International Symposium on “The Role of Local Communities in Safeguarding Intangible Heritage within Heritage Ensembles and Monuments”

8 – 11 November 2026
Villa Rufolo, Ravello, Italy

ICOMOS Italy and the International Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH) warmly invite the participation of all ICOMOS members, experts, stakeholders, communities, and institutions engaged in cultural heritage. Abstract submissions are due 15 August 2026 to icichagmitaly.2026@gmail.com. The full call along with detailed modes of participation are outlined below and may be downloaded in English, French, Italian, and Spanish. 

Introduction

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), UNESCO’s advisory body for the World Heritage Convention, brings together national and scientific committees dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage for the benefit of humanity’s history, identity, and sustainable development.

Within this framework, the International Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH) was established to highlight the vital role of intangible heritage as a living force that sustains the meaning, vitality, and continuity of tangible heritage ensembles and monuments. Intangible heritage and cultural diversity are inherent, inseparable and an essential part of the cultural, social, and economic dimensions of communities, and its safeguarding is central to resilience, identity, and sustainability across generations.

The ICOMOS Charter on Intangible Cultural Heritage of Monuments (2024) provides a global reference point for integrating intangible heritage into heritage management. It underscores the importance of local communities as custodians of traditional knowledge, practices, and values that give life to monuments and heritage ensembles. In the face of climate change, migration, and global conflicts, these communities are indispensable for linking tangible and intangible heritage and for developing adaptive strategies rooted in lived experience.

In recognition of these priorities, the Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of ICICH will be held in conjunction with the International Symposium: The Role of Local Communities in Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage within Heritage Ensembles and Monuments.  This combined program reflects ICICH’s dual commitment: strengthening its organisational governance while advancing scientific dialogue on the pressing challenges facing intangible heritage today.

The symposium will begin by situating intangible heritage within the global framework of ICOMOS and ICICH, then explore regional perspectives from around the world, and finally turn to Italy as the host country. Italy’s millennial heritage and long-standing expertise in integrating conservation with development provide a meaningful setting for this dialogue. By linking global challenges to local realities, the event will highlight how communities safeguard and revitalise intangible cultural heritage associated with monuments and ensembles, ensuring resilience and sustainable futures.

The AGM and Scientific symposium aim to raise awareness, share knowledge, and suggest practical strategies adaptable to various settings. Together, they will contribute to ICOMOS’s wider mission of protecting heritage as a foundation for identity, community well-being, and sustainability.

Symposium Program

The international symposium will be held over three days, organised as follows:

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL & OPENING / AGM

• Arrival and Registration of Participants
• Welcome Reception & Inaugural Ceremony (authorities and organizers)
• Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of ICICH

DAY 2 – FOUNDATIONS & IDENTITY

• Morning Session (09:00 – 12:30) – Theme I: The ICOMOS Charter on Intangible Cultural Heritage of Monuments (2024)
  • Introduction to the Charter
  • Guide for Implementation
  • Challenges and Criticisms in Diverse Contexts
• Afternoon Session (15:00 – 18:30) – Theme II: Intangible Heritage as a Driver of Identity, Creativity, Resilience and Development
  • Heritage Crafts of Origin/other knowledges as drivers of resilience, building skills and materials/ traditional medicine
  • Performing Arts & Festive Traditions and other expressions in public spaces and contexts due to migration
  • Communication and Dissemination Challenges

DAY 3 – DIALOGUE, PROFESSIONALS & GLOBAL CHALLENGES

• Morning Session (09:00 – 12:30) – Theme III: Rescue and Enhancement of Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Pathway to Intercultural Dialogue, Face of Global Conflicts and Threats (heritage rescue, war conflicts, migrants, climate change)
  • Role of intangible Cultural heritage in heritage conservation
  • Communities and Custodians as Generational Bridges
  • Networks of Custodians and Community Organizations
  • Craft Fairs and Festive Events around Monuments
• Afternoon Session (15:00 – 18:30) – Theme IV: The Role of Professionals, Community Leaders and Experts in Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage
  • Professionals as mediators between local communities and global institutions
  • Scientific knowledge (formal and informal) supporting traditional practices in the face of climate change
  • Building interdisciplinary approaches for resilience and sustainable futures

CLOSING CEREMONY (19.00 – 21.00)

• Conclusions by Coordinators of Each Theme
• Recommendations for ICOMOS and ICICH
• Final words from the Authorities and ICICH Bureau

Modes of Participation in the Symposium

1. General Attendance: All members of ICOMOS and other stakeholders in cultural heritage are welcome to attend and contribute to the symposium, as well as other professionals, experts, institutions, organisations, and communities related to cultural heritage. All people that sent papers and works accepted to the symposium will be registered in advance. Other professionals that want to attend the symposium can write to the organization to be registered.
2. Abstracts for Paper Presentations: Authors are required to submit abstracts for papers, posters, or audiovisual contributions to the organizers by 15 August 2026. Please ensure that an abstract describing the proposed presentation is sent before this deadline. Abstracts may be submitted in English, Spanish, French or Italian. Notification regarding acceptance will be communicated no later than 1 September 2026.
3. Abstracts for Paper Presentations must not exceed 300 words and should be prepared using Times New Roman font, size 12. The papers are expected to address themes specified in the symposium agenda. 
4. All participants who wish to submit a paper but are unable to attend the symposium must submit a 300-word abstract for publication in the symposium’s digital book. The full paper should not exceed six pages, including images and references.
5. All participants interested in displaying posters either inside the building or in the courtyards of the Villa Rufolo are required to submit a sample of the poster. The poster should approximately measure 100 x 150 cm or a similar size, and participants must also indicate whether the poster can be hung or displayed in the courtyard.
6. All participants that cannot attend to the symposium can send an audiovisual with its presentation or examples of cultural heritage (monuments, festivals, crafts, ritual ceremonies, etc.) that will be shown on screen during the symposium. The extension of these audiovisuals should be no more than 10 to 15 minutes.
7. All abstracts, posters and audiovisuals will be evaluated by a commission integrated by local organizers and ICICH / ICOMOS.

This symposium seeks to foster collaboration between international professionals, local communities, and institutions, ensuring that cultural and natural heritage are preserved, celebrated and transmitted to future generations.

All documents and communications must be directed to: icichagmitaly.2026@gmail.com

Download the full call here:

• Call for Abstracts – English
• CONVOCATORIA A LA PARTICIPACIÓN – Español
• APPEL À COMMUNICATIONS – Français
• BANDO PER LA PARTECIPAZIONE – Italiano

ICICH / ICOMOS Bureau

• President Ángel Cabeza Monteira (Chile)
• Vice President Ana Lucía González Ibáñez (México)
• Vice President Oluwatoyin Zainab (Nigeria)
• Secretary-General Mrinalini Atrey (India)
• Treasurer Anna Yau (China)
• Coordinator ICICH / ICOMOS Symposium in Italy: Carla Maurano

It is with deep respect and sorrow that we share the passing of Dr Giselle Chang Vargas, a distinguished anthropologist, professor, and researcher at the University of Costa Rica. She was internationally recognised for her profound contributions to the study of cultural heritage, diversity, and the identity of Indigenous peoples.

Dr Chang Vargas devoted her career to illuminating intangible cultural heritage, the anthropology of tourism, and the dynamics of cultural transformation within Indigenous communities—particularly among the Brunca people. Her pioneering research on ethnotourism and cultural heritage earned her the Luis Ferrero Acosta National Prize for Cultural Research, awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

She held leadership roles as former President of ICOMOS Costa Rica and was a Distinguished member of ICICH, where she advanced intercultural dialogue and heritage conservation at both national and international levels. She also collaborated closely with the Chinese Museum of Costa Rica and represented her expertise in forums associated with UNESCO.

Her legacy transcends academia. Dr Chang Vargas was a tireless advocate for interculturalism, the dignity of Indigenous peoples, and the enduring value of cultural identity. Through her scholarship, mentorship, and institutional leadership, she enriched institutions, empowered communities, and inspired generations.

As ICICH members, we honour her memory and celebrate her life’s work, which continues to guide our collective mission of safeguarding cultural heritage with inclusivity and respect.

Announcing the publication of “A Milestone in Cultural Studies”

Developed under the aegis of ICOMOS India’s North East Zone, Bihu: An Agricultural Festival of Assam is a vital new contribution to the scholarly and cultural exploration of Bihu—one of India’s most dynamic and deeply rooted agrarian traditions. The volume was officially released at the 2025 Annual General Meeting of ICOMOS India.

In light of its international relevance and resonance with ICICH’s mission to safeguard and promote intangible cultural heritage, we are pleased to share the official press release below. This publication reflects not only the cultural richness of Assam but also the impactful heritage work being carried out in India’s North East—work that aligns closely with ICOMOS’s global values of inclusive, field-driven preservation.

A Milestone in Cultural Studies
“Bihu: An Agricultural Festival of Assam” – A Landmark Academic Volume

Guwahati | New Delhi – June 29, 2025

In a significant moment for cultural scholarship in India, the much-anticipated academic volume “Bihu: An Agricultural Festival of Assam”, prepared under the aegis of the North East Zone of ICOMOS India, was officially launched 29^th June, 2025 at the Annual General Meeting of ICOMOS India. The volume was unveiled by Dr. Rima Hooja, President of the National Committee, who commended the extraordinary intellectual and field-based contributions of the North East Zone—the youngest among the ICOMOS zones, yet a shining exemplar of excellence at both national and international levels over the past five years.

Leading cultural experts GSVSN Murthy, Bikramjit Chakraborty, and Madhu Vottery recalled their enriching collaborations with the North East Zone, while Dr. Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, the volume’s editor, offered a concise overview of the book’s structure and themes.

This volume is more than a documentation of a festival—it is a testament to rigorous scholarship, community-rooted research, and the unwavering commitment of heritage professionals. Conceived, initiated, and brought to fruition by Shri Dilip Changkakoty, Zonal Representative of the North East Zone of ICOMOS India, the work reflects years of solitary academic labour and visionary cultural stewardship.

The Genesis of a Cultural Journey

The scholarly journey began in 2020, with the North East Zone organizing the first-ever webinar on Bihu—a pioneering step toward bringing Assam’s intangible cultural heritage into mainstream academic discourse. This was followed in 2021 by an international essay competition, attracting researchers and cultural practitioners from across the globe. What emerged was not just a festival narrative but a nuanced socio-cultural inquiry into a living tradition shaped by agrarian life, seasonal rhythms, and evolving community identities.

A Multi-Layered Research Endeavour

Guided by Shri Changkakoty’s vision, the volume draws from field research, ethnography, oral histories, and socio-economic analyses, documenting the many dimensions of Bihu—from urban celebrations to rural rituals. The research team interacted with a broad cross-section of Bihu’s custodians: committee leaders, artisans, performers, weavers, food vendors, and cultural officials.

A notable feature of the research is its attention to the Sattriya tradition, highlighting the subtle confluences between Bihu and Sattra culture. The study is further enriched by media analysis, historical documentation, and digital ethnography—capturing transformations and continuities in Bihu practices across age groups, geographies, and social strata.

A Monument of Editorial Commitment

The making of this volume was no ordinary editorial task. Shri Changkakoty not only conceptualized the project but also personally translated Assamese contributions, ensured linguistic precision, and oversaw design and production—all without the support of a formal editorial team. His painstaking efforts ensured that every contribution retained its scholarly integrity and cultural authenticity.

Collaborative Excellence and Archival Rarity

The book brings together an impressive constellation of contributors: Dr. Prasanna Gogoi, Somnath Bora, the late Prabhat Sarmah, and Bihu icon Shubhalakshmi Pandit (Bora), alongside passionate grassroots artists whose voices animate the volume’s pages. Photographs by the late Amulya Manna and Jiten Das lend rare visual depth, transforming the publication into an archival artifact of enduring value.

Editor Dr. Sanjib Kumar Borkkakoti played a pivotal role in synthesizing these diverse voices into a scholarly, cohesive whole.

From Manuscript to Monument

Despite considerable challenges in identifying a publisher capable of honouring the academic scope of the work, the project found its ideal partner in Purbayon Publication, led by Dr. Amrit Upadhyay. Their dedication ensured that this English-language volume would meet the highest standards—designed to serve researchers, policymakers, cultural workers, and general readers alike.

A Call to the Global Heritage Community

“Bihu: An Agricultural Festival of Assam” is not merely a book—it is an invitation to the world to engage with the living heritage of Assam. In its pages, the spirit of participatory knowledge, rigorous inquiry, and ethical cultural documentation lives on. It reflects the core mission of ICOMOS India: to safeguard heritage through scholarship that is inclusive, field-driven, and future-oriented.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all contributors and stakeholders, and take immense pride in presenting this volume to the global cultural community. This work stands as a beacon of collective intellect, cultural pride, and scholarly endurance.

For more information, please contact:
Purbayon Publication
Jaswanta Road, Near Panbazar Aadarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya
Panbazar, Guwahati – 781001, INDIA
Mobile: +91 986 442 2157
Website: www.purbayonpublication.com

On May 7, 2025, the Executive Board of the ICH NGO Forum, in collaboration with ICOMOS ICICH (International Scientific Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage) and the Working Group on Legal and Policy Development, successfully organized a webinar centred on the ICOMOS Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The webinar served as a valuable platform for the exchange of experiences and opinions concerning effective strategies to address living heritage intrinsically linked with heritage sites. Participants explored the development of integrated approaches aimed at the comprehensive safeguarding and preservation of cultural heritage in its tangible and intangible dimensions.

The event featured a key presentation by Angel Cabeza, President of ICOMOS ICICH, who provided an in-depth overview of the ICICH Charter and its implications for heritage management. The webinar was skillfully coordinated by Tamara Nikolic Deric, Chairperson of the ICH NGO Forum, who also contributed insightful perspectives throughout the discussions.

Jorijn Neyrinck from the Working Group on Legal and Policy Development offered critical perspectives on the potential for the ICOMOS Charter and Guidance to inform and be integrated into legal and policy frameworks at various levels. The discussion was further enriched by valuable contributions and thoughts shared by Janet Blake, Robert Baron Clara Arokiasamy.

The webinar witnessed active participation from ICOMOS ICICH and the ICH NGO Forum members, fostering a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing and advancing integrated heritage safeguarding practices.

The ICICH Bureau, in consultation with its expert members, has nominated Dr. Marilyn Truscott (ICICH, ICOMOS Australia) as an Honorary Member of the international committee. This distinction recognizes her extensive and impactful career dedicated to the research, teaching, and management of intangible heritage across national and international entities. Dr. Truscott was also a founding member of the ICICH committee, held numerous positions within it, contributed to the drafting of the ICICH Charter, and has been a consistent and valued collaborator of ICOMOS.

ICICH is excited to announce that the ICOMOS International Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage was approved at its recent Annual General Assembly in November 2024 in Ouro Preto, Brazil, and officially adopted by ICOMOS. This milestone marks the culmination of several years of dedicated work by the committee.

The ICOMOS International Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage aligns with the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, for which ICOMOS is an accredited NGO, emphasizing the importance of intangible cultural heritage as a key aspect of the collective culture and experience of humanity. The tangible and intangible are inextricably linked. Traditional, social and cultural practices, along with the knowledge passed down through generations, provide understanding and add meaning, value, and context to objects, sites and other physical spaces.

Intangible cultural heritage and its links to sites are acknowledged in ICOMOS Charters, principles and declarations since the Kimberley Declaration on the Intangible Heritage of Cultural Spaces (2003), and the subsequent Teemaneng Declaration, which was first oulined in Kimberley, South Africa (2007).

This new Charter and Guidance was developed by a working group of ICICH, which included ICOMOS members from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Finland, France, India, Mauritius, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Thailand. The process involved workshops and meetings with individuals both within and beyond the ICOMOS network, in collaboration with many other organisations and universities.

Within the international conservation framework established by ICOMOS, the International Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage addresses the deep relationships between diferents aspects of heritage and the communities that sustain them. It provides principles and guidance for professional heritage practices, including the management and protection of sites, documentation and recording, sharing and transmission, presentation and interpretation, managing change and conflict, and profesional training in heritage – all in permanent collaboration with stakeholders and community custodians.

• English – French version
• English – Spanish version

The letter on Philosophical Thought in Cultural “Heritage” is the product of dialogue and reflection between academics and indigenous peoples Deca, Molino, Juchitán (Hñahñu), San Mateo de Mar (Ikoots), Chinantla (Mixteca Poblana), Pinotepa Nacional (Ñusavi), Nunkiní, Campeche (Maya), Acatepec, Malinaltepec (Mè’phàà) and Ayotitlán, Jalisco (Nahua), as part of the research project “Study of the philosophy of how native peoples inhabit their territory. Cultural landscape, vernacular, and biocultural knowledge”, CF-2019/51229, funded by CONAHCYT, and developed by the following institutions: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Cooperación Comunitaria, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia and the Universidad de Guanajuato.

Charter on Philosophical Thought in Cultural “Heritage”

La carta sobre el Pensamiento Filosófico en el “Patrimonio” Cultural es producto del diálogo y la reflexión entre académicas, académicos y pueblos originarios Cardonal y Tasquillo (Hñähñu), San Mateo de Mar (Ikoots), Chinantla (Mixteca Poblana), Pinotepa Nacional (Ñusavi), Nunkiní, Campeche (Maya), Acatepec, Malinaltepec (Mè’phàà) y Ayotitlán, Jalisco (Nahua), como parte del proyecto de investigación “Estudio de la filosofía de los pueblos originarios para habitar el territorio. Paisaje cultural, saberes vernaculares y bioculturales”, con clave CF-2019/51229, financiado por el CONAHCYT, el cual fue desarrollado por las siguientes instituciones: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Cooperación Comunitaria, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia y la Universidad de Guanajuato.

Carta_Pensamiento_en_el_Patrimonio

ICICH is excited to support The ArchaeoLore Group Webinar series for 2024/2025.

September 2024 – May 2025, Tuesdays at 5 p.m. CET / 4 p.m. Portugal
Organizers: Alexandra Vieira and Katarina Botić

The aim of this series is to bring together researchers dedicated to the study of the following topics: archaeology, landscape, place names, and social memory (folklore, oral narratives, oral tradition). 

The ArchaeoLore Group believes that the valuable insights of archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, folklorists, geographers, historians, and others, would greatly improve the holistic study of the past. The perspective and research interests of our lecturers closely align with the goals of the ArchaeoLore Group:

• the study of human-environment relationships, cultural manifestations and beliefs, humanized landscape interpretation and social memory, as well as the protection of intangible cultural heritage through transdisciplinary analysis that will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the human experience, past and present
• to interpret cultural heritage through the study of archaeology, oral traditions, social memory, and place names, uncovering the connections between tangible and intangible heritage, revealing the ways in which cultural practices, beliefs, and stories are embedded in landscapes and passed down through generations
• to study the ways in which oral traditions, folklore and place names are linked to specific landscapes and archaeological sites

The ArchaeoLore Group webinars are an opportunity to share knowledge and provide a moment of productive interdisciplinary exchange, demonstrating the added value of collaborative research, providing the opportunity to engage in stimulating discussions and develop professional relationships with other researchers in the field.

• Click here to Register for free
• Click here to learn more
• Download a PDF with a description of all 9 webinars

Calendar of Webinars

24.09.2024. Katja Hrobat Virloget – Between archaeology and anthropology. Collective memory, liminal spaces, boundaries, and mythical landscape

22.10.2024. Alexandra Vieira – Sacred Landscapes: The Christianization of the Landscape in the North of Portugal

19.11.2024. Tõnno Jonuks – Biographies of sacred natural sites in Estonia – just a local history or potential research method?

03.12.2024. Loredana Lancini – The big Giant is watching you: studying natural phenomena and landscape through oral tradition and mythology 14.01.2025. Tomáš Klír – Archaeology and contact onomastics: Case studies from Central Europe

11.02.2025. István Kollai – Europeanization of national historical consciousness through castle renovation projects

18.03.2025. Marilena Papachristophorou – Lost palimpsests: searching for the memory of the past in East Aegean, Greece

22.04.2025. Patrick D. Nunn – Remembering Sea-Level Rise and Island Creation in Australian and Celtic Cultures

13.05.2025. Joana Valdez-Tullett – Rock Art, Landscape and the Prevalence of Collective Memory

The deadline for submitting abstracts for the international symposium, The Further Evolution of Authenticity through the Lens of Heritage Ecosystems has been extended until September 3 (Tuesday), 2024.

The symposium will be held in Takasaki, Japan, on January 10 and 11, 2025, and aims to explore the challenges we face by focusing on the concept of a heritage ecosystem. A heritage ecosystem is understood to encompass the cyclical and organic relationships among various elements that constitute the rich cultural and natural environment of the region and that are connected to the heritage. Because challenges to heritage are ever-changing, the concept of a heritage ecosystem offers a powerful framework for better coping with the challenges that confront us today and those to come.

Read the full call for papers on the website.