideas and collaborate. The organization works on shift consumer perspectives and raises the cultural value placed on crafts to establish a vibrant, sustainable Indian craft sector in which crafts and artisans alike are highly valued by people worldwide.

The International Mask Arts & Culture Organization (IMACO) was established in 2006 to construct archives of mask-related culture that is integral to cultural community symbols.\nMasks are a part of most cultural spheres. They are a valuable cultural heritage that reflects the culture and history of a community.\nIMACO, through research, preservation, and data accumulation, aims to develop an understanding of mask culture. Moreover IMACO focuses on the value that masks promote in terms of freedom, peace, and equality, which in turn gives us an approach to understand human values. IMACO has members who are responsible for documenting mask and the symbolic culture related to masks; this would include mask creators, mask dance performers, and mask museums.\nIMACO opened its organization structure so that all cultures can participate. In 2006, twenty-four countries agreed to establish their headquarters in Andong, Republic of Korea. Since then, 131 individuals and group members from 56 countries have joined.

Institute for Sustainable Development Strategy (ISDS) has been established in 2012. ISDS programs reach out to youth, especially those who live in remote rural areas, and empower young people to become biocultural diversity leaders to create positive change in their communities based on continuous intergenerational exchange.\n\nSince 2012, over 200 initiatives have been supported, of which more than 50% are covered by the revival and preservation of historical and cultural heritage. ISDS’ priority topics are the following: \n(1) Cultural identity, values, and traditional wisdom; \n(2) Well-being and sustainability of local communities; \n(3) Lands, territories, and access to natural resources; \n(4) Agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty.\n\nIn 2020-2021, ISDS participated in the “Visionary Local Communities” study jointly “Taalim Forum” Public Fund supported by the Japanese Center for ICH. The study was based on ICH safeguarding in the remote mountainous regions (Chon-Alai district of Osh province – southern part of Kyrgyzstan where ISDS focused on safeguarding patterned handweaving and establishing a community ethnographic museum). ISDS is an active member of regional and global indigenous movements for the conservation of cultural and natural heritage.