The First Session of the "Silk Road Intangible Heritage Series" Was Held

In this session, Mr. Mehrdad Rakhshandeh, President of the ECO Cultural Institute, while emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the living heritage of communities, stated: "Intangible cultural heritage is not merely a cultural topic; rather, it has become an asset for sustainable development, social cohesion, empowerment of local communities, and cultural diplomacy. From this perspective, its protection is considered an investment for the future, not merely the preservation of the past."

Following that, Ms. Zulfiya Burhon, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO in Tajikistan, while emphasizing the unique role of intangible heritage in strengthening regional cultural identity, said: "Intangible cultural heritage plays a unique role in strengthening regional cultural identity and reminds us that cultural diversity is not a source of division, but a foundation for dialogue and mutual understanding. Therefore, safeguarding this living heritage not only strengthens national cultures but also our shared regional identity, which is built upon centuries of shared history."

Ms. Dr. Atousa Momeni, Director of the Regional Research Centre for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia, also emphasized the necessity of revising safeguarding approaches in this session, stating: "The main challenge today is not just what shared cultural heritage we have, but the fundamental question is how we can preserve its meaning, continuity, and transmission in a rapidly changing world." Referring to the paradigm of the 2003 UNESCO Convention, she added: "Safeguarding should not be understood as an external or imposed action on communities; rather, it must be considered as a living and internal process that originates from the lived experiences, social actions, and relationships between communities. Therefore, it is necessary for cooperation models to shift from a sole focus on institutions towards creating direct communication networks between local communities in the ECO region, so that the safeguarding of heritage can be realized as a collective responsibility and an interconnected ecosystem in which communities are the primary architects of this process."

Furthermore, Professor Dr. Hamidreza Shairi, Professor of Semiotics at Tarbiat Modares University, in explaining the dimensions of this heritage, stated: "The Silk Road was not just a geographical route for the exchange of goods; rather, it was a platform for the intersection of reality and imagination, in which the land of Persia, with its artistic imagination, transformed silk into a vital product. In fact, the continuous cultural flow along this route—which encompassed everything from Persian garden design to symbols of freedom such as the bent cypress (Boteh Jegheh) and the transmission of string instruments like the Oud (Barbat)—served as a vital communication artery between major civilizations from China to Europe. This flow, alongside the exchange of printing technologies, paper, and mystical and mythological teachings, played a vital role in shaping the achievements of the modern era and the Renaissance, creating a world richer in terms of art and thought."

This program, which was held with the moderation of Ms. Dr. Elaheh Sadat Mousavinejad, a cultural expert at the Institute, emphasized the necessity of the exchange of experiences among ECO member states so that the common civilizational heritage of the region may be preserved and promoted for future generations.