INTRODUCTION

As also noted by Alivizatou in this volume (Chapter 1), the 2003 Convention provides the structure of the current framework within which ICH is both conceptualised and managed at the international and national levels due to the fact that 142 States Parties have agreed to promote and safeguard it within their respective territories (UNESCO 2012). In this light, the methods, as well as suggestions, for safeguarding ICH that are put forward in this document are becoming increasingly dominant through their global acceptance and, thus, geographic expansion. However, as one of the core arguments of this chapter, safeguarding approaches need to be just as diverse and nuanced as the heritage expressions they intend to sustain.

It is clear that at the heart of ICH are the individuals, groups and communities that embody, practise and transmit it. Thus, elements such as emotions, values and memories should also be placed within the concept of the intangible (Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 1998, 30; Smith 2006, 56). In this regard, ICH stands for more than dance steps, plot twists in storytelling, or any other examples of obvious events and actions; it is composed of deeper, underlying values such as teamwork and generosity, as well as significance that stems from senses of belonging and pride, as examples discussed later. Moreover, ‘place’ also plays a role in the relationship between intangible cultural expression and community. Senses of belonging and pride can be linked to the places within which certain expressions have evolved and/or are expressed today.