The need to preserve an ancient culture that was fully in tact until only 140 years ago, is the driving force behind my Project Gida. This need is crystalised in the words of UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova:

"No society can flourish without culture – and no development can be sustainable without it. Culture holds answers to many of the questions that societies face today. Intangible cultural heritage has a vital role to play in this respect, as the living cultural practices, expressions and knowledge systems that provide meaning to communities, that explain the world and shape it.

"The power of intangible cultural heritage is still far too overlooked – despite the benefits demonstrated by numerous studies, showing that communities around the world rely on living heritage to tackle a wide range of challenges, from food scarcity, environmental change and health to education, conflict prevention and reconciliation."

 

 

(Source: UNESCO document, 'Intangible Cultural Heritage In Need of Urgent Safeguarding 2012/2013' at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002309/230959E.pdf)