New York, 7 January 2022 (TDI): The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (the 2003 convention) has been ratified by 180 countries. The purpose of this convention is to find new ways to speak about (“protect”), to valorize, to facilitate transmission, and to deal with “traditional culture,” to celebrate cultural diversity and to include more groups and communities.

UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011. Palestinians have since joined a number of UNESCO treaties and cultural conventions. In the Palestinian community and institutions, people have realized the importance of intangible cultural heritage in the social, economic, and cultural aspects of their lives, but also the dangers that threaten its continuity, identity, and belonging.

As a result, Palestinians have realized the need to fill the gap that exists between the threats they face and the opportunities provided by UNESCO treaties and international cooperation instruments in this regard.

The art of embroidery in Palestine, including practices, skills, knowledge, and rituals, was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 15, 2021, during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held virtually at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

It is believed that embroidery played a significant role in the lives of rural and Bedouin women prior to 1948. It is primarily characterized by the “thoub,” which was worn both daily and on special occasions. Palestinian embroidery is, however, more than a decorative technique used to decorate clothing or furniture.

Palestinian embroidery links a stitch to the public sphere. As a symbol of Palestinian history, evolution, and identity, embroidery is widely appreciated by the people of Palestine and those in the diaspora.

On Tuesday, December 14, at the same meeting, 16 Arabic-speaking countries jointly submitted a nomination, and after receiving a positive recommendation from the Evaluation Body, Arabic Calligraphy: knowledge, skills, and practices were included on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity.

Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of writing Arabic scripts in a fluid and attractive manner in order to convey harmony, grace, and beauty. “States parties should collaborate to create networks of communities, experts, centers of expertise, and research institutes to develop joint approaches, particularly for elements of intangible cultural heritage that they share, as well as interdisciplinary approaches” (ODs, p.86).

This inscription is viewed by Palestine as a significant step toward collaboration and cooperation with the other Arab States and their respective cultures in order for calligraphy to serve as a driver for peace and cultural diplomacy.

The intangible cultural heritage (ICH), composed of all manifestations of culture, is the most important expression of cultural diversity and the diversity of the living heritage of humanity. As the bearers of heritage within their communities, the ICH is considered crucial to the formation of cultural identity. The viability of a community or group depends on its historical and evolutionary context.

As a living heritage, ICH needs to be safeguarded and preserved through continuous practice and using modern technological tools. In this context, it is essential that endangered traditions, such as traditional know-how, indigenous knowledge, and popular rituals, are preserved in order to bring prosperity and socio-economic sustainable development to Palestine.

In this regard, the Palestinian Museum welcomed visitors interested in seeing a collection of traditional Palestinian dresses, embroidered with silk and recently relocated from Washington to Palestine.

This collection dates back to 1986, when a Palestinian man brought the traditional dresses to Washington, D.C., to exhibit them. Due to political circumstances and fear of Israeli confiscation, the items were unable to be returned to Palestine. Each dress in the collection represents the embroidery pattern of a specific Palestinian area, which reflects the displacement of Palestinian women during the 1948 war.

It is explained by the curator of the museum collection, Bahaa al-Jaaba, that these dresses have historical value as they document details of Palestinian clothing in the original land of refugees, which is part of Palestinian heritage, and the traditional uniform related to embroidered dresses.

Jaaba explained that “studying these dresses not only provides us with historical documentation of the traditional Palestinian clothing but also provides further insight into the social and cultural context of the garments.” Some are worn for happy occasions, while others are associated with sadness.”

Maha el-Saca, a researcher at the Palestinian Heritage Center, said that the vote unanimously in favor of embroidery being considered Palestinian is a safeguard against theft attempts against the craft.

According to her, “Embroidery is famous all over the world, but we are the only ones who have been able to add our identities, habits, social and economic status, and make the dress our identity.”

According to Saca, women can accurately identify the cities or villages where they live by the dresses they wear. It is an embroidered garment designed to depict oranges and the surrounding cypress trees in Jaffa, while the Canaanite garment in Jericho has geometric patterns and designs.

Beersheba’s dress was red, but if the woman becomes a widow, she assumes a blue dress embroidered with blue thread. If she expresses a desire to combine again, as she does in this case, she will also include the blue roses and the toys as a sign that she is ready to marry again.

To preserve this form of heritage, Saca believes that all Palestinians must continue to practice embroidery as a token of their heritage. It is not the first time Israel has attempted to attribute Palestinian dress to itself. There have been instances in the past where Israeli airline flight attendants have deliberately worn Palestinian clothing, resulting in Palestinian condemnation.

As the collection includes items from all significant historical Palestinian regions, from Beersheba to upper Galilee and Safed, and as the garments are over 100 years old, this collection remains a valuable resource for scholars as well as individuals interested in Palestinian heritage.

On the same day, the dresses were displayed, Palestinians also celebrated the UNESCO declaration that Palestinian embroidery had been added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

At the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place in Paris from December 13 to 18, the following decisions were made.