United Nations Educational , Scientific And Cultural Organization Research Articles

Geoparks – learnings from Australia

PurposeThis study aims to provide an overview of the current socio-political geopark situation in Australia and set this into a global context. In addition, the authors consider this information to be useful for all stakeholders involved in geopark research and development. An analysis of constraints is set alongside stakeholder views collected from remote rural Western Australia. The authors also place Australia in a global context in regard to the future of geoparks.Design/methodology/approachVital contextual information regarding the tourism significance of geoparks is sourced from key literature. The authors analyse and report on the situation surrounding the current lack of enthusiasm for the geopark concept by the federal government and states in Australia. The authors also report positive rural community stakeholder views on geopark development from regional Western Australia.FindingsWhile Australian federal, as well as state governments have yet to accept geoparks, stakeholder research in Western Australia supports the idea of geopark development. Learnings articulated in this viewpoint are relevant to any country pursuing and initiating the geopark concept. The authors posit that global geopark development can become a vital strategy in post-COVID-19 tourism recovery planning.Originality/valueAustralia currently does not have a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)-recognised geopark. Accordingly, the authors present a case for geopark development, while at the same time exploring the socio-political reasons behind the lack of geopark implementation in Australia. The authors consider the future of geoparks in the global context and reiterate the point that geoparks are important for COVID-19 recovery of tourism and in regard to UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Sustainability of the Palestinian historic village of Battir

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the proper built heritage preservation and management as important steps toward sustainability for the case of village Battir. In particular, the historic village core and its surroundings were elaborated. Battir is a Palestinian village located to the south of Jerusalem, famous for landscape terraces traditionally used in their authentic form since the Roman time. Because of its outstanding universal values, Battir was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list (WHL) in 2014.Design/methodology/approachTo present the potentials of Battir to become a sustainable asset, the results of the Sustainable Plan have been used in this paper. Among the proposed strategies of the Plan methodology for the historic core conservation was emphasized. Referring to the same methodology, key findings about the current state of conservation are elaborated as well as proposals for the village core enhancements.FindingsAs a result of an on-site survey, the Plan outlines several strategies, which are summarized in this paper. Within each strategy, the role and benefits for the inhabitants are evaluated along with the overview of the proposed interventions for the historic tissue preservation.Originality/valueChallenges of the village's heritage preservation have been elaborated under the comprehensive Sustainable Plan that was initiated, prepared and lead by International Peace and Cooperation Center (IPCC). Here, sustainability refers to the better managing of available natural and cultural resources and features, while at the same time, creating new socio-economic opportunities for inhabitants.

A Multi-scale Approach to Interculturalism: From Globalised Politics to Localised Policy and Practice

Interculturalism (IC) is presently discussed as a foundational basis for local public policy aimed at managing migration-related diversity within ethno-culturally plural societies, especially at the local level. Despite its increased saliency over the last decade, IC is neither theoretically new nor was it always intended for mere application in strictly city contexts of diversity. Rather, it has a global origin as a political basis for international relations and negotiations. In discussing these origins, this article has two main interrelated aims. Firstly, it provides an overview of the multi-scale approach of IC, with the purpose of disentangling analytically the different empirical bases where it can frame the diversity agenda. Secondly, it explores whether a lack of appreciation and awareness of this multi-scale orientation may affect IC’s capacity to address the challenges of diversity governance at the local level. Methodologically, the article will undertake a textual analysis of a select number of leading documents framing its practice within the broader policy literature produced by the four main institutions that have advocated the intercultural approach within a global agenda. These are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations University, on one hand, and the European Union and the Council of Europe on the other. The main findings show us the importance of a multi-scale thinking in diversity and IC studies, to avoid contributing to greater confusion in its applications.

Ethnotechnology Noken-Papua as carrying capacity for enhancing local economic development

PurposeThis paper aims to determine the extent to which the strategy of Noken-Papuan products, known as intangible culture recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), can increase local economic empowerment. The main strategy is to strengthen the regulation of the use of Noken in every activity of daily life while promoting it, this has not been explained much from previous research.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the method of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats– analytic hierarchy process (SWOT-AHP) with analysing several pairs of instruments’ predetermined group and finally decision-making strategy recommendations. Data distribution to five districts of Jayapura using simple random sampling based on consideration type product and industrial areas with a number of elements in each sub-population are different.FindingsThe development of local products with cultural values is one of the important points included in the regional development strategy model.Social implicationsThe traditional handmade products that have a high cultural philosophical value can be beneficial to the local community empowerment.Originality/valueEthnotechnology can be well-developed and implemented if policy actors identify the values of external and internal factors to be formulated in enhancing local economic development. This work is a simple attempt to collect research findings separately on Noken product development as a conceptual basis for comparative analysis.

Sustainable Public Transport Service Adapted for People with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility in the Municipality of León, Guanajuato, Mexico

Urban mobility makes it possible to incorporate new perspectives that make it possible to question and problematize the way in which social links and relations between city dwellers are shaped. In this way, mobility constitutes an increasingly massive, recurrent, and complex social practice, strongly conditioned by the existing levels of inequality and particularly those that entail processes of social exclusion. In the present research, the efficiency of the modality of adapted public transportation for people with disabilities in the city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico, which came into operation in 2012, receiving the 2019 Building Equality Award from the International Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is analyzed. The management, design, and implementation of Inclusive Urban Transportation (TÜI), demonstrated how the articulation of actors (public, private, and civil society) are of vital importance for the success of the project. In this sense, it is important to count on the permanent participation of focus groups that identify and understand the real needs of users with reduced mobility. The results achieved allow establishing an evaluation that contributes to detect and mitigate the conditions of vulnerability, risk, and segregation of people with disabilities.

COMEST: Ethical Advice across Scientific and Geographic Borders

Abstract COMEST, an acronym for the French name of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology [1], is an advisory body within United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a forum of reflection, “mandated to formulate ethical principles that could provide decision-makers with criteria that extend beyond purely economic considerations.” [2] Over the years, the Commission has addressed ethical issues in many areas where science and technology have an impact on people, nature, and society. The deliberations result in reports, which are put forward to the biannual General Conference of UNESCO for discussion and adoption. The outcome has often been ethical recommendations and guidelines to consider and hopefully abide to so that science can interact with society in a responsible way and without adverse consequences.

Cultural heritage adaptation is sustainable!

Sustainable development is a well-known term. Sustainable development includes development of cities and communities, industry and infrastructure, innovation and other areas, where no achievement would be possible without caring about the past – our cultural heritage. This paper explains the four-pillar principle of sustainable development of cultural heritage, where each pillar is an amalgamation of various domains. The need to pursue sustainable development of cultural heritage was pointed out in many reports by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Council of Europe, and others. These important organisations stress the need to preserve heritage, and adaptation is considered an effective means for it. This paper dwells on how and at which stage of cultural heritage life cycle the decision of adaptation should be taken, and what stages it should be preceded and followed by in order to ensure the said shift to sustainable development. The decision of adaptation is seen as a key milestone in the cyclical life of a heritage building, which needs to be set to guarantee the continuation of the building’s sustainable development.

Heritage interpretation, conflict and reconciliation in East Asia: global issues in microcosm

PurposeDespite being the intellectual foundation on which the notion of heritage is built and a critical element in all programmes aimed at heritage protection, interpretation as a concept and practice is not well understood or used.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the reasons for and consequences of heritage interpretation as a concept and practice not being well understood using case studies within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage arena in East Asia.FindingsThe paper shows how heritage interpretation impacts both positively and negatively on nation-building within states and the shaping of international relations between states. It identifies heritage interpretation approaches that might help to achieve reconciliation between peoples recently engaged in international conflicts. These concerns are not confined to East Asia but apply across the world.Originality/valueThe discussion draws together the three principal forms of heritage in UNESCO's global project: heritage places, protected under the World Heritage Convention; living or embodied heritage, safeguarded under the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention and documentary heritage preserved under the Memory of the World Program. Suggestions are made as to how the organizations and agencies charged with heritage protection should and could modify their interpretation policies and procedures to help remediate existing negative impacts and avoid creating new tensions in future.

Malaysian and Indonesian Batik: The Best Practices

Malaysian artisans continue to produce crafts and visual art based on a well-tried formula: an inherited framework determined by tradition. However, new ideas and expressions are constantly being developed—with the only real limit being the imagination of the artist/craftsman. Batik sits uniquely in Indonesian culture as it has been declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as its cultural heritage and has been awarded ‘Best Practice’ in its education and production of batik (Kepres, 2009). Indonesia also celebrates its National Batik Day on October 2nd every year. The word batik in Malaysia generally describes the process of decorating cloth using the block printing (cap) or hand-drawn (canting) techniques, or a combination of both. The method of dyeing and coloring varies with the use of materials of various textures, such as cotton, silk, rayon and organza. It may also be identified by the range of traditional designs and motifs used. Batik has become a symbol of national pride and a form of attire for all races. Batik is ingrained in Malaysian culture. Indonesia is aggressive in its efforts in promoting batik as a national identity. The love for batik is instilled through batik-related subjects offered at primary and secondary school levels. In Malaysia, education about batik is introduced at the secondary level.
 Keywords: Malaysian and Indonesian batik, best practices

Portugal in UNESCO: From leaving in 1972 to returning as a member in 1974

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established in November 1946. Portugal was formally admitted to UNESCO on 1 March 1965. Since its entry as a Member State, the Portuguese government has been confronted with successive resolutions of the General Assembly and the Executive Council of UNESCO, which strongly condemned its colonial policy. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the organization would only be possible after the democratization of the Portuguese regime and the effective resolution of the colonial issue. Once all necessary procedures have been adopted, Portugal returned to UNESCO in September 1974.

Open Science in Kenya: Where Are We?

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Open Science is the movement to make scientific research and data accessible to all. It has great potential for advancing science. At its core, it includes (but is not limited to) open access, open data, and open research. Some of the associated advantages are promoting collaboration, sharing and reproducibility in research, and preventing the reinvention of the wheel, thus saving resources. As research becomes more globalized and its output grows exponentially, especially in data, the need for open scientific research practices is more evident — the future of modern science. This has resulted in a concerted global interest in open science uptake. Even so, barriers still exist. The formal training curriculum in most, if not all, universities in Kenya does not equip students with the knowledge and tools to subsequently practice open science in their research. Therefore, to work openly and collaboratively, there is a need for awareness and training in the use of open science tools. These have been neglected, especially in most developing countries, and remain barriers to the cause. Moreover, there is scanty research on the state of affairs regarding the practice and/or adoption of open science. Thus, we developed, through the OpenScienceKE framework, a model to narrow the gap. A sensitize-train-hack-collaborate model was applied in Nairobi, the economic and administrative capital of Kenya. Using the model, we sensitized through seminars, trained on the use of tools through workshops, applied the skills learned in training through hackathons to collaboratively answer the question on the state of open science in Kenya. While the former parts of the model had 20–50 participants, the latter part mainly involved participants with a bioinformatics background, leveraging their advanced computational skills. This model resulted in an open resource that researchers can use to publish as open access cost-effectively. Moreover, we observed a growing interest in open science practices in Kenya through literature search and data mining and that lack of awareness and skills may still hinder the adoption and practice of open science. Furthermore, at the time of the analyses, we surprisingly found that out of the 20,069 papers downloaded from BioRXiv, only 18 had Kenyan authors, a majority of which are international (16) collaborations. This may suggest poor uptake of the use of preprints among Kenyan researchers. The findings in this study highlight the state of open science in Kenya and challenges facing its adoption and practice while bringing forth possible areas for primary consideration in the campaign toward open science. It also proposes a model (sensitize-train-hack-collaborate model) that may be adopted by researchers, funders and other proponents of open science to address some of the challenges faced in promoting its adoption in Kenya.

Her majesty, the queen of sounds: Cultural sustainability and heritage in organ craftsmanship and music

AbstractOrgan craftsmanship and music are inextricably linked with each other. In Germany, a particularly rich symbiosis between craftspeople, composers, and performing artists has evolved over the centuries. In recognizing the transmission of this intangible cultural know-how from generation to generation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed organ craftsmanship and music together in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. This article elucidates how this inscription influences the perception and self-concept of organ craftsmanship and music, both in theoretic-intellectual and in virtual terms. Complementing the qualitative content analysis of literature and documents, narrative first-hand accounts/expert interviews with organ craftspeople/organ builders have been conducted and interpreted. Taking into account a dual nexus of cultural sustainability and intangible cultural heritage, sustainable value creation, substantial claims, multi-perspective visibility, and facilitative reassurance were analyzed and assessedvis-à-visorgan craftsmanship and music. Including organ craftsmanship and music in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity demonstrates an appreciation for sustainable value creation related to the quadruple bottom-line of sustainability – that is, addressing economic, environmental, and societal aspects, including culture as a fully integrated dimension; claims substantial rights for safeguarding and invoking/activating heritage; enhances visibility of performing organists, assigned organ builders, frequent practitioners, and nominated organ experts; and enables reassurance of passion and self-positioning with organ craftsmanship and music.

Mediterranean diet as intangible heritage of humanity: 10 years on

Ten years ago the Mediterranean diet was inscribed into the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This official recognition of the Mediterranean diet as intangible cultural heritage, and awareness of its significance, has provided us with a measure with which to monitor our path in the field. Indeed, the last ten years has seen several undertakings with varying implications in the years to come. Emphasis on safeguarding the intangible heritage of the Mediterranean diet and activities to avoid possible erosions which may affect it at a national, regional and local level have taken centre stage. Preserving our heritage also recognized the importance of further research and we ask what needs to be focused on over the next ten years. Gradually, several myths and misconceptions associated with the traditional Mediterranean diet have emerged and should be clearly addressed and dispelled, particularly those that label as “Mediterranean” an eating pattern that is not in line with the traditional diet. Going beyond physical health benefits, the Mediterranean diet naturally infuses any reference to ‘Sustainability’ by pure definition as ideally, sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically affordable, nutritionally adequate, and safe and healthy. As our ‘Regional’ Mediterranean diet becomes the base for a global reference diet with all the acknowledged benefits, we agree that ‘humanity as a whole’ will benefit from its preservation and scientific-based evidence. A true ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’.

Linguistic diversity and conservation opportunities at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa.

Africa contains much of Earth's biological and cultural-linguistic diversity, but conserving this diversity is enormously challenging amid widespread poverty, expanding development, social unrest, and rapidly growing human population. We examined UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Natural World Heritage Sites (WHSs) on continental Africa and nearby islands-48 protected areas containing globally important natural or combined natural and cultural resources-to gauge the potential for enlisting Indigenous peoples in their conservation. We used geographic information system technology to identify instances where Natural WHSs co-occur with Indigenous languages, a key indicator of cultural diversity. And, we compared the geographic ranges for 4 taxa and selected freshwater species with occurrence of all Indigenous languages within Natural WHSs and subsections of WHSs covered by the geographic extent of Indigenous languages to measure the correlation between linguistic and biological diversity. Results indicated that 147 languages shared at least part of their geographic extent with Natural WHSs. Instances of co-occurrence where a WHS, a language, or both were endangered marked localities particularly deserving conservation attention. We examined co-occurrence of all languages and all species, all languages and endangered species, and endangered languages and endangered species and found a correlation between linguistic and biological diversity that may indicate fundamental links between these very different measures of diversity. Considering only endangered species or endangered languages and species reduced that correlation, although considerable co-occurrence persisted. Shared governance of government-designated reserves is applicable for natural WHSs because it capitalizes on the apparent connection between culture and nature. Natural WHSs in Africa containing speakers of Indigenous languages present opportunities to conserve both nature and culture in highly visible settings where maintaining natural systems may rely on functioning Indigenous cultural systems and vice versa.

Heritage protection in International Law and Nacional Law: insights into the case of Vietnam

The main subject of this Article is to analyse heritage protection under international law and Vietnamese law. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is the main agency tasked with safeguarding culture of humanity and unifying the nations to cooperate with each other to achieve the reach of heritage protection. The core widely-recognised UNESCO international instruments of the (UNESCO) provide a framework of international cultural heritage law. In light of the existing international law on heritage protection, the Article provides insights into Vietnamese legislation on the same subject matter. The Article also points out existing flaws in the Vietnam’s legal system of cultural heritage. Even though the Government of Vietnam has adopted a holistic approach in pursuit of the protection and promotion of cultural heritage and traditional values, lack of care and insufficient supports to communities and artists have caused challenges and difficulties to the Vietnamese Government and the needs for reform in the law-making and enforcement processes to redress the balance between heritage protection and economic development demands.

A 100 years institutionalized cultural heritage protection. From the institutionalized international coopération intellectuelle to the human right to cultural heritage

Almost 100 years ago, the Commission International de Coopération Intellectuelle (CICI) was founded in 1922. Its goal and mission was to enhance peaceful cooperation between peoples via educational and cultural means. Although this Commission shared the fate of the League of Nations, CICI’s successor, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was more successful, laying the groundwork for various international agreements on the protection of cultural heritage. This article provides an overview from the beginnings of institutionalized cultural heritage protection in times of peace almost 100 years ago up until today, where so far both UN special rapporteurs for cultural rights have proclaimed a human right to cultural heritage. While this article concludes that such a specialized human right might still be in the making, sketching the evolution of cultural heritage protection from 100 years ago until the 21st century might allow also for an outlook on the future of cultural heritage protection.

CHALLENGES OF LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)1, 850 million children and young adults are out of education or training because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many countries, this has resulted in a shift from traditional in-person learning to online learning. However, online learning is not new in developed countries. Many universities had ventured since long into online education with some courses offered as a supplement to in-person teaching. Pakistan is one of the countries lacking both accessibility and infrastructure for this major transition2. Hence there is a need to examine the current challenges and the impact on our students.
 There will be certainly an increase in educational inequalities and the setback will last for a long-time affecting employment and income especially for those coming from underdeveloped areas. As regards medical students, this pandemic presents the greatest practical and logistical challenge3. It has disrupted medical education, requiring intense and prompt attention from medical educators. These challenges have affected patient care due to focusing attention on COVID-19 patients, which has severely limited the availability of bedside teaching opportunities for medical students4. Resultantly they are unable to complete clerkships and lack direct patient care experience. To make online education more inclusive, institutions need to ensure that learners benefit from technologies and have access to the Internet. Smartphone use has increased manifold in our country, and it can be easily used for online learning, which is a good replacement for laptops. Surveys focusing on accessibility to the Internet, laptops/tablets/smartphones can provide a platform, involving stakeholders who can help students who have limited or no access5. The college IT department should be involved which should help students with issues that come up during e-learning. Although e-learning is not an alternative to hospital rotations, yet it can help continue medical education through access to clinical videos and other online resources focusing on clinical scenarios and examination techniques. We need to ensure teachers’ training for the unique demands that online teaching poses. Many strategies have been developed for improving the quality of online teaching and engaging students. These include interacting with students, encouraging student’s participation by giving more open-ended questions, sharing videos focusing on examination techniques and different clinical scenarios, providing clear directions at the start of the session, and providing students with emotional support in this time of crisis. We should not forget that students’ attitudes are influenced by the support they receive from families and teachers. As teachers, we play an important role in the development of positive attitudes and providing students with emotional support6. There is a need for specific guidelines for online medical education framed by Pakistan Medical Council for implementing e-learning. With this sudden shift, away from the classroom in many parts of the world, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic. For teachers, it is an opportunity to implement this teaching and learning methodology in our medical schools and training institutions whereas for students it is an opportunity to make use of e-learning for deriving maximum benefit thus preparing us for an unforeseeable situation in the future.

‘The Battle for Abu Simbel’: Archaeology and Postcolonial Diplomacy in the UNESCO Campaign for Nubia

This essay examines the role and agency of British archaeologists in the discussions surrounding Egypt’s construction of the Aswan High Dam beginning in the late 1950s. The dam was conceived as a grand engineering project that would create new farmland and make Egypt self-sufficient in terms of its energy needs, but flooding caused by the dam threatened to destroy numerous archaeological sites along the Nile River on the border of Egypt and Sudan. With the blessing of the Egyptian and Sudanese governments, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched a complex rescue operation in 1960 with the goal of surveying the affected sites, in some cases removing entire structures to safe locations. Despite Britain’s initial reluctance—four years after the Suez crisis—to participate in a program that would benefit an avowedly hostile regime, British scientific expertise and private fundraising soon came to play an important role in UNESCO’s ‘Campaign for Nubia’. Using diplomatic papers and the records of various scientific bodies, I will argue that British participation in the UNESCO archaeological program was a crucial avenue for Anglo-Egyptian rapprochement during the 1960s and 1970s.

The Potential and Contradictions of Geographical Indication and Patrimonization for the Sustainability of Indigenous Communities: A Case of Cordillera Heirloom Rice in the Philippines

In the Montane areas of Cordillera, the Philippines, the IP (indigenous people) have cultivated native rice for generations on their rice terraces, which were designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Cultural Heritage site in 1995 and a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World Agricultural Heritage site, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2011. This heirloom rice was registered as a collective trademark in 2018 and will be registered as a sui generis geographical indication (GI) in the coming years. Based on the author’s interviews with the stakeholders in heirloom rice production conducted in the Philippines in 2019, this article aims to analyze whether GI and patrimonization contribute to the sustainability of the IP communities in Cordillera. This paper demonstrates that GI and patrimonization exhibit both potential and contradictions in ecological, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability in the communities, and the compatibility of these dimensions is challenged. The paper concludes that public policies need to pay particular attention to accompanying IP communities when GI and patrimonization are designed to protect them from over-development of the designated area and over-commodification of their certified agri-food products.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, LAW AND THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This paper has the following research problem: how can Artificial Intelligence (AI) contribute to the achievement of the goals of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development? In order to satisfy the problem, the first section aims to address the relationship between AI and SDG. Among the objectives that can be most influenced by technologies, both positively and negatively, are the SDG's that have water, health, agriculture, and education as their guideline. This approach will be achieved through the description and demonstration of reports provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The second section of the report criticizes the reduction or eradication of adverse effects that AI can have on society. A case study from countries such as China, the United Kingdom, and Canada is used as a guideline since they have a strong influence on the scenario addressed. To this end, deductive and integrated research methods are used, as well as the technique of case study research. In the end, it is shown that AI is an essential factor in the equation posed by Agenda 2030, provided it is duly observed and regulated. Bibliographical research and the integrated research method will be used