From mud houses to cheerful songs: living heritage on the world stage

UNESCO’S Intangible cultural heritage program focuses on keeping alive the practices, knowledge and expressions that communities recognize as part of their cultural identity.

The largest registration round ever has just been completed and the message was clear: living heritage survives if it is valued, practiced and passed on.

Working quietly for years

In the audience in New Delhi, applause rolled like a wave as delegates leaned forward in their seats. Somewhere between relief and celebration, a few people knowingly smiled at each other – the kind of smile that comes after years of quiet work finally finds recognition.

For communities from Yemen to Chile, from Ukraine to Panama, this was not just another meeting. It was a moment when songs, rituals, crafts and ways of life, often practiced far from the global spotlight, were spoken out loud on a world stage.

“This year has been extraordinary,” said Tim Curtis, UNESCO Regional Director in New Delhi. “We have just completed the largest number of inscriptions ever; 67 elements from 78 countries.”

Hand-built houses, singing together

Irina Ruiz Figueroa, from Panama, has been promoted quincha houses, structures built collectively from natural materials, using knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

“These houses are not just buildings,” she said. “They are made by communities, with women and youth working side by side. Securing this practice means ensuring that our communities themselves remain strong.”

Across the room, joy quickly spread among the Yemeni delegation. Mohammed Jumeh, Yemen’s ambassador to UNESCO, had just received news that the Hadrami Dan, a living tradition of music, poetry and gatherings, had been inscribed.

“At a time when people expect only bad news from Yemen,” he said, “this recognition has brought happiness. The phones are not ringing. People feel seen.”

For Tim Curtis, these moments capture the essence of what UNESCO calls intangible cultural or living heritage.

“It’s not about monuments or buildings,” he explained. “It’s about what people do. How they celebrate. How they express their identity.”

He emphasized that living heritage should not be frozen: it is passed on from generation to generation, while continuing to adapt and remain meaningful to people today.

Pride, resilience and survival

For Oleksandr Butsenko, a cultural expert from Ukraine, protecting heritage has taken on a deeper urgency.

“The war has made communities realize how important this is,” he said. “We have added more than 80 elements to our national register in the last three years. People understand that heritage provides resilience, a sense of identity when everything else feels uncertain.”

That feeling of connection was reflected in many conversations.

Doreen Ruth Amule from Uganda described intangible cultural heritage as something that ‘speaks directly to the human heart’.

“It’s about spirituality, environment, music, behavior – what makes us feel human and connected,” she said. “The process itself strengthens communities.

When recognition changes the future

Recognition, UNESCO’s Tim Curtis noted, is not just symbolic.

“When an element is enrolled,” he said, “it gives pride and visibility. For some practices it also unlocks support: funding, education programs and renewed interest from young people.”

Chile’s Vice Minister of Cultural Heritage, Carolina Pérez Cortés, saw that impact firsthand with the inscription of the country’s traditional family circus.

“This practice has been around for more than 200 years,” she says. “Now it is recognized not only by the state, but by the world. That strengthens our responsibility to support circus families and gives them the tools to continue.”

Similar expectations surrounded Cyprus’ ancient Commandaria wine tradition, which was re-inscribed after 6,000 years of history.

“This recognition can bring young people back to rural areas,” said Angela Nicolaou-Konnari, an expert from Cyprus. “It makes heritage sustainable – economically and culturally.”

Tim Curtis pointed to this intergenerational link as the real key to protection.

“If young people don’t take it further, heritage will disappear within one or two generations,” he said. “That’s why training and relevance are so important.”

Heritage in a changing world

Urbanization, migration and climate change loom large in many traditions. But Mr Curtis is clear: protection cannot be imposed from above.

“These practices must remain under the control of the communities,” he said. “Technology can help – social media, digital platforms – but only if practitioners decide how it is used.”

That philosophy is already taking shape on the ground.

In Kuwait and Egypt, Masirah Alenezi described how traditional Bedouin weaving has become a source of dignity and livelihood for refugee women.

In Norway, basket maker Hege Iren Aasdal spoke about teaching teenagers how to harvest materials from nature before weaving them into everyday objects.

“It’s not just about the basket,” she said. “It’s about knowing your surroundings.”

From Indonesian textiles to Indian leather puppetry, the stories converged on one truth: living heritage survives when it is lived, taught and appreciated.

A festival of humanity

No moment captured that idea more vividly than the Diwali inscription. As India’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Vishal Sharma, put it: “Till now, Diwali was a festival of India. From today, it is a festival of all humanity.”

“Heritage connects people. Culture is fundamental.” According to Tim Curtis, that is precisely why protection is important: “We are human beings because we are cultural beings,” he said, and in a world of rapid social change, it is necessary to consciously recognize living traditions as worth protecting and worth passing on to children and grandchildren.

A detailed list of inscriptions is available here – interest:

China will host the next meeting of UNESCO’s Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2026.