Harare — THE proclamation in 2006 of Jerusarema dance a as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was expected to draw the attention of the whole nation on the type of intangible cultural heritage that requires safeguarding and protecting. Since the launch by Vice President Joice Mujuru of Jerusarema as a Masterpiece in July last year, not much has been made known about what is being done to safeguard the masterpiece.

This may be the result of either the absence of a national plan of action or the fact that the plan is not known. It could also be the result of the critical shortage of financial resources needed in safeguarding Jerusarema dance and in implementing the convention, writes STEPHEN J CHIFUNYISE.

ZIMBABWE is one of the very few Sadc countries that has ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which was adopted by the General Conference of Unesco in October 2003.

Ratifying a convention is an expression of commitment to adhering to the provisions of the convention as well to its implementation.

Indeed ratifying a convention is not enough without adopting strategies of implementing the convention.

A major challenge facing Zimbabwe is the absence of a national strategy of implementing the provisions of this crucial convention on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

The ideal approach in the development of a national strategy of implementing a convention like this involves the following steps:

• identifying individuals and institutions that can compile an inventory of Zimbabwe's intangible cultural heritage;

• bringing together experts in cultural heritage preservation to be informed of the Convention of the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage;

• bringing together experts in cultural heritage preservation and leaders of cultural institutions to draw up a plan of action for the implementation of the Convention;

• reviewing the national cultural policy for the purpose of recommending the incorporation into it critical issues contained in the convention;

• setting up a national committee of experts in cultural heritage preservation to monitor and report on the implementation of the national plan.

In the main intangible cultural heritage are practices, knowledge, oral expressions and skills which communities and groups recognise as their heritage.

In order to enable those involved in cultural preservation to appreciate what comprises intangible cultural heritage, the convention has specified the following as intangible cultural heritage;

• performing arts (music dance, drama etc)

• social practices, rites, rituals, festivals etc;

• knowledge and practices concerning nature and humanity;

• oral traditions and expressions, languages, symbols;

• craftsmanship

The proclamation in 2006 of Jerusarema dance as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was expected to draw the attention of the whole nation on the type of intangible cultural heritage that requires safeguarding and protecting.

Since the launch by Vice President Joice Mujuru of Jerusarema as a Masterpece in July last year, not much has been made known about what is being done to safeguard the masterpiece.

This may be the result of either the absence of a national plan of action or the fact that the plan is not known.

It could also be the result of the critical shortage of financial resources needed in safeguarding Jerusarema dance and in implementing the convention.

In November 1989, the Unesco General Assembly adopted the Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore. This recommendation is helpful in defining folklore, its identification, conservation, preservation, protection and its dissemination.

The recommendation also spells out how international cooperation can be useful in pooling human and material resource for carrying out the development and the revitalization of folklore.

In developing a national plan of action for the implementation of the Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is useful to take note of the recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore.

Another strategy that can be adopted in the implementation of the Convention is the setting up of a new National Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee as the one set up in 1997 did not embrace a broad spectrum of representatives of intangible heritage custodian communities and institutions.

In any case the old committee was made up mainly of experts in the performing arts and oral traditions.

Equally important to note is the fact that the old committee was mainly concerned with the identification and nomination of an intangible cultural heritage for consideration by Unesco as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible cultural heritage.

Most of the members of that committee were appointed in their individual capacities as cultural experts and performing artists.

The new National Intangible Cultural Heritage should include representatives of national cultural institutions and cultural organisations.