Expert Meeting on the “Traditional Sports and Games” Theme of the Interactive Atlas of Cultural Interactions along the Silk Roads

The Expert Meeting on the “Traditional Sports and Games” Theme of the Interactive Atlas of Cultural Interactions along the Silk Roads will be held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan from 4-5 December 2018. This meeting has been organized by UNESCO, in close collaboration with the Government of Turkmenistan. Approximately fifteen international experts will gather in order to discuss the exchange of cultural elements between various regions along the Silk Roads in the field of traditional sports, martial arts and games.

Although the current context of globalization is filled with conflict and mistrusts, the Silk Roads offer an instructive example of a long-lasting legacy of intercultural exchange, dialogue and cooperation, which serve as the basis for sustainable peace and development. Thus, the creation of the Interactive Atlas will highlight the common heritage that flourished throughout these regions.

The Government of Turkmenistan, in partnership with UNESCO, will also organize an international conference that will follow the expert meeting. The conference, entitled “Importance of the Great Silk Roads: Present and Future Development”, will be held from 6 to 7 December 2018.

Divided into three sessions, it will bring together ministers, high-ranking officials, and international experts from approximately 48 countries. The aim of the conference is multi-faceted. The first goal is to highlight the significance of the Great Silk Roads with regards to sustainable development. The next is to discuss the potential of the Silk Roads common heritage in promoting intercultural dialogue and international cooperation in contemporary societies, and the last is to provide a forum of shared experiences and expertise, regarding the contribution of the Silk Roads heritage towards its achievement of the 2030 Agenda.