Harnessing cultural heritage for sustainable development: an analysis of three internationally funded projects in MENA Countries

Abstract

The importance of cultural heritage as an enabler of sustainable development is widely acknowledged. However, its role has remained marginalised in past and current international development agendas. This paper provides an original interdisciplinary study interrogating the potential of harnessing cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible) for sustainable development. It also reflects on how international policies and narratives on cultural heritage for development have been implemented on the ground. In particular, it critically examines the contribution of cultural heritage to worldwide developmental issues, with an approach that traverses the three sustainable development dimensions. It investigates how cultural heritage has been used to tackle global challenges, such as poverty alleviation in marginalised groups (economic dimension); gender equality and the empowerment of women (social dimension); and environmental sustainability (environmental dimension). The analysis focuses on three heritage for development projects funded through the 'Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund', jointly implemented by UNESCO in partnership with other United Nations organisations and local partners in the Middle East and North Africa between 2008 and 2013. The article sheds light on multifaceted aspects of cultural heritage for sustainable development by discussing key achievements and common pitfalls.

Rethinking Heritage for Sustainable Development

“…They further reveal an over-reliance on the complex tourism sector for poverty reduction. These shortcomings relating to lack of access and demand were also identified in other similar MDG-F projects on heritage for development, including those implemented in the MENA region (see results in Giliberto and Labadi, 2022). All of these shortcomings reveal the difficulties, or even impossibility, of implementing the principles of the 2005 Convention that aim to promote creative industries in the Global South, without a major change of international aid and trade relationships with the Global North.…”

“…Research has regularly highlighted that these target groups lack the skills and training opportunities they need to benefit from tourism and other opportunities for poverty reduction (see for instance Mahony and Van Zyl, 2002;Scheyvens, 2007: 241;Chok et al, 2007;World Bank Group, 2016: 13). The contents of the courses were similar in the four countries, but also in other similar MDG-F projects on culture for development, including the ones implemented in the MENA region (Giliberto and Labadi, 2022). One reason for this was that the various studies conducted to shape the content of the programmes identified similar trends and shortcomings.…”

“…Again, the in-depth reflections can easily be extended to other examples. Finally, whenever possible, I cross-referenced my results with shorter analyses Giliberto and I conducted of similar MDG-F culture for development projects implemented in the Middle East and North African region (MENA) (Giliberto and Labadi, 2022). 5 Analyses and discussions were also enriched by my vast practical experience in heritage for development, gained in working for different initiatives for UNESCO, ICOMOS and the World Bank over the past twenty years.…”

“…Similar findings were made for other comparable projects. For instance, a website launched for the MDG-F funded programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was only short lived (Giliberto and Labadi, 2022).…”

Definitions Matter: Dynamic Policy Framing of the Arts in Boston’s Sustainable Cultural Development

“…Since the idea of sustainability and sustainable development was put forward by the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, culture has been embedded in conventional discourses of environmental and economic sustainable development in terms of fostering common beliefs and catalyzing actions on sustainability issues [1]. Moreover, studies have concentrated on the instrumentalized value of culture (e.g., arts and cultural heritage) in sustainable urban development due to their role in creative place-making, social identity, and inclusion [2][3][4][5][6]. Through a thorough literature review, Soini and Birkeland identified seven perspectives on cultural sustainability issues, namely cultural heritage, cultural vitality, cultural diversity, economic viability, locality, eco-cultural resilience, and eco-cultural civilization [7].…”