[Live] 2024 International Tug-of-war Symposium _English

2024 International Tug-of-war Symposium
Discussing the Role of Tug-of-war
in an Inclusive Society
10:00-17:00 (KST), April 12, 2024 (Fri.) / Main Auditorium, Gijisi Tug-of-war Museum
Nine years have passed since the tugging rituals and games of Cambodia, the Philippines, Korea and Vietnam were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The practice and transmission of tug-of-war in communities serve to facilitate cohesion and inclusion in society, and furthermore provide a key channel through which inter-cultural conversations take place to foster an understanding of diversity and respect for other cultures. As a shared intangible cultural heritage of humanity, tug-of-war contributes to the foundation of inclusive and sustainable development of society, and carries vital significance as such.
This year, communities and stakeholders from the four state parties to the joint inscription of tugging rituals and games will gather for the first time since Covid Pendmic in a deeply meaningful event. The city of Dangjin and UNESCO ICHCAP will jointly host the International Tug-of-war Symposium as an opportunity to directly share experiences and research findings with regard to safeguarding activities for tug-of-war to date across the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, tug-of-war practitioner communities have been invited from Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam to hold demonstrations of the cultural practice and add their voices to the conversation.
-Program
10:00-10:20 Opening ceremony
Opening remarks: Oh Seong-hwan, Mayor of Dangjin-si
Welcoming remarks: Kim Ji-sung, Director-General of UNESCO ICHCAP
Congratulatory remarks 1: Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Agency for Cultural Heritage at the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Congratulatory remarks 2: TBD
10:20-10:40 Keynote presentation
Value and Significance of Tug-of-war as a Shared Heritage for Inclusive and Sustainable Development
(Nguyen Thi Hien, Professor at Vietnam National University)
10:40-11:00 Commemorative photography and break
11:00-12:20
Session 1: Current Status and Future Tasks in Safeguarding Tug-of-war Subsequent to the Joint Inscription (Host: Hwang Ji-hye)
Presentation 1
Activities in 2024 Subsequent to the Inscription of Korea’s Juldarigi on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Dissemination and Solidarity (Ko Daeyoung, Curator at Gijisi Tug-of-war Museum)
Presentation 2
The Status of Safeguarding Tugging Rituals and Games in Vietnam
(Le Thi Minh Ly, Vice-Chair of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association)
Presentation 3
Cambodia’s Role in the Safeguarding and Promotion of Tug-of-war as Shared Heritage
(Siyon Sophearith, Director-General of the Techniques for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)
Presentation 4
Current Status and Outlook for the Safeguarding of Tug-of-war in the Philippines
(Renee Talavera, Head of the Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts Section at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines)
Presentation 5
Current Status and Symbolic Meaning of Japan’s Traditional Tug-of-war
(Kubota Hiromichi, Head of the Intangible Folk Culture Team at National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo)
12:20-12:40
Q&A
12:40-14:00
Lunch
14:00-15:10
Session 2: Seeking New Possibilities for Tug-of-war Toward an Inclusive Society (Host: Oh Chang-hyeon)
Presentation 1
Yeongwol Kudzu Tug-of-War: Its Characteristics and Challenges for Systematic Transmission (Seo Jong-won, Academic Director at Korea Folk Art Institute)
Presentation 2
The Value and Transmission Challenges for Gang Juldarigi of Gyopyeong-ri, Okcheon-gun
(Kim Eunjeong, Chief Researcher at Chungbuk Research Institute of Cultural Heritage)
Presentation 3
Current Status and Salient Issues for Tug-of-war in Contemporary China
(Lequan Cui, Professor at China Sports Museum)
Presentation 4
Puuri (Harvest Thanksgiving) Tradition and Tug-of-war in Shikamura, Ishigaki
(Mogi Hitoshi, Researcher at National Theater Okinawa)
15:10-15:30
Q&A
15:30-15:50
Break
15:50-17:00
Special session
Open chat: Tug-of-war’s contributions to an inclusive society built together (Chair: Kim Hyeong-geun)