Kebaya makes way to UNESCO list

James Kon

Brunei by the Ministry of Tradition, Youth and Sports activities (MCYS) along with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand agreed to collectively submit a multinational nomination of the kebaya to the United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO) beneath the class of consultant Listing of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for 2023.

In keeping with the MCYS, that is the primary time that the Sultanate has forwarded a nomination and likewise the primary with the opposite three international locations. The international locations concerned have mentioned and agreed for the joint multinational nomination of kebaya after contemplating that it’s a frequent heritage practiced within the international locations of the Southeast Asian area.

Kebaya additionally represents and celebrates the richness of frequent heritage, encouraging cross-cultural understanding in order that it continues to be practiced by quite a few communities all through Southeast Asia.

The nomination of kebaya was proposed and led by Malaysia and from discussions as a part of a collection of labor conferences between Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore ,Thailand and Indonesia.

A number of discussions and conferences had been carried out by the respective businesses and the cultural elite as representatives of seven ethics teams to realize neighborhood assist, which is without doubt one of the standards that have to be fulfilled for the nomination.

Following the settlement, a workshop was held from November 1 to three, 2022 at Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia to organize a nomination file for UNESCO by representatives of the international locations concerned.

The concerned international locations welcomed participation of others within the area to affix within the nomination.

UNESCO beneath its 2003 conference for the Safety of Intangible Cultural Heritage emphasises joint nominations to make tradition a platform for mutual understanding and dialogue, making the itemizing course of a possibility for strategic cooperation on the worldwide stage.

WHY KEBAYA: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, TRADITIONS AND PRACTICES?

The information, expertise, traditions and practices associated to kebaya is related to girls of all ages, background and religions from numerous communities in Southeast Asia.

Kebaya meets the definition of an ICH component because it includes the standard craftsmanship expertise (embroidery and stitching methods) for making the standard girls’s garment.

It is usually a garment that represents a big a part of the cultural heritage and id of the Malay, peranakan and different communities in Southeast Asia.

Kebaya can also be related to different types of cultural heritage, reminiscent of festive events and weddings. There’s an energetic neighborhood of makers and wearers of kebaya who share and transmit the information and socio-cultural worth of kebaya from one technology to a different.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have collectively submitted the multinational nomination for kebaya because it represents and celebrates wealthy shared historical past, promotes cross-cultural understanding, and continues to be current and actively practiced by communities throughout Southeast Asia.

The outcomes can be determined in the course of the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024.

HOW DID THE IDEA FOR A MULTINATIONAL NOMINATION OF KEBAYA COME ABOUT?

The concept for the multinational nomination of kebaya was led by Malaysia and mentioned as a part of a collection of working conferences between Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The international locations agreed to work on the multinational nomination of kebaya, on condition that it’s a shared heritage discovered throughout numerous Southeast Asian international locations, and presents a possibility to advertise and have fun the shared cultural heritage discovered within the area.

Conferences have been held among the many taking part international locations since early 2022 to debate the potential for working collectively on the multinational nomination.

Two workshops involving authorities officers, kebaya practitioners and consultants from all taking part international locations had been hosted by Malaysia in November 2022 and Indonesia in February 2023.

Subsequently, an internet workshop led by Singapore to finalise the nomination varieties was held in March 2023.