The role of NGOs in ICH safeguarding Estonia, September 2010 Harriet Deacon, correspondent for the Archival Platform

Overview  The role of NGOs and other stakeholders under the Intangible Heritage Convention  The case of the Archival Platform in South Africa

The Intangible Heritage Convention

 Ensure the safeguarding of the ICH in their territory  Identify and define the ICH with the participation of relevant communities, groups and NGOs  Draw up inventories of the ICH Strong obligations of States Parties States Parties shall …

 Adopt general policy  Establish / designate institutions for safeguarding  Foster research  Ensure appropriate access  Ensure respect for ICH  Ensure community participation States Parties shall try (by all means) to... Other obligations

Role of States Parties at national level Creating a legal & administrative context for safeguarding Awareness-raising about value of ICH Inventorying, identifying, defining ICH elements Helping implement specific measures to safeguard ICH elements

Role of States Parties: international  Submitting nomination files  Applying for international assistance  Participating in the organs of the Convention  International cooperation and exchange

Awareness-raising Transmission Enactment Identification Inventorying Documentation Research Revitalization Ensuring sustainability Ensuring access to places and materials Transmission through education Safeguarding measures Roles of communities Consent for nominations to the Lists

Roles of NGOs and others  Identifying and defining  Inventorying  Safeguarding  Preparing nomination files  Research  Capacity building  Collaborations and networks  NGOs, if accredited, advise Committee and assist Secretariat Assist communities and States Parties where requested in....

Electoral GroupNumber of States Parties NGOs accredited NGOs / states parties W. Europe and N. America Eastern Europe Latin-America and Caribbean Asia and Pacific Africa Arab states Accredited NGOs

Other possible roles  Lobbying states to ratify the Convention  Advocacy about ICH

A networking, research and advocacy project across the heritage and archive sector in South Africa The Archival Platform

The Archive is not just about archives Traces of the past MuseumsArchives Heritage sites Intangible Heritage

The work of the Archival Platform website TwitterFacebook Newsletter on Conferences and meetings research networking advocacy public engagement Weak professional organizations Poor links between disciplines Poor links between government, academics and practitioners Poor information flow Strong institutional hierarchies

An international audience Visits to the AP website from cities across the world, Jan-Aug 2010

Our role in ICH safeguarding  Networking and information sharing  Involvement in national ICH policy in South Africa, 2009  Project on Ancestral Stories  Correspondent Thokozani Mhlambi involved in a project promoting traditional African bow music

Contacts   Facebook: Archival Platform  Twitter: the_archive 