UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

07/23/2021 | Press release | Archived content

Intangible cultural heritage: a wealth disseminated by UNESCO throughout Lebanon

How to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Lebanon and what does it enclose? How can we make as many people as possible aware of the importance of this heritage and its little-known wealth, from zajal to artisanal work and dabké? And how to strengthen human and institutional resources for the protection of this capital? These are a few of many questions that are of concern to UNESCO, whose regional office in Beirut launched, in 2017, a training project funded by the government of Japan and executed by the Beirut office in collaboration with the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO. The project aims to remedy the lack of human resources equipped to carry out inventory and safeguard activities for intangible cultural heritage (ICH).

This capacity building program having helped to create a national network of trainers, a 5-day training of trainers workshop was offered in July 2021 to close the first phase of the project after 4 years of work, and with the objective of supervising new trainees in the future. The goal would be to allow the trainers to transmit this knowledge to other members of their community, NGOs or students, in order to expand knowledge on ICH and its safeguard across the country.

'Intangible cultural heritage is an ancient heritage transmitted from generation to generation, and which remains present today in different forms, explains between two sessions Dr. Annie Tabet, anthropologist, and who coaches the 25 participating trainers representing different regions from the country. Lebanon is very rich in terms of ICH, and this is because of the diversity of its communities. But there are also elements that are common to all communities and which are present on a national scale such as zajal, dabké, Lebanese cuisine, crafts or Jezzine knives, which provides a sense of identity and continuity to communities'.

Reflecting on the project, the expert underlines the importance of this kind of training to increase awareness on this subject, 'at a time when globalization, the consumer society, and the import trade have weakened some skills and elements of this heritage'. 'We are also working with schools, universities and organizations to disseminate this knowledge, and hope for the continuation of these efforts, which is not easy in terms of funding with the economic crisis', adds the professor, also member of the International Network of UNESCO Facilitators of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.