Intangible Cultural Heritage and Participation

Stefan Kosloswki, Federal Office of Culture, Bern, scientific assistant of the culture and society section

An understanding is increasingly being heard that would like to appreciate more clearly the social significance of cultural self-expression and the cultural commitment of the many beyond professional art. The cultural policy objective of participation by as many as possible, as well as the implementation of the UNESCO Conventions on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and on Cultural Diversity, but also the "Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society" bear witness to this. More generally, these cultural policy concepts urge consistent acceptance and consideration of multi-ethnic ways of dealing with culture and cultural heritage. This concern raises questions such as "What of yesterday is important to us today?", "What of today should still exist tomorrow?" or "How do we culturally do justice to our ancestors, but also to our descendants?". These are questions that provoke a debate on social values, and differences of opinion are expected when negotiated.