An international webinar entitled “Embracing the Momentum of Nature as Intangible Heritage; revisiting the seasonal rituals in the ancient civilizations of Asia” was held by ECO Cultural Institute in cooperation with Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
According to the ECO Cultural Institute, in this webinar, while emphasizing on the protection of the common cultural heritage in the ECO region, Sarvar Bakhti, President of the ECO Cultural Institute noted: “Intangible cultural heritage is the continuation of the culture and the stability of various identities and the diversity that arises from them.”
He added: “Nowruz is an intangible cultural heritage that we must treasure so that it is not forgotten.”
“Intangible cultural heritage is the only bridge that connects people to their past and keeps their memory and identity alive,” said the President of the ECO Cultural Institute.
Dr. Farnaz Arefian of University College London and Director of the Silk Road Cities Project also expressed satisfaction with the joint cooperation of the ECO Cultural Institute and Shahid Beheshti University to revisiting of seasonal rituals in ancient civilizations as an important intangible cultural heritage, and stressed: “We need to view it from a different perspective as we have viewed tangible heritage beyond the dimensions so far.”
Referring to UNESCO’s definition of intangible cultural heritage, she added: “Beyond the economic, social and historical capacities associated with intangible cultural heritage, we should consider it as a spatial phenomenon shaping the future atmosphere of human life.”
It is worth mentioning that Mr. Javad Emam from Iranian Studies Center of Xi’an University of China, Dr. Abbas Ahmadvand, the host of the meeting and a member of the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University were the other speakers of this virtual meeting who addressed other aspects of the role of intangible heritage in strengthening relations between nations within the civilized commonalities.
Considering the scope of intangible heritage and its irreplaceable role in the future of human life, suggestions were made for the continuation of such specialized meetings and increasing interactions between ECO Cultural Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran and the Silk Road Cities Project which were welcomed by the audience.