Botswana; Botswana (BW); Community Participation (THE_204); Cultural Policy; Inventorying (ICH_1342); Sustainable Communities; Sustainable Cultures; Tlokweng Village;

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-46749104435&doi=10.2307%2f20474924&partnerID=40&md5=b0f8bc79370eccae0bae473ea1c3ea6a

In October 2003 UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage as a step towards safeguarding non-material cultural heritage. The key word of the Convention is 'Safeguarding' which is defined as "measures aimed at ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural heritage, including the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and non formal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspects of such heritage" [Article 2.3]. This is a commendable step by UNESCO, given that the 1972 UNESCO Convention has for more than 30 years focused specifically on the tangible aspects of cultural heritage. Article 15 of the 2003 Convention on intangible heritage makes reference to issues relating to the 'Participation of communities, groups and individuals". A focus on communities means that the Convention must face very varied national and community perspectives. This article focuses on elements of the 2003 UNESCO Convention to investigate implications for the sustainable existence and utilization of intangible heritage in a context of an African community in Botswana. It is concluded that safeguarding elements of intangible heritage by creating inventories and representative lists [Articles 12 and 16] can reduce the value of the cultural capital together with the social capital upon which the heritage exists by making some elements of intangible heritage ubiquitous, in the process lessening their existence and use values and thus disrupting the socio-cultural contexts within which these elements exist. Tlokweng village, a case study from Botswana, illuminates these discussions.