International Conference on Intangible Heritage May 29, 2009

Sharing Cultures 2009 is aimed experts and scholars interested in Cultural and Intangible Heritage. Now that the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Operational Directives have been approved by UNESCO, one of the the main goals of Sharing Cultures 2009 is to promote discussion on these relevant issues.

For this purpose, Sharing Cultures 2009 adopts the definition of Intangible Cultural Heritage presented in the UNESCO Convention: "The «intangible cultural heritage» means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. For the purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such intangible cultural heritage as is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development."

Official Website: http://sharing.cultures2009.greenlines-institute.org/index.php