Traditional Medicine Living Heritage Series Traditional Medicine Sharing Experiences from the Field Eivind Falk Editor-in-Chief Copyright © 2017 ICHCAP, #Heritage Alive. All rights reserved. Printed in the Republic of Korea Published by ICHCAP, 95 Seohak-Ro, Wansan-Gu, Jeonju, Republic of Korea 560-120 #Heritage Alive c/o Eivind Falk: [email protected] All images copyright by the contributing authors unless otherwise indicated. Executive Publisher Kwon Huh Advisory Publishers Seong-Yong Park and Weonmo Park Editor-in-Chief Eivind Falk Editorial Board Mandy Nelson, Jean Roche, Rajiv Trivedi, Emily Drani, Ananya Bhattacharya, Albert vd Zeijden, Salih Taner Serin, Valentina Zingari, Dr. V. Jayaran, Eva Romankova, Harriet Deacon, Joseph Ogieriakhi, Fanny Houët, Ki L eonce, Gabriele Desiderio, Severin Cachat, Seraphin Bute, Robert BD Otto, Okello Quinto, Jorge Gustavo Caicedo and Eivind Falk Proofreader Gaura Mancacaritadipura Project Coordinator Minji Kim Layout and Design Michael Peterson The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this book and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the organization. The publishers make no claim of authority on the topic. The information in this work expresses the opinions of the authors and their opinions on health practices, but it should not be considered a replacement for professional medical advice. Consult with a professional medical practitioner for your individual needs. ISBN 9791195429493 93510 Traditional Medicine: Sharing Experiences from the Field is dedicated to our dear friend and colleague, Jean Roche, who passed away as we were working on this book. Jean was active in the ICH NGO Forum since its founding and a member of the #HeritageAlive Editorial Board from the start. For this book, he wrote a wonderful and personal piece, “Testimony of a Traditional Healer,” not just as an expert on intangible cultural heritage but also as a bearer, which makes his contribution particularly interesting. Future meetings among the NGOs will miss something substantial without Jean’s warm dedication to ICH, and his big hat. CONTENTS Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Promoting Herbal Medicine in Uganda: Diversity of Traditional Medicine 1 Traditional Health Practitioners and Eivind Falk Government Working Together 79 John De Coninck Health Care as Heritage: An Etic Approach of Inscribed Elements on the Lists of ICH as a Legitimation Strategy for Traditional the UNESCO ICH Convention 9 and Complementary Healing Methods? 89 Ahmed Skounti Michaela Noseck-Licul Saam and Sasang, Treasured Testimony of a Traditional Healer 97 Korean Healing Arts 21 Jean Roche Sangwoo Ahn Advances and Challenges in Safeguarding Sul, Traditional Medicine and Family: Traditional Medicine in Curaçao 105 Korean Case Studies 31 Richenel Ansano Hanhee Hahm Haesu Bae Folk Pharmacy in Latvia 117 Signe Pucena Healing with Plants and Affection: José Craveiro, a Practitioner of Traditional Puerperal (Postpartum Period) Food as Medicine in Portugal 41 a Traditional Treatment Method 125 Filomena Sousa Nihal Kadıoğlu Çevik Rosário Rosa Le reboutement au Burkina Faso 133 Heritage, Folk Medicine and Kaviraji Ki Leonce Treatment in Bangladesh 53 Saifur Rashid Dai Yen, village des herboristes traditionnels au cœur de Hanoï (Vietnam) 141 Traditional Medicine and Music: The Vo Thi Thuong Pastellessa as Musicotherapy 63 Vu Thi Ha Emanuela Esposito Vincenzo Capuano History of Traditional Mongolian Medicine 153 Traditional Medicine in Syria: Knowledge, Tserensodnom Dalantai Beliefs & Experiences 71 Reme Sakr Indigenous Medicines of India 161 V. Jayarajan Foreword Kwon Huh Director-General, ICHCAP Traditional medicine takes different forms in different regions, and the documentation and preservation of traditional medical practices and knowledge is part of our efforts for safeguarding intangible heritage and recognizing and promoting cultural diversity. In the same vein, UNESCO has inscribed the Andean cosmovision of the Kallawaya in Bolivia, a body of ritual knowledge and artistic expressions intimately linked to religious beliefs, which also include traditional healing practices, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Traditional medicine, which includes healing practices and knowl- edge, could be considered more than just static traditional knowledge, as it helps us lead healthier lives naturally. It is also important to note that references to safeguarding traditional healing practices is not just included in the 2003 Convention but also in the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). By recognizing and preserving traditional healing prac- tices for therapeutic purposes in areas beyond the reach of modern medicine, we can help ensure our universal rights. According to the common definition by the World Health Organization, traditional med- icine is “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.” As such, traditional practices cannot be easily defined without reference to diverse social and cultural contexts and knowledge. Today, traditional medicine is facing the threat of extinction. Natural medicinal materials and herbs are disappearing due to climate change, desertification, and deforestation. Furthermore, traditional medicine is losing ground to modern medicine, as it is deemed non-scientific or unstandardized. Even if traditional medicine has a scientifically proven treatment for a certain disease, it is easily distorted in the commercial- ization process and often undermines the sustainability of communal life. For instance, when a naturopathic or dietary treatment that has been passed down in a community becomes known to be effective for a disease, the therapeutic materials used in the treatment are recklessly consumed regardless of the communal background, which can lead to destroying the community and the surrounding environment. Traditional medicine should coexist with modern medicine as they are complementary. Traditional medicine plays an important role as a means of treatment for people outside the reach of modern medicine. It also gives new hope to those suffering from diseases that modern medi- cine cannot yet cure. In some developing countries, traditional medicine is easily accessible and obtainable at little or no cost and thus is much more popular than modern medicine. Traditional medicine also embod- ies wisdom that has been transmitted through generations based on our ancestors’ perceptions and experiences about their lives and environ- ment. Traditional medicine, therefore, should be recognized as valuable intangible heritage worthy of safeguarding. This book begins with the introduction to traditional medicine around the world and describes the relations between traditional medicine as traditional knowledge and the 2003 Convention as well as discussions on safeguarding traditional medicine. The book was jointly published by ICHCAP as the content publisher and #Heritage Alive as the editor. As a UNESCO category 2 centre established in accordance with the 2003 Convention, ICHCAP has been engaged in publication projects for intan- gible heritage, including the ICH Courier, to increase the visibility and public awareness of intangible heritage in the Asia-Pacific states. It is always a great pleasure for ICHCAP to work with NGOs enthusiastically working in the field for safeguarding intangible heritage. ICHCAP considers this publication a new challenge and a major step forward, as it is aimed to introduce traditional medicine of the world beyond the Asia-Pacific region. It is also noteworthy that the book will be first presented during the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to be held in Jeju, Korea. In this regard, we would like to thank the edi- torial board of #Heritage Alive led by Editor-in-Chief Eivind Falk and the members of ICHCAP for their contributions to the successful pub- lication of this book. We hope that this book helps readers discover knowledge about tra- ditional medicine and the value of endangered traditional knowledge and also understand the need for the sustainable safeguarding of the environment that surrounds us. Avant-propos Kwon Huh Directeur général de l’ICHCAP La médecine traditionnelle prend des formes différentes selon la région et est transmise de génération en génération. Leur documentation et conservation consiste donc à sauvegarder le patrimoine immatériel en reconnaissant et en promouvant la diversité culturelle. Dans le cadre de ces efforts, l’UNESCO a placé sur sa Liste représentative du patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité diverses médecines traditionnelles. La cosmovision andine des Kallawaya en Bolivie en fait partie, par exemple. En effet, la médecine traditionnelle, qui nous oriente naturellement vers une vie plus saine, est plus que de simples savoirs traditionnels. De la Convention pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel (2003) à la Convention sur la diversité biologique (1992), en passant par la Déclaration universelle de l’UNESCO sur la diversité