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2012 IOV GENERAL ASSEMBLY

April 27-29, 2012, Prague, Czech Republic

Hurry! There’s Still Time!

The 2012 IOV General Assembly will meet in Prague, Czech Republic as guests of the Folklore Association of the Czech Republic. Participants should arrive in Prague on April 26 and plan to depart on April 30, 2012.

The General Assembly will convene on the morning of April 27, 2012 in the 16th Century Renaissance Martinicky Palace, located in the center of Old Town Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Martinicky Palace dates from 1542 and is considered by many to be the finest Renaissance building in Prague. The closing ceremonies will take place on the evening of April 29th.

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Our Mission

The mission of IOV is to increase the awareness and appreciation of all forms of folk art and folk culture. We recognize that the world’s cultural wealth is found in the diversity of its people and is expressed in folk traditions. IOV seeks to enhance the opportunities for those who are the keepers of society’s traditions to transmit their knowledge and skills to members of younger generations.

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History

IOV is a worldwide organization of individuals and institutions working to document, preserve and promote all forms of folk art, both tangible and intangible. IOV sponsors national and international folk art festivals as well as cultural exchanges of performing ...

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Our Goals

We encourage and promote the living traditions of all through the advancement of all forms of folk art. To reach our objectivees, we encourage the cooperation of individuals and institutions who will join us as we strive:

To identify and research all forms of folk and traditional arts, including, but not limited to dance, music, rituals, narratives...

Welcome to IOV World

IOV is a worldwide organization of individuals and institutions working to document, preserve and promote all forms of folk art, both tangible and intangible. The organization was founded in Belgium in 1979 and is registered under the laws of Austria, where the Office of the IOV Secretariat is located.

IOV sponsors national and international folk art festivals as well as cultural exchanges of performing artists and visual art. Through its scientific and pedagogical symposia and workshops, IOV encourages scholarly research, documentation and publication on topics related to folk art and traditions. Recent conferences have explored aspects of storytelling, children's games, legends, crafts, folk tales, dance, weaving and textiles, tool making, religious practices, costuming, architecture, social practices and seasonal celebrations. The UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with its emphasis on research and documentation, provides the framework for IOV programs and projects.

The Third IOV World Youth Congress 2012

“Youth empowerment in the Intangible Cultural Heritage”

Sweden will be the location of the Third IOV World Youth Congress that will focus on the issues and relationships of a living heritage:

Passion and Engagement – From personal life to professional career

Think global – act local

Where is folk art today, and where will it be tomorrow.

Read the IOV Thirty Year Anniversary Report

Please follow this link to read about the IOV Thirty Year Anniversary Report.

Message By Carmen D. Padilla President of IOV

carmen-padilla Dear IOV Colleagues,

We greet you a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2012 through this IOV website. This website is a way in which IOV brings news to a wider audience. The members are encouraged to printout the news for distribution to the members who are not yet online.

Since the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of IOV in Nanjing China which coincided with the 2nd IOV Youth Congress, the IOV Presidential Council (IOVPC) has done some serious review and evaluation of the workings of the organization. The IOVPC met in the Czech Republic through the kind invitation of IOV Czech Republic and the National Folklore Organization of the country, under the Presidency of Mr. Zdeneck Psenica.

The meeting focused on the review and the future plans of the IOV. For the first time, the online participation of some members of the IOVPC was welcomed as a new approach to holding a meeting. There is no reason to excuse anyone from being absent if the meeting can be held online. We wish to commend Etienne Vankeirsbilck from Belgium and Atty George Frandsen from the USA for attending the meeting online. Present in person were Rikus Draijer from Netherlands, Emma Chen Hoefler from China, Jutta Widor from Austria and Hans Holz from Austria, Carmen D. Padilla from the Philippines.

Every Ralli Quilt tells a story

Ralli Quilts are remarkable, very traditional quilts made by women in the areas of Sindh, Pakistan, western India, and in surrounding areas. They are just now gaining international recognition, even though women have been making these quilts for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Ralliquilt.com is dedicated to providing quality information about the tradition of ralli making. provides information about the beautiful, unique, hand-made textiles and crafts from Pakistan and India. The lives of the people who make the textiles are woven into each piece. The symbols of flowers and animals used in the decoration and colors are imaginative and exotic.

Announcement: IOV World Congress EURASIA

Sounds of EURASIA

The V World Congress of the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV) will take place on the shores of the sacred Lake Baikal in September 2012. Scientists from many countries of the world will discuss pressing questions about how to preserve traditions in the field of national instrumental music. In the XXI century, national culture, which is the basis of the originality and uniqueness of nations of the world, should serve as a mutual enrichment of various cultures.

IOV Youth Congress Success In Nanjing

The Second IOV World Youth Congress and IOV Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration, which took place in Nanjing, China, from October 21 through 26, have concluded. The participants, who numbered nearly 400 at the Opening Ceremony, have returned to their homes countries with memories to last a lifetime.