Trashëgimia kulturore jomateriale – infografikat ndëraktive të UNESCO-s

(senad guraziu – ars poetica, j 2021)

Databaza e UNESCO sot i ka mbi 500 elemente të Trashëgimisë Kulturore Jomateriale, nga mbi 100 vende të botës. Elementet e regjistruara u referohen pothuaj 1000 koncepteve. Tutje krijohen mbi 15.000 ndërlidhje mes këtyre elementeve, koncepteve, shteteve, rajoneve.

Elementet në infografikat e UNESCO-s ndërlidhen përmes koncepteve dhe janë të sitemuara në 5 Domene (Fusha) – Zejtaria tradicionale, Traditat dhe Gojëtaria, Artet Performuese, Praktikat Shoqërore, Ritet dhe Ngjarjet Festive, Njohuritë dhe Praktikat mbi Natyrën e Universin.

Infografikat ndëraktive të UNESCO-s janë: Konstelacioni (Plejada), Biomet (Resurset Natyrore), Zhvillimi i Qëndrueshëm, Kërcënimet, Domenet (Fushat).
Këto vegla të avancuara e ndihmojnë vizitorin për “leximin” e të dhënave më lehtë, duken paksa komplekse në shikim të parë por në fakt është supozuar ta zbusin “kompleksitetin” – ndëraktiviteti patjetër se ndihmon që të kihet akses sadopak më i lehtë në “big data” të këtij lloji.

Si synim që t’u ofronte palëve (shtetërore) të dhënat e detajuara apo një “pasqyrë” më të kthjellët, që nga viti 2003 Sekretariati i Konventës për Ruajtjen e Trashëgimisë Kulturore ka investuar në menaxhimin e infove. Është investuar pra dhe në shërbimet internetike për zbatimin e këtij menaxhimi informatik. Në vitin 2016 UNESCO filloi të impenjohej për gjetjen e zgjidhjes sa më të mirë, elementet që u përkasin temave të ngjashme duhej të grupoheshin, duhej ta “komunikonin” reciprocitetin, tutje synohej të paraqiteshin variacionet e lidhjes së elementeve me njëri-tjetrin përmes koncepteve dhe ideve, si dhe të zhvillohej një hartografi efikase e bazuar në përmbajtjen dhe kuptimin (semantik), sesa (vetëm) në atë gjeografik. Në vitin 2018 qe punuar një prototip infografik, prezantimi i projektit do ta bindte Mbretërinë e Holandës për mbështetjen e zhvillimit të mëtutjeshëm. Me ndihmën e ekspertëve të dhënat qenë rafinuar, qenë përgatitur pastaj dhe disa versione shtesë të vizualizimeve.

Sipas fjalëve të UNESCO, vizualizimet ndëraktive do duhej t’na e shpalosnin se trashëgimia kulturore nuk është vetëm e larmishme dhe shumëngjyrëshe, por dhe burim shumë i çmuar i njohurive të testuara nga koha si t’jetojmë në planetin tonë në mënyrë të qëndrueshme dhe paqësore. Info-vizualizimet ndëraktive mëtojnë t’i qartësojë ndërlidhjet (nëse ekzistente) mes trashëgimisë kulturore jomateriale me 17 Objektivat e Zhvillimit të Qëndrueshëm (SDG), që bashkësia ndërkombëtare i ka parashtruar të arrihen deri në v. 2030.

– – – – – – –

Sky Division (Infographic), 2024 – UNESCO – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity [ Albania ]

2024 – K’cimi dancing of Tropojë

Inscribed in 2024 (19.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

In Albania, the k’cimi dance is a popular, festive dance performed in spontaneous gatherings or during traditional ceremonies such as weddings, birthdays, initiations and village celebrations. Typically accompanied by drums, k’cimi is performed by men, women and children of all ages, and usually in couples, with partners changing according to the occasion and the dancers’ choice. People dance face to face, without touching. They make swooning movements, raising and dropping their arms as they move around one another. According to the occasion, some dancers may wear traditional attire. During the dance, women may also wave a handkerchief, usually red in colour. The k’cimi dance is traditionally practiced by the people of Tropojë and is associated with springtime celebrations, mountainous landscapes and the flight of eagles – a symbol of strength and of collective identity. However, it is now performed year-round, including by people from other parts of Albania. Dance groups also perform the dance during festivals. K’cimi is transmitted through observation and participation during social and ceremonial occasions. During family celebrations in particular, elders show and teach children and youth the dance. The dance evokes a sense of shared identity and belonging while promoting social cohesion, freedom of expression and tolerance.

2022 – Xhubleta, skills, craftsmanship and forms of usage

Inscribed in 2022 (17.COM) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Xhubleta is a handcrafted garment worn by highland women and girls in Northern Albania, characterised by its undulating bell form. Predominantly black with colourful embroidered motifs, the crafting process entails preparing the shajak (woven felt), cutting, sewing and embroidering symbolic figures. Xhubleta was once used in everyday life from the age of puberty, indicating the wearer’s social and economic status. However, its use and production has been decreasing over the past decades due to socio-political and economic reasons. The new policies set by the socialist system in the 1960s altered traditional cultural patterns, bringing changes to the daily lives of the mountain communities and the use and production of Xhubleta. As women had to work in the agricultural socialist cooperatives, Xhubleta was no longer practical for everyday life. Furthermore, state collectivization led to a lack of raw materials for its production. Today, few women possess the knowledge of the entire process, and traditional family-based transmission is rare. Nevertheless, the garment has maintained its social and spiritual significance and is still considered an integral part of highland identity.

2008 – Albanian folk iso-polyphony

Inscribed in 2008 (3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005)

Traditional Albanian polyphonic music can be divided into two major stylistic groups as performed by the Ghegs of northern Albania and the Tosks and Labs living in the southern part of the country. The term iso is related to the ison of Byzantine church music and refers to the drone accompanying polyphonic singing. The drone is performed in two ways: among the Tosks, it is always continuous and sung on the syllable ’e’, using staggered breathing, while among the Labs, the drone is sometimes sung as a rhythmic tone, performed to the text of the song. Rendered mainly by male singers, the music traditionally accompanies a wide range of social events, such as weddings, funerals, harvest feasts, religious celebrations and festivals such as the well-known Albanian folk festival in Gjirokastra.
Albanian iso-polyphony is characterized by songs consisting of two solo parts, a melody and a countermelody with a choral drone. The structure of the solo parts varies according to the different ways of performing the drone, which has a great variety of structures, especially in the popular style adopted by all groups performing this music. Over the last few decades, the modest rise of cultural tourism and the growing interest of the research community in this unique folk tradition have contributed to the revival of Albanian iso-polyphony. However, the tradition is adversely affected by poverty, the absence of legal protection and the lack of financial support for practitioners, threatening the transmission of the vast repertoire of songs and techniques. The rural exodus of young people to the bigger cities and abroad in search of jobs compounds this danger. Given these conditions, at the present time, the transmission of this tradition is maintained through professional folk artists, rather than within the family structure.