Communities’ role in heritage preservation discussed

Emirates Falconers Club is organising an international conference on role of indigenous people and local communities in linking intangible cultural heritage and wildlife conservation at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), under the theme “Sustainability and Heritage...a Reborn Aspiration.”

The conference, set to be held from Sept.26 to Oct.2 is organised in co-operation with the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 24 young falconers (aged 18 to 30) representing 24 countries will participate in the conference.

Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Secretary-general of Emirates Falconers Club, Chairman of the Conference’s Higher Organising Commitee, stated that the conference aims to bring together Uae-based experts and researchers as well as participants from 24 countries for the purpose of promoting sustainable use, which plays a pivotal role in preserving the environment. Moreover, the conference seeks to highlight the role of the IUCN and establish a link with the UNESCO Commission on Intangible Cultural Heritage to utilise communities’ readiness towards supporting the heritage and environment preservation efforts.

The conference aims to encourage communications between falconers and indigenous people and local communities, promote falconry and correct misinformation about it, educate the public about the role of falconry in sustainable hunting, encourage cultural approaches to restore ecosystems through sustainable use, recognise the role of falconry as an important heritage in local and indigenous communities and the leading role falconers can play in achieving heritage conservation and preservation goal.

Furthermore, the conference will highlight the role of the IAF in promoting the legal practice of falconry, and focus on highlighting the conservation portals and the student education project through cooperation with schools, and the International Falconry Festival, thus highlighting the UAE’S commitment to preserving and promoting falconry around the world.

The conference will be moderated by Dr Adrian Lombard, Chairman of the Sustainable Use and Ecosystems Management Group at IUCN, with the participation of Gary Timber as a representative of the IAF.

The conference will also address, through its multiple sessions, the contributions of falconers and hunters in promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and innovative ways through which falconers contribute to sustainable hunting.