UN to Fund "Safeguarding" of UAE Cultural Practices

Here's our country's UN dues at work...

Cultural Practices to be Assisted by U.N.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The United Nations launched an initiative in the United Arab Emirates to prevent the death of age-old cultural practices, a press release reported.

Thursday, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage listed 76 traditions from around the world on the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Included were the tango, religious processions and fertility dances.

...The practices in need of urgent safeguarding are eligible for funding to ensure their survival.

Among these are Latvian female drone singing, a collective fishing rite in Mali, three Mongolian practices and a Belarus Christmas ritual.

Do you think Abu Dhabi really needs UNESCO funding to help with this?  (See this chart on the value of various sovereign wealth funds in the world... guess whose is at the top and valued at 50% more than #2)

And what are the cultural practices that are going to be "safeguarded"?

I'm in favor of preserving heritage for future generations to learn from them.  I'm not sure this is the best way to do it.