CIE dinner ‘Cultural Heritage and Development’ - conclusions

 

CIE dinner ‘Cultural Heritage and Development’ - conclusions

In September 2007 the Centre for International Heritage Activities organised a dinner to discuss the opportunities of the position of Cultural Heritage in Culture and Development. Culture and Development is a policy programme from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. At the dinner were delegates from development organisations, the private sector, museums and the national government. The object of the dinner was to investigate, from different perspectives, in what ways cultural heritage contributes to the development of a country. Can it, for example, be a contribution of identity, social cohesion or economical development? Conclusions:
  1. The Netherlands play an important role in Culture and Development. It has the knowledge and experience to take a leading role if this is to be desired.
  2. Within heritage institutions the attention for culture is a matter of course, but for the government and development organisations the ambitions for projects should be better translated in measurable results, especially in relation to poverty relief. This aspect should also be translated in the policy plans of the heritage institutions.
  3. Culture and Development should always be sustainable.
  4. If there is no basis for cooperation with a counterpart the implementation of the policy should not be commenced.
  5. An international network and the gathering of creativity and enthusiasm are essential for a good implementation of the Culture and Development policy.
Specific heritage related conclusions:
  1. Heritage gives an infrastructure because it is an ‘identity carrier’ that still exists. It can be used on all levels of Culture and Development.
  2. Capacity building, the development of expertise, is crucial in Culture and Development.
  3. Heritage is visual and this leads to an enlargement of the basis.
  4. Heritage has an economic spin off, but the value is the immaterial – the identity.
  5. Heritage can be a binding factor in a society and lead to international cooperation (heritage as bridging tool) through her historical roots.