World Association of Folklore Festivals - WAFF was formed 2011 as a natural stage of the development of the organizational structure, after several decades of history and experience, with the goal of systemizing general administrative overhead and strategic assistance in compliance with the growing needs of the Championship system of folklore.

The vision of noble competition between the performances of ancient cultural virtues is one of the ways to the aid the development and preservation of the world cultural heritage.

World Association of Folklore Festivals - WAFF believes in the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, manifestation of the cultural variety as a guarantee for solid development.
We recognize that the processes of globalization and social changes create conditions for resumption of the dialogue between the societies in parallel with the acts of intolerance, are source of a serious threat of degradation, vanishing and destruction of the intangible cultural heritage due to the lack of resources for its preservation.

All this is addressed by the Convention for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage, signed by the General Conferation of the Organization of the united nations for education, science and culture titled “UNESCO” in 2003, with the created general concern and aspiration for preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of the humankind and the need of deeper understanding, especially by the young generation, of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage and its preservation.   

World Association of Folklore Festivals - WAFF maintains and respects the following basic lines of development:
The preservation of the cultural and folklore heritage of the nations is a superior obligation of the present generation. The identity of every nation is connected with the pride, achievements and the millennial wisdom of the ancestors.
The challenge of the competitive environment is the point of development of the societies. The participation of the folklore groups in the Championship system is honor and prestige and brings folklore closer to the present human perceptions by its competitive principle.
The conduction of Championships and International folklore festivals with status of a round of the World Championship system will contribute for the maintenance of the pride and identity of every nation by showing the world its respect to its own and other nations’ history and traditions.