The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, with support from UNESCO, has launched a six-day community-based workshop under the programme “Development of Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage Covering All Seven Provinces of Nepal.” The workshop marks an important step towards participatory approaches in documenting Nepal’s living heritage, with communities at the centre of the process.
The workshop brought together 40 participants, including 16 women and 24 men, with youth making up 30 per cent of the group. Participants represented Newa, Tamang, Chepang, Thami, Gurung and Siyar Indigenous communities from Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, along with representatives from municipalities and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Opening the workshop, Dr Suresh Suras Shrestha, Joint Secretary at the Ministry, highlighted Nepal’s national policies and legal frameworks for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working with UNESCO to advance this initiative.
This workshop will add more Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) elements to the National Inventory. The inclusion of youth and the emphasis on community validation ensure that the project promotes sustainable practices and provides a roadmap for other communities to begin their own journey of ICH inventorying for an inclusive future.
The workshop is the first in a series of three six-day community-based workshops guided by the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Participants explored Nepal’s responsibilities under the Convention and how inventories can support safeguarding when they are developed through participation, reflection and community leadership. The training focused not only on documenting cultural practices, but also on supporting communities to continue transmitting their heritage from one generation to the next.
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