IGBA AS A TRADITIONAL RITUAL ENVERGA UNIVERSITY 1 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM: RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND Introduction During its World Conference on Cultural Policies in 1982 (MONDIACULT), UNESCO linked culture so irrevocably to development. Culture is defined as the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features that characterize a society or social group. It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs (www.unesco.org, para. 1). Meanwhile, it is not always possible to measure such beliefs and values directly. It is possible to measure associated behaviors and practices. As such, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Framework for Cultural Statistics states that culture is the identification and measurement of the behaviors and practices resulting from the beliefs and values of a society or a social group. Traditions, rituals, practices, and festive events, as part of the intangible heritage often take place at a special time and place and remind a community of aspects of its worldview and history. In some cases, access to rituals may be restricted to certain members of the community (www.unesco.org., para. 1). Likewise, rituals in practice are present in farming and very much influenced by religiosity. Rites and rituals and other belief practices with lavish offerings are