How participatory is participatory heritage management? the politics of safeguarding the Alevi Semah ritual as intangible heritage

This article addresses the shortcomings of UNESCO s intangible heritage program in developing effective mechanisms for community participation in heritage management. Contrary to its original intentions, by prioritizing national perspectives and interests on heritage, UNESCO s program inadvertently allows for strengthening the control of the state over the heritage of minorities and other marginalized groups. This article explores the complexities of state-led intangible heritage management, using the Semah ritual of Turkey s Alevi religious groups as a case in point. I first detail how Alevi voices were silenced during Semah s intangible heritage nomination process, despite those documents submitted by Turkey to UNESCO that claim Alevis active engagement and full support. Then I discuss in what ways the heritage making of Semah plays into the ongoing efforts of the Turkish government to integrate Alevis into dominant Sunni majority. I conclude by arguing that UNESCO s intangible heritage program, though unintentionally, assists nondemocratic countries in their efforts to force marginalized groups to adopt the mainstream culture.