World Forum for intangible Cultural Heritage

Traditional Knowledge,
Thoughts and Practices Concerning Nature and Humanity

2022 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage
September 21 (Wed.) ~23 (Fri.), 2022
14:00-16:00 (KST), Online

Over the course of history, humanity has always developed systems of knowledge about natural and social environments and skills and technologies related to everyday life and passed this knowledge down to younger generations. Knowledge, value systems, and customs are living heritage accumulated over generations, and they strengthen social connections, support response to crises, and enable sustainable development. For example, women of the Kikuyu community in Kenya have accumulated knowledge about cultivating and storing a wide range of beans. This knowledge has become a valuable resource buffering the community from the ills of monoculture farming. Samoans use traditional knowledge about the ecological cultivation of pandanus, raw material for textiles, producing eco-friendly textile products that contribute to environmental sustainability. Thus, traditional knowledge as intangible cultural heritage not only contributes to the development of ways of life that ensure the survival and prosperity of the community but also the sustainability of humanity as a whole.

Traditional knowledge is intangible cultural heritage containing the wisdom of humanity that has adapted to changing environments with limited resources. Within intangible cultural heritage, we find production knowledge allowing the community to sustain itself, knowledge on nature and the universe accumulated in the process of adaptation to the ecosystem, and knowledge on traditional medicine to improve human health. Such knowledge covers the full range of the community’s values, customs, technologies, rituals, and language. Traditional knowledge as living heritage contributes not only to inclusive economic and social development but also to environmental sustainability, taking humanity to the next stage of progress. However, the value of traditional knowledge has not received the attention it deserves amidst the stunning development of modern science and rapid changes in society. At the 2022 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage, we aim to shine new light on the value of traditional knowledge, which is under siege due to rapid societal developments, through the perspective of intangible cultural heritage. We invite you to join us on this occasion, during which we will share case studies on traditional knowledge from around the world, rediscovering the value and affirming the role of traditional knowledge as intangible cultural heritage in the sustainable development of humanity