Future Promise

Abstract

Future Promise Nada Hosking (bio) KEYWORDS Syria, cultural heritage, Palmyra Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Women of Dali Dong Village create indigo-dyed textiles using traditional practices fit for contemporary needs. ©Ken/Global Heritage Fund [End Page 256] On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of UNESCO's adoption of the World Heritage Convention, the heritage community should reflect on what it has achieved. When nations around the world adopted the Convention in 1972, it became the certifier of "the wonders of the world." Today, there are over one thousand sites in more than 130 countries inscribed on the World Heritage List. These coveted inscriptions have successfully driven conservation efforts even during the most economically and socially challenging times. Most of us would agree that the original mission of UNESCO in general and the World Heritage Program in particular is one of progress and peace, an upstanding vision, to be sure. Fifty years on, however, national priorities and the needs of local communities have changed, and the Convention must adapt to these new realities. Over time, the program has devolved from an organization with a coherent mindset of mutual understanding to one muddled by the competing interests of its Member State.1 In an outcome that represents the very antithesis of UNESCO's core mission, the World Heritage Program catalyzes conflict and competition among countries looking to show off a piece of their history as a status symbol on the heralded World Heritage List. As well, one cannot overlook the Western bias, with mostly European nations serving as judges of this competition, resulting in an adversarial and noninclusive environment. The organization must do more to break out of its bureaucratic mindset to better address the current issues affecting and threatening the world's heritage and to return to its roots of promoting intercultural understanding. Issued in August, the United Nations 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report clearly set forth the new and considerable challenges for heritage preservation and conservation.2 The report sounds an alarming "code red for humanity," outlining the impact global warming will have on the planet if action is not taken immediately. This report specifically emphasizes the urgent need for site-based work by the international heritage community, grounded in the logical premise that fighting climate change and promoting sustainability represent crucial aspects of heritage conservation, both natural and cultural. Already broadly reported, lesser-developed countries are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, putting their heritage all the more at risk.3 Admirably, UNESCO has committed to moving forward with the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a part of its mandate and mission for peace and prosperity, including Target 11.4 under Sustainable Development Goal 11, which commits member countries to "strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage."4 Although this specific inclusion of heritage is noteworthy, where are the actionable strategies to realize this admirable goal? [End Page 257] This effort to leverage the brand recognition of World Heritage properties and heritage in general toward broader sustainable development goals dates to at least 2015 when the World Heritage Convention adopted a policy on integrating a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the Convention. That policy revolves around the three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental sustainability, inclusive social development, and inclusive economic development, complemented by the fostering of peace and security. Yet in practice, tools and procedures for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this policy are still not fully developed.5 Meanwhile, in the real world, we see examples of heritage projects actively demonstrating the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability, community involvement, and regenerative approaches to heritage preservation. These examples can and should help guide the Convention's efforts to do more. Recently nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Collective Granaries located in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco were built by the native Amazigh community to protect their food, important documents, and valuable goods. They were naturally preserved for centuries by the arid conditions of the region. Now, climate change contributes to structural erosion, while migration from rural to urban areas hampers community-driven conservation. Local and international experts...