TY - GEN A1 - Rudolff, Britta A1 - Zekri, Muhammad al- T1 - A network of traditional knowledge: the intangible heritage of water distribution in Bahrain T2 - International Journal of Intangible Heritage N2 - Traditional knowledge of the system of water distribution to farmlands sharing the same scarce fresh water resources has created relationships which are based on justice and equal rights among members of the farming communities of Bahrain. Over the centuries, the need to manage water irrigation led to the development of customary codes which regulated schedules of irrigation, the division of water resources and their equitablefair distribution. This framework was informed by both pre-Islamic customary oral traditions and Islamic ethics, and was transmitted from generation to generation. The inherited intangible heritage of irrigation law is complex and remained in use until the 1960s. In more recent times, individual farmers using water pumps and networks of pipelines of government treated sewage effluent (TSE) were not motivated to maintain traditional water management customs and have consequently stoppedrelinquished from attending communal gatherings and disregarded the customary laws which regulated notions of fairness among them for centuries. The resulting uncontrolled usage of the underground aquifers by those digging their own wells has in many areas, led to over-exploitation of water resources and to the increased salinisation of the underground water reservoirs. At present, initiatives are being set up to raise awareness of the importance of the customary irrigation laws in ensuring the fair distribution and sustainability of a rare resource on the island. Fortunately, a number of Bahraini farmers continue to follow the traditional codes and have become valuable knowledge bearers who are encouraged to share their wisdom and skills with their colleagues. In this articlepaper, the authors document aspects of the sophisticated intangible heritage of customary water irrigation law in Bahrain, covering its features, key players, and the cross-generational transmission as part of an oral knowledge system, which in parts survived and in other parts ceased to exist. They further highlight how this ancient knowledge can become a basis for sustainable water resource management in Bahrain, as well as playing a role in disseminating notions of fairness, equity and consent, public deliberation and conflict resolution in a local context. KW - customary irrigation law KW - knowledge bearers KW - conflict resolution Y1 - 2014 SN - 1975-3586 IS - 9 SP - 83 EP - 97 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rudolff, Britta A1 - Zekri, Muhammad al- T1 - A network of traditional knowledge: the intangible heritage of water distribution in Bahrain T2 - International Journal of Intangible Heritage Y1 - 2014 SN - 1975-3586 N1 - Text auch in koreanischer Sprache IS - 9 SP - 72 EP - 83 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rudolff, Britta A1 - Raymond, Susanne T1 - A Community Convention? An analysis of Free, Prior and Informed Consent given under the 2003 Convention T2 - International Journal of Intangible Heritage N2 - When the 2003 Convention was drafted a decade ago, one of its aims was to overcome the perceived exclusions and shortcomings of the earlier UNESCO Conventions, in particular the World Heritage Convention. The intention was to adopt a legally binding instrument, which allowed for stronger representation of heritage expressions of the South, which placed communities and grass-roots initiatives at the centre of its activities, and which would strengthen the recognition of and support for heritage practitioners. On the occasion of the Convention’s tenth anniversary, this paper offers a review of the Convention’s success rate in community involvement by focusing on two aspects: the degree to which communities were the driving forces or strongly involved partners in the preparation of candidature files for the Convention’s Intangible Heritage Lists and the way in which their free, prior and informed consent was documented. Based on these findings the paper reflects on potential further improvements towards the Convention’s aims within the forthcoming decade and also briefly discusses if the other UNESCO cultural heritage conventions, in particular the World Heritage Convention, could benefit from the introduction of the concept of free, prior and informed consent to document community support and involvement. KW - Intangible Heritage KW - Free prior informed consent Y1 - 2013 SN - 1975-3586 IS - 8 SP - 154 EP - 164 ER -