Resources for Scholars in Danger (Ukraine)

The American Folklore Society (AFS) has been working with member Iryna Voloshyna to assist colleagues in Ukraine who request cloud storage for backups of field research materials. We presently have over 50 individuals in Ukraine connected to a secure folder within a dedicated storage drive for this work. We've been working this week to expand our capacity for storage and security needs by working with a group of partners on this effort. If you have colleagues in Ukraine who need our support, they can reach out to us on this page: https://americanfolkloresociety.org/afs-condemns-the-war-in-ukraine-and-stands-with-all-who-oppose-this-violence/.On the page listed above are ways individuals can get involved, including donating money to relief orgs and working with host institutions to house refugees. Scholars at Risk is actively seeking host organizations for scholar placement. https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/get-involved-institutions/Some of our partners in our fieldwork backup storage work are at the Ukrainian A

The Fellows of the American Folklore Society webinar, “Interrogating the Normal: Folkloristic Engagements with Disability,”

Folklore and Disability Webinar - March 15th The Fellows of the American Folklore Society will present a webinar, “Interrogating the Normal: Folkloristic Engagements with Disability,” on March 25, 2022, 12:00–2:00 pm EDT. This free webinar is the first in a series of three webinars on the topic of “Interrogating the Normal” and is part of a continuation of the Folklore Talks webinars presented by the AFS Fellows.Folklore opens new vistas for understanding what counts as normal. Studies of disability by folklorists are especially provocative for their critiques of ableism, challenging concepts of cultural competence.Phyllis May-Machunda (Professor Emerita of American Multicultural Studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead) will discuss her experiences as a parent of a child with a disability/illness through the lens of a folklorist and will consider intersections among folklore and disability.Nora Groce (the Cheshire Chair at University College London (UCL)) will consider folklore and disability as import

2020 JIAPICH Finalist- NGO Impacto of Mexico

NGO Impacto was created in order to reduce poverty and inequality in Mexico beginning with the state of Chiapas. The main focus is to increase incomes for people living in the communities of the Highlands of Chiapas. NGO Impacto work in economic sectors that are relevant to the local economy, as well as in priority areas like education, gender equity and social communication, in order to improve quality of life of the people living in these communities. Impacto creates the links between those who produce the goods and conscientious consumers, thus generating sustainable development in the state of Chiapas. The main objective of our Textile Program is to promote the integral development of the Mayan women artisans. To do this, we have a team specialized in different areas that facilitates human development, technical production and business development. IMPACTO is educating, creating awareness, and promoting the protection of intangible heritage of Mayan communities in Mexico. They are leading protocols that may help protect them, the Heritage, and they plan to reach the new governmental agencies to push for a change in law for the protection of collective rights starting 2019. Impacto is 2020 Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage Finalist.

The Nan Pa’ch ceremony of Guatemala

“La Paach” is a word derived from pre-Hispanic origins of Guatemala. It is currently listed among the Urgent Safeguarding list since 2013. The four main essential components to the Nan Pa’ch ceremony of Guatemala are the following: The lords of the Pagon, The Parlimentos or God mothers, Assembly of elders, and the dance of the Paach. The ceremony is a corn-veneration ritual held in San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Marcos in Guatemala for the purpose of good harvest. The ritual highlights the close connections that the people of San Pedros have with nature. The gatherers and participants pray in the Mam language as well as the ceremonial corncobs. The participants are mainly older farmers, both men and women who are pillars of their community. The Paach ceremony strengthens the identity of the community of San Pedro and its knowledge and respect for nature and its conservation. The transmission process is both oral and practical, with a group leader instructing new members at workshops and children accompanying their grandparents during the ceremony. In recent years, the Paach ceremony has decreased in frequency, with some young people seeing it as irrelevant, while economic insecurity has caused some bearers to withdraw from the practice. Furthermore, the advanced age of the elders, combined with diminished transmission, might result in the disappearance of this cultural expression. References: ICH Unesco, Wikipedia

Symbol of Costa Rican Hardwork: Las Carretas

Las Carretas is the national pride of Costa Rica. The Spanish whom brought their design to incorporate them into the Costa Rican coffee transport first introduced these Costa Rican Oxcarts. The original oxcarts did not work well in the terrain and climate of the new land. A native design aesthetically and functionally were needed to fit its environment. As the oxcarts became more adapted to Costa Rica, they took on their own identity. The families would make colorful designs of their surroundings onto the oxcarts making them unique. It became a status symbol among families distinguishing them according to their elaborate design and functions of the oxcarts. Las Carretas flourished in the 19th and parts of 20th century. The strong oxen would carry coffee, the Costa Rican national export, into unpaved roads and mountainous terrains. Although the invention of motor based vehicles would eventually take over the transportation, it became a symbol of hard work and the embodiment of the Costa Rican lifestyle. It appears in festivals or street corners, with each Las Carretas having its own sound, enchanting the village or crowd with its pleasant sound. Las Carretas’ function as a symbol of hardworking Costa Rican life is undisputed. There are many oxen-carts around the world but none of it is like Las Carretas as UNESCO recognized it as ICH in 2005. The function and different twists that Las Carretas shows this Costa Rican oxcart is a work of art and stands out as one of this worlds heritage to be shared with everyone. Reference: ICH UNESCO, Wikipedia Images from <a href="www.elsouvenir.com">www.elsouvenir.com</a>