Heritage Care through Active Citizenship: what does it take?

Heritage Care through Active Citizenship: what does it take?

Some thoughts & experiences.

Mechelen (B), march 23, 20109

Raphaël SouchierManager, ADD Europeraphael@addeurope.net

www.addeurope.net

«HERITAGE CARE THROUGH ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?»

Heritage & active citizenship:

Emergency, ...solidarity, ...cities, ... not just stones,

Involvement, ... sharing,

Belonging, ...diversity, ...identity, ...change.

A SENSE OF EMERGENCY

FROM EMERGENCY TO SOLIDARITY

«Opération Villages Roumains» (20 years of cooperation between european villages from Europe’s West & Romania)

«HERITAGE»?

Charter of European cultural cities and territories

«The heritage value of a city - or of an area - is higher than a mere real estate or a property owned for centuries.

Heritage is a relationship to events, through which, generation after generation, a population gives it a sense which distinguishes it from others, and, at the same time, which gives it a universal meaning.

Heritage is the traces of the intermingling and successive contributions, which forged the unique character of each city.

It is also the sum of the attitudes of the population & visitors towards their shared heritage.»

CULTURAL CITIES : GREAT PLACES TO MEET & SHARE

Charter of European cultural cities and territories

«We wish to see our cities as thriving cultural centres, and a meeting point between different cultures. We want to consider tourists not only as a mere economic activity, but also as an opportunity for exchanges between fellow humans.

Each European Cultural City will:

* carry out a cultural development policy for the whole of its population, with special attention to those with difficulties to access cultural activities.

* endeavour to design and implement forms on how to welcome visitors and inhabitants and enable them to meet in a real and effective way.»

HERITAGE IS MORE THAN JUST STONES

Heritage: beyond tangible heritage, preserving endangered ways of life

SHARING

Accessibility

AVEC: Toledo’s patios competition & open days

heritage accessibility to handicapped persons

INVOLVEMENT

facilitating citizens’ participation in public projects & policies

AVEC/Qualicities: «Local Heritage Forum»

encouraging & supporting private initiatives

A SENSE OF BELONGING

from local to universal

from community to personal vision & experience

WHOSE HERITAGE?

WHOSE HERITAGE?

Charter of European cultural cities and territories

«One of the priorities of a European Cultural City is to develop the sense of belonging & ownership of the local heritage by the population. This for, everyone should become able to decipher, interpret, occupy and reinvent the common property of a city's public places & facilities. Inhabitants should be, more than just users: i.e. responsible and active citizens.

* Each European Cultural City will rely on a qualified Heritage Mediation team.

* they will invite local partners (public administration, universities, organizations, businesses…) in joining their Local Heritage Forum.

* and work closely with the inhabitants to define and protect their local common heritage.»

WHAT BECOMES HERITAGE? WHY, & FOR WHOM?

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»

country

province

continent

mankind

life

town

street

kinship

profession

education

self

language

religion

friends

universe

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»

country

province

continent

mankind

life

town

street

kinship

profession

education

self

language

religion

friends

universe

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»

country

province

continent

mankind

life

town

street

kinship

profession

education

self

language

religion

friends

universe

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»

country

province

continent

mankind

life

town

street

kinship

profession

education

self

language

religion

friends

universe

Council of EuropeDraft European Manifesto on Multiple Cultural Affiliation

...Freedom to choose one’s own culture is a central element in human rights and fundamental freedoms. Simultaneously or at various stages in their lives, everyone may adopt different cultural affiliations. No one should be confined against their will within a particular group, community, thought-system or world-view, but should be free to renounce past choices and make new ones – as long as they are consistent with the universal values as promoted by the Council of Europe....

«HERITAGE CARE THROUGH ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?»

Heritage & active citizenship:

Emergency, ...solidarity, ...cities, ... not just stones,

Involvement, ... sharing,

Belonging, ...diversity, ...identity, ...change.

Raphaël SouchierManager, ADD Europeraphael@addeurope.net

www.addeurope.net

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

REFERENCES

World Heritage list, UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list

Opération Villages Roumains, www.ovr.ch

AVEC - Alliance of European Cultural Cities, www.avecnet.net

Asociación Amigos de los Patios de Toledo, www.toledo-turismo.com/turismo/contenido/conociendo-la-ciudad/donde-mirar/patios-toledanos.aspx

SLOW FOOD Movement, www.slowfood.com

Council of Europe, draft European Manifesto on Multiple Cultural Affiliation, http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/aware/Identities/manifesto_en.asp