CIOFF
Encyclopedia
The International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Art (CIOFF, in French Conseil international des organisations de festivals de folklore et d'arts traditionnels), is an International Nongovernmental Organization
(NGO) in formal consultative relation with UNESCO
. CIOFF has 65 full members, 5 associate members and 18 corresponding members worldwide. Its head-quarters are in Confolens
in France
. Full members are National Sections with the aim to preserve traditional art, to organize Folklore Festivals or similar activities as well as unite voluntary organizations, working in the field of dance, music, costumes, customs and ethnography
.The National Sections are belong to sectors in the organization according to their geographic location.
.
2009 Folkloriada had to be cancelled because of a natural disaster in China. The next Folkloriada is scheduled for 2012 Anseong
, Republic of Korea.
On July 11, 1984 CIOFF was given the category of mutual informal Relations to UNESCO (Status C). From then on CIOFF became a member of the members of the International Nongovernmental Organizations of UNESCO. In September 1990 CIOFF was upgraded to the category Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO (Status B).
CENTRAL EUROPEAN SECTOR: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine.
LATIN AMERICAN SECTOR:Argentina, Brazil, Brazil Abrasoffa, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
NORTH AMERICAN SECTOR: Belize, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, United States
NORTHERN EUROPEAN SECTOR: Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom
SOUTH EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN SECTOR: Albania, Algeria, Benin, Bulgaria, Congo RDC, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Croatia, Cyprus, France, FYROM (Macedonia), Greece, Guinea, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, South-Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia
International nongovernmental organization
The World Bank defines a non-governmental organization as "private organizations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development"...
(NGO) in formal consultative relation with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. CIOFF has 65 full members, 5 associate members and 18 corresponding members worldwide. Its head-quarters are in Confolens
Confolens
Confolens is a commune in southwestern France. It is one of the two sub-prefecture of the Charente department.Confolens is the administrative center of a largely rural district, which has seen the development of tourism in recent years.-Geography:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Full members are National Sections with the aim to preserve traditional art, to organize Folklore Festivals or similar activities as well as unite voluntary organizations, working in the field of dance, music, costumes, customs and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
.The National Sections are belong to sectors in the organization according to their geographic location.
Aims
Aims of the organization is the preservation, promotion and dissemination of traditional art and FolkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
Events
Each year more than 250 Folklore Festivals organized by CIOFF take place worldwide Every 4 years CIOFF world organization is holding Folkloriada. This is a major festival where all members of CIOFF are invited to send Folklore Groups from their countries to show the dicersity of Folklore. Up to now CIOFF rganised 3 Folkloriadas- 1996 in BrunssumBrunssumBrunssum is a municipality and a town in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. Brunssum was formerly a center of coal mining in the Netherlands and there are a few active mines remaining in the area...
- 2000 in TokioTokioTokio is an alternative spelling for Tokyo, the capital of Japan, used primarily in non-english speaking countries.Tokio may also refer to:-Music:*Tokio , a Japanese pop/rock band**Tokio , the debut by Tokio...
and other cities in Japan - 2004 in PécsPécsPécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
and BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
2009 Folkloriada had to be cancelled because of a natural disaster in China. The next Folkloriada is scheduled for 2012 Anseong
Anseong
Anseong is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, 80 km south of Seoul. Its geographical location is .Anseong promotes itself as "The City of Masters". It is known for producing brassware and arts and crafts. From late Spring to Fall, Anseong is holds its own Namsadang Neuri Festival...
, Republic of Korea.
Culture
Two very important aims of CIOFF are to disseminate the ideas of the (Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and to collaborate on the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]] of the UNESCO.Formation
The organization was founded on August 8, 1970 in Confolence in France by Henri Coursaget und 9 other people.On July 11, 1984 CIOFF was given the category of mutual informal Relations to UNESCO (Status C). From then on CIOFF became a member of the members of the International Nongovernmental Organizations of UNESCO. In September 1990 CIOFF was upgraded to the category Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO (Status B).
Presidents of CIOFF
- Henri Coursaget, France (1970–1989)
- Guy Landry, Canada (1989–1997)
- Kari Bergholm, Finland (1997–2005)
- Udomsak Sakmunvong, Thailand (2005– )
General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) is the highest organ of CIOFF. It takes place every year in one of the member countries. It is the decision-making unit, because determines of the targets and the formal guidelines of the organization’s work and makes decisions on proposals presented by the council. The GA also elects the members of the Council for a period of 4 years. The council meets twice a year.General Secretariat
The General Secretariat has its head-quarters in Confolens and is overseen by the Secretary General.Commissions
For the development of basic themes in the comprehensive field of activities of CIOFF and for advising the council and the general Assembly permanent Commissions are established. These are the Festivals Commission, the Finance Commission, the Legal Commission and the Cultural Commission.Working Groups
To solve temporary problems or to do work on specific projects Working Groups can be established.Management Bodies
The management bodies of CIOFF are the Executive Committee (EXCO), consisting of the President, two Vice Presidents, the Treasurer and the Secretary General and the Council consisting of the EXCO, the Chairmen of the Commissions, the Representatives of the Sectors, the Representative to UNESCO and the President of the Youth Coordinating Committee.Members
ASIAN AND OCEANIAN SECTOR: Australia, China, Chinese Hong-Kong, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Rep. of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Tahiti, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE).CENTRAL EUROPEAN SECTOR: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine.
LATIN AMERICAN SECTOR:Argentina, Brazil, Brazil Abrasoffa, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
NORTH AMERICAN SECTOR: Belize, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, United States
NORTHERN EUROPEAN SECTOR: Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom
SOUTH EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN SECTOR: Albania, Algeria, Benin, Bulgaria, Congo RDC, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Croatia, Cyprus, France, FYROM (Macedonia), Greece, Guinea, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Montenegro, Niger, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, South-Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia