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Imagine a future South Africa without the stirring sound of Shosholoza, the engaging sight of beautiful Zulu beadwork, or the delicious taste of traditionally-prepared smoked snoek? It would be difficult to put all of these in a museum display – and anyway, the process of creating the song, and the tradition of beadwork or smoking fish are the important factors here. They are intangible parts of South Africa’s cultural heritage. And unless they are preserved and protected, they may one day be forgotten. A new research paper, The Subtle Power of Intangible Heritage (HSRC Press), explores contemporary legal and financial instruments used to safeguard intangible heritage. By looking at both national and international examples, the publication offers useful guidelines for future policy making. In addition, the study can form the basis for lobbying for changes in existing bodies such as UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage Convention. And on the local front, it presents a strong argument for the co-operation of government departments, particularly culture, heritage and social development, to work more closely together. An integrated approach is essential for the holistic preservation of intangible heritage. Broadly speaking, intangible heritage consists of the oral traditions, memories, languages, traditional performing arts or rituals, games, knowledge systems, values, spiritual beliefs, and know-how that we want to safeguard and pass on to future generations. It also includes meanings associated with places and objects – such as the spiritual significance attached to Uluru Kata-Tjuta (formerly Ayers Rock) in Australia. Intangible heritage can be found all over the world. However, not all intangible heritage is old, rural, or indigenous to a specific, ethnically-defined community. The oral histories of people who suffered under apartheid, for example, are part of South African intangible heritage. Tangible heritage, on the other hand, has historically been defined as buildings (such as churches or museums), and has often reflected the dominant socio-political climate of the time (colonialism, or apartheid, for example). Tangible heritage can and does co-exist quite happily with intangible heritage, so it is very important to ensure that legislation and heritage management practices do not reinforce divisions and dichotomies between the two aspects of heritage. When formulating this project, the authors posed four key questions: What is intangible heritage? Which countries or international bodies have developed legal and financial instruments to manage intangible heritage? How can these instruments help to safeguard intangible heritage? How can we develop better instruments to safeguard intangible heritage?
Findings and answers to these research questions included the points that: A number of countries have developed laws and policies to manage intangible heritage. Each country or region tends to focus on specific issues. Japan has been a leading voice in this field for over 50 years, while Australia, New Zealand and Canada have also emerged as concerned participants. In South Africa, heritage legislation covers intangible values associated with places (such as Robben Island), and mentions the importance of popular memory as a form of “living heritage”. However, most national legislation still tends to focus on protecting places rather than knowledge or cultural practices. Most of the work on instruments and methods for safeguarding intangible heritage has been done at an international level by organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Governments will have to find ways of supporting communities in their quest to safeguard their intangible heritage. One of these ways may be the development of databases or registers of intangible heritage. Heritage should not be celebrated uncritically. There should be a strong correspondence with human rights principles. Communities are the mode of creation and transmission of intangible heritage and are critical to its survival. Economic incentives to safeguard intangible heritage will probably play the largest role of all in encouraging transmission and re-enactment of intangible heritage. The Subtle Power of Intangible Heritage offers a practical, accessible definition of intangible heritage, an energetic appraisal of the instruments and tools available for its survival, and guidelines for the development of future policy, both nationally and internationally. A thoroughly useful and informed publication that should be of interest to a wide range of readers, including cultural workers and policy-makers. The Subtle Power of Intangible Heritage (HSRC Press) is written by Harriet Deacon with Luvuyo Dondolo, Mbulelo Mrubata and Sandra Prosalendis. This research report was compiled by the Social Cohesion and Integration Research Programme at the HSRC. Copies of all of HSRC Press published titles are available from leading booksellers nationally, and from the online bookshop at www.hsrcpress.ac.za.
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