2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage | Korea

The 2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held from 10 to 12 October at the National Intangible Heritage Center (NIHC) in Jeonju, Republic of Korea. The forum is hosted by ICHCAP (International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO) and organized by the NIHC. The NIHC has organized the forum since 2017 to shape global discourse on the transmission and use of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The third edition of the forum will bring together experts from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the Americas. The participants will examine the value of ICH for humanity and contemporary civic life, explore the positive role ICH plays in enriching civic life through learning and enjoyment and resolving social conflicts, and share their experiences. The forum will begin with a keynote speech by Professor Marc Jacobs from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, on the topic “Enrich, Include and Empower: Living Heritage,” which will highlight the universal value of ICH. This will be followed by a keynote speech by ICH Committee Chair Yon Ho Suh from the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea on “The Value of ICH in the Contemporary Lives of People.” This forum has also invited Mr. Ki-moon Ban, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, to present a special lecture about how ICH can help expand the paradigm of sustainable development, offering a broader perspective on ICH. Presentations and discussions will take place in the afternoon and the next morning. The participants will discuss three main topics in the sessions. They will highlight how ICH can enrich people’s lives, examine what roles ICH can play in resolving global problems and social conflicts, and share examples of how intrinsic knowledge and the value of ICH help enhance people’s social capacities. On the afternoon of October 11, the Festival of Korean Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held by NIHC. The festival will give the forum participants a chance to experience ICH in Korea. On the last day of the forum, special sessions will be dedicated to international cooperation for ICH safeguarding in North Korea and inter-Korean cooperation for joint safeguarding of ICH on the Korean peninsula. A full programme is available here. For additional information about the 2019 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage and registration in the event, please visit https://www.ichcap.org/world-ich-forum-to-be-held-from-10-to-12/