01892nas a2200205   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002653003900043653003200082653002100114653001800135653004300153100001300196245013500209856015000344300001200494490000700506520115300513022002001666                                       d10aCommunity participation (THE\_204)10aMinority groups (THE\_1697)10aSocial practices10aTürkiye (TR)10arituals and festive events (ICH\_1229)1 aB. Aykan00aHow participatory is participatory heritage management? the politics of safeguarding the Alevi Semah ritual as intangible heritage  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84907418977&doi=10.1017%2fS0940739113000180&partnerID=40&md5=f60ab7117fc3b9409c7acc7390e4df33  a381-4050 v203 aThis 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.  a09407391 (ISSN)