Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Protection of Refugees and Refugee Camps

Abstract

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention was established to recognize and protect non-material aspects of culture. Through an analysis of the experience of Bhutanese refugees, we argue that the Convention could be used to aid, protect, and acknowledge refugees in the absence of other mechanisms. Bhutanese refugees began living in camps in 1991, and a population remains in camps without formal international or national support. During this residency, the culture and identity of the Bhutanese refugees were transformed. As sites of cultural meaning and transformation for the refugees, the camps should be protected. Unfortunately, the current state-centric process for nominating intangible cultural heritage for protection excludes stateless and minority groups, such as refugees. Consequently, the nomination process should be amended to allow for bottom-up, community-led nominations.