We must protect Arab world’s intangible cultural heritage
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held its 17th session in Rabat earlier this month, resulting in the inscription of 47 new nominations worldwide. Among these nominations, 11 from the Arab world made notable debuts and aptly represented various aspects of Arab life, art and culture. They included the traditional embroidery skills known as Al-Talli, which produces masterfully woven female fashions with lively symbols depicting desert and sea life in the UAE. Meanwhile, the Khawlani tribes in Saudi Arabia are sure to delight guests with their unique 300-year knowledge and practices pertaining to cultivating coffee beans and serving coffee.
The Arab world is a fascinating repository of traditions that are shared by specific communities or practiced by communities in multiple countries. Far from being simply cultural arts, they are fundamental to the region’s livelihood, social fabric and economic resilience. The mere practice of these traditions can infuse us with important values, such as family, connection, generosity, aesthetic sensibility, playfulness and citizenship.
For instance, date palm knowledge and skills are a coveted tradition in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait. The date palm is considered an evergreen plant so resilient and bountiful amid the region’s dry climate, in addition to being central to the region’s economic, cultural and agricultural roots. Growing up, our memories are embellished with social practices that have paralleled milestones in our lives, such as preparing traditional feasts, participating in cultural dances, playing musical instruments and orating songs.
Such is the beauty of intangible cultural heritage that it seeks to shine a light and preserve a set of fundamental cultural practices and traditions inherited through multiple generations and spanning many areas of our lives, such as gastronomy, fashion, games, sports, dance, artisanal craftsmanship, religious practices and botany. To be more specific, UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as a collective of “oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.”
We have witnessed the importance and influence of intangible cultural heritage on communities, evolving into a creative landscape of their own with a wide range of celebrations and projects to preserve and promote these unique practices. Fundamentally, intangible cultural heritage is composed of masterful skills that bring dual social and economic advantages to communities. Individuals feel connected to their past via such traditions and practices, imbuing them with a sense of identity, character development, pride, social inclusiveness and community cohesion. On the other hand, these practices yield economic value in the form of tourism, goods and services delivered, employment creation and income generation.
Given the momentum we see behind the creative industries, it is worth imagining the intangible cultural heritage landscape as a unique actor in delivering all the aforementioned advantages. Legislation safeguarding intangible cultural heritage remains a tenet backing a number of key aspects, including guaranteeing sustainable funding for the proliferation of cultural practices, providing access to intangible cultural heritage via a number of venues, delivering regular training programs that ensure the creation and continuation of such heritage, and enacting articles to preserve such practices.
It cannot be emphasized enough how a robust and enthralling arts education can infuse students with a strong sense of cultural character and creative inspiration. From early on, entertaining yet educational lessons should shed light on the expansive cultural practices of the Arab region, with unique opportunities to experience such activities in an experimental way. Artisans and masters of particular intangible cultural practices should be encouraged to engage in school and university visits in order to demonstrate their skills.
The role of universities, apprenticeships and vocational schools can ensure the sustainability of interest and refinement of skills and knowledge pertaining to the various cultural practices. For those with an interest in experiencing cultural heritage, a series of informal workshops and instructive classes could well serve their curiosity. In the same vein, academics and researchers should be encouraged to survey and discover the unique and local cultural practices in Arab countries, after which they could document and publish their findings in the form of historical and cultural documentaries, cultural guidebooks, coffee table books, video tutorials and cookery books.
Engaging with and involving local communities is essential to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. As such, communities should have regular access to intangible cultural heritage through various avenues, such as museum exhibitions, art galleries, opera shows, live performances, cultural festivals, cooking shows and cultural markets that promote traditional crafts.
Cultural centers should solidify ties with local communities and attract visitors who can act as trendsetters, influencers and propagators of these cultural practices. For instance, inviting parents to participate in seminars and workshops that celebrate social practices is a fantastic way to ensure their transmission to the younger generations within their own social circles. Moreover, showcasing and celebrating these practices should take center stage at local, national and international fairs as part of an effort to foster intercultural dialogue.
The unique tapestry that interweaves the imaginative traditions within intangible cultural heritage is too bedazzling to ignore.
Published in Arab News.
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