Call for Papers: 2018 Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference

ICHCAP (International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region) is inviting NGOs to participate in the 2018 Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference: ICH NGOs toward Sustainable Development of Communities, to be held from 6 to 8 November 2018 in Hue, Viet Nam, in collaboration with the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre. Since  2014, ICHCAP has been organizing the conference biennially. The conference focuses on the works of Asia-Pacific NGOs in the field of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This year, the conference aims to understand the broadness and depth of NGOs’ role in realizing sustainable development as well as in implementing the UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. With the adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 70th UN General Assembly, they became common goals for the international community to achieve collaboratively. UNESCO has also been trying to connect culture to sustainable development, drawing from the 2003 Convention’s emphasis on the importance of ICH as a guarantee of sustainable development. Many ICH NGOs conduct activities related to sustainable development based on their experience and specialties. These activities target quality education (SDG 4) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11). As NGOs are mediators bridging governments and communities, it is important that they share their activities and build a network to vitalize their ICH-safeguarding activities for the sustainable development of humanity. The conference organisers welcome presentation ideas from ICH NGOs based anywhere in the world but whose activities are directed to stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region. Submission is also accepted from those who may not hold membership to any NGOs but have written degree papers, case studies, research papers, or other scholarly output on ICH NGOs. Abstracts should be sent in English no later than 20 June 2018. For more details about the 2018 Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference, please visit the relevant ICHCAP page (http://www2.ichcap.org/call-for-papers-2018-asia-pacific-ich-ngo-conference/) or download the official call for papers.