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The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to support the Albanian application to UNESCO of the four elements of intangible cultural heritage

On November 23, 2020, in Razëm, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between AADF and the Ministry of Culture to support the Albania’s application of four intangible cultural heritage elements to be included into the UNESCO’s “Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanities”.

Through this Memorandum of Understanding, AADF will financially support national and international groups of experts who will conduct research and prepare the application of the four Albanian intangible cultural heritage elements listed as the following:

1 Xhubleta, (Djubleta) – as a unique technology and remaking of handicrafts and the forms of its use, located in northern Albania.

2 K’cimi i bjeshkës me tupan i Tropojës, (Tropoja’s folk dance choreographic folklore) – as a typology of the Albanian national spiritual heritage;

3 Eposi i Kreshnikëve, (Songs of Frontier Warriors) – the north Albanian epos sung to this day by elderly Albanian men playing lahuta, a one-stringed instrument. The epic songs in this epos are literary reflections on the struggles of historical or legendary heroes of the past.

4 Verimi (Transhumance) – the seasonal movement of livestock and shepherds from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle. It’s an economic activity and it involves shared rituals and social practices, shaping relations among people, animals and ecosystems.

Through this commitment, the AADF portfolio is further expanded in the field of cultural heritage and tourism, with a wider focus on local communities and their local traditions.

AADF financial support for this project is 220,000 USD for a period of 2020-2023.