The First IOV Global Forum on the protection of Endangered Minority Cultures will take place in Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province, China from October 22 through 26, 2009.  The Congress is being organized by the China National Section of IOV, Emma Chen Hoefler, Chair, with the support of the China Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Ethnic Affairs Committee and the Chinese Center for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Children dressed in the traditional attire of the Qiang Ethnic Minority.

National Park and Nature Reserve

Jiuzhaigou National Park is a region within Sichuan Province famous for its wild scenery.  It is a land of spectacular waterfalls, mountains and lakes, and is China’s most popular hiking destination.   The Qiang Ethnic Minority, which numbers only 215,000 individuals, has lived in this region for more than  two thousand years.

Jiuzhaigou , located in China’s Sichuan Province, is known as the Land of Seven  Valleys.  It is home to the Giant Panda and the Golden Monkey

Qiang National Minority

China officially recognizes 56 ethnic minorities, each with its own distinct language and culture.  The majority Han population comprises ninety-two percent of the population of China, whereas all 56 minorities combined make up the other 8 percent of the total.  Among the minorities, there are at least 56 separate and distinct languages and hundreds of spoken dialects.

Qiang embroidery is one of China’s four famous embroidery traditions

The conference will focus specifically on ways to protect minority cultures at a time when globalization and urbanization threaten their existence.  Sociologists contend that when cultural ties to a community are broken, individual members suffer a loss of identity, may become depressed and often find it difficult to make friends and maintain relationships.  Higher crime is just one of the social ills that accompany the breakdown of cultural ties.  Communities can be strengthened and individual lives improved when language and culture remain intact.   Both IOV and UNESCO have developed programs and dedicated resources to develop projects aimed at preserving the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

It is most appropriate that Jiuzhaigou was chosen as the site for this Forum.  The area is famous as the home of the Giant Panda and Golden Monkey, two animal species that are benefitting from government efforts to save animal habitat.  Although they aren’t yet secure, their numbers have increased and their future looks brighter than it did just a few years ago.

Tribal Leaders Hold Discussions

The last Qiang Nationality Patriarch will hold a dialogue with Native American Indian Medicine Man, Lacee Harris.  Many IOV members will recall Lacee as the man who brought the forces of the four directions together to bless the First IOV World Youth Congress at its opening session last year in Bountiful, Utah. Lacee is a member of the Ute Indian Nation, which gave  the State of Utah in the Western United States its name.

Officials of the Chinese National UNESCO Commission, The Ministry of Culture and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission will participate together with IOV scholars and professional folklorists.   Most major televisions news sources will cover portions of the Forum, including CCTV and an alliance of 250 local TV stations that make up the China Broadcasting and Television Association.  Printed media will be distributed by the Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily and other newspapers and news magazines.

Contact:
Interested individuals should contact Emma Chen Hoefler, IOV Vice President and Chair of the China National Section of IOV at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .