In an increasingly globalized world, intangible cultural heritage (ICH), including oral traditions, rituals, traditional knowledge, languages, and performing arts, faces both new challenges and opportunities. Globalization contributes cultural exchange but also accelerates the erosion and transformation of traditional practices, especially among younger and marginalized communities. This study examines how inherently dynamic, living cultural expressions are preserved, reshaped, or lost with rapid socio-economic, cultural and technological change. Drawing from heritage studies, digital humanities, and museum and archival practices, the presentation examines current strategies for documenting and safeguarding ICH while interrogating their cultural and ethical implications.
Through case studies such as Remaking the Confucian Rites, the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), and Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand), the presentation analyzes how safeguarding initiatives operate across ritual revitalization, digital archiving, and museum practice. These cases illustrate the promises and limits of community-led revitalization, digital documentation, and institutional approaches in sustaining living heritage. By situating these examples within theoretical frameworks of participatory heritage and digital archival practice, the study highlights both tensions and innovations in preservation efforts.
Audience will gain insights into the practical use of digital tools for safeguarding ICH, the ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural representation in global contexts, and lessons learned from community-driven approaches. Ultimately, the study argues that safeguarding ICH in the age of globalization requires interdisciplinary collaboration and a rethinking of what it means to “preserve” living traditions. It urges approaches that balance the living, adaptive qualities of ICH with commitments to cultural respect and sensitivity.

Authors:
Mustafa Kandil, University of Pittsburgh, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Mustafa Kandil, Ph.D. student at the University of Pittsburgh, studies intangible cultural heritage, digital preservation, and archival practices. His current project explores the role of deletion in media, technology, and cultural memory.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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