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         18 August 2004
PR/E29/04
 
 
 
UNU & UNESCO WILL HOST CONFERENCE ON "GLOBALIZATION AND INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE"

The world today faces two conflicting trends: the tendency towards development of a homogenized "global culture" versus an increasing expression and diversification of individualized (including traditional) cultural heritage. Intangible (living) cultural heritage - in the form of language, social practices and customs, performing arts, and knowledge and practices concerning human interaction with nature - provides people with a sense of identity and continuity, and its safeguarding promotes, sustains, and develops human diversity and creativity. Yet while the world community has long cooperated in identifying and preserving cultural heritage "sites," only recently has international agreement been reached on cooperating to protect and promote intangible cultural heritage.

On 26 and 27 August, United Nations University (UNU) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will co-organize an international conference on "Globalization and Intangible Cultural Heritage: Opportunities, Threats and Challenges." This conference, which will be held at UN House in Tokyo, is being supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. It will bring together leading experts on globalization and cultural diversity to discuss the complex relationships between globalization processes and intangible culture, as well as the phenomena that have positive or negative effects on cultural heritage and its continued development, vitality and transmission.

The conference will open at 10:00 AM on Thursday, 26 August, with remarks by UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura, UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel, and representatives of the two supporting Japanese ministries. This will be followed by keynote addresses by Henriette Rasmussen, Minister of Culture, Education, Science and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Greenland; Seiji Tsutsumi, President, The Saison Foundation, (Japan); and Souren Melikian, Art Editor, The International Herald Tribune (France). The afternoon will feature roundtable discussions on "Opportunities: Renewed Dialogues, a Stimulus for Creativity and Understanding" and "Threats: Homogenization, Erosion, Conflicts."

On Friday, 27 August, the conference will resume at 9:30 AM with a roundtable discussion on "Challenges: Making Use of Opportunities, Countering Threats," followed by a live performance of "Traditional Music of the Mongolian Morin Khuur" and a "Summary and Conclusions" session.

A copy of the programme is available online at http://archive.unu.edu/globalization/intangible-cultural-heritage. The conference is open to the public, but advance registration (by 23 August) is required. Persons interested in attending can register online or download a registration form and return it by fax. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend.

[Programme]


  

 

 

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