© Suomen Latu

The training workshop organized from 20 to 23 March in Helsinki by the Finnish Heritage Agency in cooperation with UNESCO has raised a lot interest among heritage communities in Finland. 40 representatives of local communities, minorities, non-governmental organizations and government offices were selected to take part in the four-day workshop. The Finnish Wiki-Inventory for Living heritage, which was launched in 2016 received a lot of attention among communities in the country: in only two years, it gathered over 130 living heritage elements from 180 communities in five languages. While inventorying and awareness-raising about safeguarding of living heritage are already well underway in Finland, there is a strong need for strengthening capacities in safeguarding methodologies. The workshop will therefore equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed for the development of effective safeguarding plans for living heritage.