Intangible Cultural Heritage and Heritage Democratisation :The Role and Right of Community

UNECSO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has solely emphasised on the tangible heritage field since 1972 when the World Heritage Convention (WHC) was adopted. Their attitude towards heritage has somewhat changed after the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In this vein, the study delves into each convention in 1972 and 2003 respectively while examining the main body to conserve or safeguard each type of heritage.Occidental nations, particularly Western Europe and North America have less paid attention to intangible heritage in comparison to Japan and South Korea who have embraced intangible heritage as a prominent part of the heritage field. Nonetheless, the intangible heritage arena is continuously encouraged and discussed due to its ‘heritage democratisation process.’ Unlike the conservation of tangible heritage which is commonly led by government agencies, safeguarding intangible heritage is linked with community’s everyday life, so called ‘living heritage.’ Therefore, the approaches to safeguard their tradition should be different from the way to protect tangible heritage. There is an argument that community can be the leading body to safeguard their intangible heritage and this will be the most efficient and sustainable way to maintain their everyday life.To investigate these issues, the study looks through the meanings of community and their rights. Examining community’s rights on their heritage is to ensure safeguarding and management of their heritage assets. Because the community right is directly linked to their sense of ownership which engenders responsibilities toward heritage. Furthermore, according to recent studies, many types of intangible heritage is intertwined with community’s everyday life, thus, should be safeguarded by community members. During the processes, community members can learn how to participate, discuss, represent, select, etc. as a member of a democratic society. While understanding the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the study also explores community and their rights and international efforts to enlarge community’s involvements in the heritage field.