ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the status and achievements of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICHC). It focuses attention on what has engendered much discussion if not agitation: the question of community involvement in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The book raises new questions about ICH concerning the protection of intellectual property. It examines how heritage practice can be influenced by language as global nomenclature is translated into national heritage frameworks. The book considers the issue of language and reiterates the importance of a fundamental element of ICHC – that it is concerned with living heritage. It also reviews a range of case studies that analyse the ways in which the ICHC, and more specifically the idea of safeguarding, have been implemented at national and sub-national levels.
