Have you heard of Heritage Thursdays?
The ICOMOS Our Common Dignity Rights-Based Approaches Working Group (OCD-RBA) is leading a series of webinars held on the last Thursday of the month in 2021 that delve into topics related to people-centred approaches to cultural heritage.
The program so far has introduced how OCD-RBA works to integrate rights-based approaches into all aspects of the work of ICOMOS, and how the right to heritage implies the respect for the heritage of others – and this includes considerations of gender and LGTBQ+ communities. In addition to that, an analysis of the interconnection between trauma and heritage was carried out: in fact, events and traumas can impact and transform tangible and intangible cultural heritage practices (changing local traditions) and materiality (caused by, e.g., a tsunami or bombing), and/or in their interpretation (heritage dissonant in its contrast of meanings and values between past and present). By encouraging people-centred approaches, decision-makers enable heritage to become a resource for conflict resolution and for the social, economic and cultural development of the territory in which it is located. Another focus was on the power of Inspirational Documents (e.g. the Heritage Impact Assessment Guidance for World Heritage, the International Cultural Heritage Tourism Charter, the European Quality Principles for EU-funded Interventions with potential impact on Cultural Heritage, and the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society or Faro Convention) and to provoke discussion on how human rights and people-centred approaches should be taken into consideration in the drafting and application of these important texts. Finally, another touched subject is the coastal heritage, communities and climate change: the webinar concentrated on holistic approaches to coastal heritage – tangible and intangible, movable and immovable heritage, landscapes and spaces, land and water.
The Heritage Thursdays webinar format begins with news and short video interventions to bring multiple voices and perspectives into the discussion. Roundtable presentations then provide the opportunity for more concentrated and wrap-up debate. OCD-RBA recognizes that there are a lot of webinars out there, and so it aims to continuously improve the webinar offerings by seeking feedback through a specially-developed English/Spanish/French Evaluation or Exit Poll that all participants are encouraged to fill out.
Please come and support us at our next Heritage Thursday!!
| Heritage Thursdays webinars | |
|
27 May 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
People Centred-Approaches to Cultural Heritage |
|
24 June 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
Gender and Cultural Heritage |
|
26 August 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
Trauma and Heritage |
|
30 September 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
Africa: the right to heritage |
|
28 October 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
Inspirational Documents and Case Studies for Future Policies |
|
25 November 2021 12:00pm – 13.45pm (CET) |
Coastal heritage, communities and climate |
See more:
Heritage Thursdays Webinar Series l Webinar 1: People-Centred Approaches to Cultural Heritage
Read the Spanish version of this article here
Photo credits: Heritage volunteers rescue a wooden fragment (Jaali) from an earthquake damaged traditional house in the historic settlement of Sankhu ravaged by the earthquakes. © Rohit Jigyasu, is licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 3.0, 2015