MOFA

 

 

The Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

 

 

The Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was created in 1993 to support the new UNESCO programme on the intangible cultural heritage.

 

The concept of intangible heritage includes oral traditions, know-how of handicraft, languages, performing arts, rituals.. Japan, where this concept had been recognized legally since 1950 (Cultural Property Law), decided to put this wide experience at the disposal of the programme.

 

This Funds-in-Trust finances concrete preservation and promotion projects aimed at making inventories, creating audio-visual documents, organizing workshops (transmission of knowledge), shows for the public, research seminars. (Read more on the projects)

 

The intangible heritage is endangered if there is no transmission from one generation to another, and can sometimes completely sink into oblivion. For example, in Uzbekistan, today's glazed ceramic tiles are much less resistant than those made during the medieval period, as the know-how has disappeared (UNESCO/Japan Project "Blue of Samarkand" 2000).

As regards the 6000 languages of the world, more than 50% are endangered (UNESCO/Japan Project "Atlas of endangered languages in the world" 1994-1996/2001). The globalization process has accelerated this phenomenon.

 

In 2003, the total amount of contributions to this Fund amounted to about 9 million dollars.

 

 

Links :

 

Page of UNESCO's website dedicated to this Fund

 

Brochure published on 2005 pdf

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Information page on the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

 

Presentation of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

 

 

Focus on projects :

 

BENIN, NIGERIA, TOGO : Action Plan for the Safeguarding and Promotion of the Oral Tradition of Gelede

 

BOLIVIA : Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Oruro Carnival

 

BOLIVIA :"The Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya"

 

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC : Action Plan for the Safeguarding and Revitalization of the Oral Tradition of the Aka Pygmies

 

CHINA :Safeguarding, Revitalization and Promotion of the Kunqu Opera

 

COLOMBIA : Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Carnival of Barranquilla

 

CUBA : Action Plan for the Safeguarding of “La Tumba Francesa”

 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC : Action Plan for the Safeguarding and Revitalization of the Cultural Space of the Holy Spirit Brotherhood of the Villa Mella’s Congos

 

ECUADOR, PERU : Bi-national Action Plan for the Safeguarding and Revitalization of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of the Zápara Community

 

GUINEA : Safeguarding, Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Sosso-Bala 

 

INDIA : Safeguarding and Transmission of the Kutiyattam Sanskrit Theatre

 

INDONESIA : Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Wayang Puppet Theatre

 

LITHUANIA : the Safeguarding and Revitalization of Lithuanian Cross Crafting and Its Symbolism

 

MADAGASCAR : Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Woodcrafting Knowledge of the Zafimaniry

 

MONGOLIA : Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Traditional Morin Khuur Music

 

MOROCCO : Preservation, Revitalization and Promotion of Jemaa el-Fna Square, Marrakech

 

PHILIPPINES : Safeguarding and Transmission of the Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao

 

REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA : Safeguarding and Promotion of Georgian Traditional Polyphony

 

REPUBLIC of KYRGYSTAN : Safeguarding of the Art of the Akyns, Kyrgyz Epic Tellers

 

TAJIKISTAN/UZBEKISTAN : Safeguarding Shashmaqom, the Classical Music of Central Asia

 

TONGA : Safeguarding of Lakalaka, Sung Speeches with Choreographed Movements

 

UZBEKISTAN : Establishment of Inventory and Preparation of a Ten-Year Master Plan for Safeguarding the Traditional Culture and Folklore of the Boysun District

 

UZBEKISTAN : “The Blue of Samarkand” : Project for the Revival of Medieval Ishkor Alkaline Vegetable Glaze, Used in the Past For Both Architectural Glazed Tiles and Utilitarian Pottery and Follow-up to the Blue of Samarkand Project: National Inventory and Revival of the Traditional Ceramics of Uzbekistan

 

VANUATU : Safeguarding of Vanuatu Sand Drawings

 

VIET NAM : Safeguarding of Nha nhac, Vietnamese Court Music

 

 

Document:

 

Archive : General overview of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (context, presentation of projects, list of projects, photos.). Extracts from the booklet "UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for the Intangible Cultural Heritage" published by UNESCO in 2001. (PDF format)

 

 

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