HERALD: How do you explain the concept of intangible cultural heritage?
SUSANNE: Intangible cultural heritage unlike mountains, forest, monuments, temples, churches and forts is actually about the skill for arts, crafts, rituals, social practices to resolve conflict, life cycle changes, knowledge of nature and the universe and biodiversity. The first aspect of intangible cultural heritage is to respect the traditions of various communities globally. In the old paradigm, arts and culture were income generation.
HERALD: What would be the ideal method to preserve our culture especially in Goa, where tourism takes over?
SUSANNE: Learning from our ancestors, it’s firstly important to pass it on to the next generation. But in preservation, we need to pass on what’s needful in tradition. If it’s not needful to a community in today’s times or then it’s useless to pass on a tradition. If you see NGOs are very successful while dealing with intangible cultural heritage is because they have used the strengths they saw in empowering poor communities by preserving tradition and culture.
HERALD: How difficult it is to preserve tradition and culture when the world is globalized and people move out to urban spaces for employment?
SUSANNE: Development, globalization, industrialization and urbanization are equally precious to people’s lives and all this is connected to income generation and then has an effect on our distinct lifestyles. But while we discuss work, survival, income and migration, we need to make communities sensitive and value what they cherish from their communities. I have seen conflict resolution methods in Spain and Burkina Faso when simple accidents happen, Traditional medicine techniques in Venezuela, codes of behavior in Mali and all this is obviously comes from tradition and culture. Communities need to decide ethical behavioral codes where benefit goes to the people and not governments.
HERALD: How should we a country like India, so diverse in nature, look at preservation of tradition?
SUSANNE: The government needs to work with NGOs and intellectuals hand in hand. Communities following age old traditional methods need to be provided material to preserve their tradition and also they need to be empowered to increase income generation and also their wellbeing needs to be uplifted. We as the UNESCO or the government body and NGOS need to support and safeguard the traditions of the locals.
HERALD: Do you think Goa can also be a hub for intangible cultural heritage?
SUSANNE: The need is to network and connect to the various communities associated with traditional craftsmanship and then collects data and documents it and more importantly to learn their traditional methods. The minute we realize the importance of intangible cultural heritage and relate to it and then we can take a step further to recreate. In preserving intangible cultural heritage people should not be humiliated at any cost.
