Online event for the International Day of Indigenous Peoples: On August 9, Aigine CRC team participated in the online event of the Pawanka Foundation. The theme of the event was the role and main actions of indigenous youth in the process of protection and safguirding of the environment. The event was attended by representatives from 7 regions of the world. Kyrgyzstan was represented by Aibek Samakov, an expert of Aigine CRC. Aibek made a presentation on the results of the implemented project on traditional indicators of climate change, which was supported by the Pawanka Foundation this year. Aibek spoke about the importance of traditional knowledge, including knowledge about nature. Aibek also emphasized that traditional knowledge is often overlooked by the scientific community and decision makers, and is not taken into account during the development of climate models. However, traditional knowledge of local communities related to climate change indicators can enrich existing climate models and sensitize scientists and decision-makers to the importance of local climate change indicators in shaping adaptation strategies.

Work of the NGO Forum on ICH: Members of the Executive Board of the NGO Forum on ICH have started preparing the main activities of the NGO Forum on ICH, which will take place alongside the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee, scheduled for December 4-9, 2023 in Kasane, Botswana. Traditionally, the opening event will be a general symposium with the participation of NGOs and governmental entities from countries party to the 2003 Convention on the Conservation of ICH. This year’s symposium will coincide with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Convention. Cholponai Usubalieva-Grishchuk became a member of the Executive Committee in 2022 by election.

Work on the national list of ICH: Within the framework of the project “Digital Journey into the World of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kyrgyzstan” one of the working groups of the project finalized the work on the formation and editing of the national list of ICH elements of one of the domains – traditions, rituals, customs, prohibitions. The work on the formation and editing of the list of this element is headed by expert Shaakan Toktogul. Next step: analysis of this list by the Monitoring team of the project.