For an education of promoting and safeguarding traditional games

interview with Pere Lavega-Burgués

Abstract

The following is an interview with Pere Lavega-Burgués, one of the most influential figures in the promotion and safeguard of traditional sports and games (TSGs) in the world. He is a professor at the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, at the University of Lleida, Spain, a member of the Advisory Committee for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and President of the European Association for Traditional Sports and Games (AEJeST). The interview focuses on his serving at the helm of AEJeST, a non-governmental organization, with a continental scope, that works towards the recognition of TSGs as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by establishing local, national and continental networks; of promoting events, festivals and educational training; of research development; of the production the teaching materials; and intervening in global institutions, such as the International Association for Traditional Sports and Games and UNESCO. Recognizing, safeguarding and nurturing cultural heritage is therefore an essential factor in educational processes and in the continuity of ancestral and social minority groups.