The blue helmets of culture: making heritage a tool for peace, starting from its management structures

D’Amico, Gabriele (2018) The blue helmets of culture: making heritage a tool for peace, starting from its management structures. In: ICOMOS 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium "Heritage and Democracy", 13-14th December 2017, New Delhi, India. [Conference or Workshop Item]

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Abstract (in English)

From official political speeches to widespread references in the international press, the “Blue Helmets of Culture” are presented as an on-going initiative. What the Blue Helmets of Culture actually refer to is an ongoing negotiation on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on the 16th of February 2016 between the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni. The Blue Helmets of Culture, or more precisely the Italian National Task Force, are expected to work within the framework of UNESCO’s Global Coalition Unite4Heritage. While the actual content of the activities of the Task Force (and its functioning) are to be agreed on, the literature on the topic is scarce, sources are fragmented and most often prove contradictory. Having spent the last 9 months conducting direct interviews with the main actors involved in this ongoing negotiation, in this paper I will present the first overall analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of this initiative. While taking into consideration the various fields in which the Task Force could be asked to intervene, the paper will underline how this initiative could indeed develop into a unique asset to transform heritage into a tool of cultural negotiation and socio-economic conflict management; to be used not only in armed conflict or in the aftermath of natural disasters, but also when heritage is jeopardised by the conflicts emerging among different stakeholders. The paper will conclude that the outstanding potential of the Blue Helmets resides in the role that the category 2 UNESCO Centre on the Economics of Culture and World Heritage Studies (which is part of the overall initiative, with a special agreement involving the City of Torino) will play un embedding participatory human rights-based mechanisms within the management structures of heritage sites.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Authors:	Authors Email D’Amico, Gabriele UNSPECIFIED
Languages:	English
Keywords:	conflict management; cultural negotiation; Memorandum of Understanding; international organizations; UNESCO Centre on the Economics of Culture and World Heritage Studies; human rights; rights-based approach; management of cultural heritage; Heritage at Risk; community participation
Subjects:	E. CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION > 11. Legal protection and Administration G. DETERIORATION > 05. Prevention of deterioration M. WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION > 01. Generalities M. WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION > 07. Management plan
Name of monument, town, site, museum:	Italian National Task Force; Global Coalition Unite4Heritage; UNESCO; Blue Helmets of Culture
National Committee:	ICOMOS International
ICOMOS Special Collection:	Scientific Symposium (ICOMOS General Assemblies)
ICOMOS Special Collection Volume:	19th General Assembly, New Delhi, 2017
Depositing User:	intern icomos
Date Deposited:	11 Dec 2018 13:05
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 10:38
References:	ICOMOS (1999), “The Wise Use of Heritage - Heritage and Development”, ICOMOS 12th General Assembly, Mexico City, Mexico. Retrieved from: https://www.icomos.org/newsicomos/news1991/1999-9- 3.pdf ICOMOS.(2014).Resolutions of the 18thGeneral Assembly, Florence, Italy, 9-14th November 2014.Retrieved from: https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/2015/GA_2014_results/GA_2014_Resolution s_EN_20150109_finalcirc.pdf ICOMOS (2014).The Florence Declaration on Heritage and Landscape as Human Values (2014),Declaration of the principles and recommendations on the value of cultural heritage and landscapes for promoting peaceful and democratic societies. Retrieved from: https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/2015/GA_2014_results/GA2014_Symposium _FlorenceDeclaration_EN_final_20150318.pdf ICOMOS (2016), Annual Report 2016.Retrieved from: https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Secretariat/Annual_Reports/RA_2016_ICOMOS_EN_fi nal.pdf Mouton, B.President of the Symposium. (Ed.).(2011). Heritage, driver of development. Rising to the challenge. Results of the 17th ICOMOS General Assembly Symposium.Paris. (France): ICOMOS Petzet, M. & Ziesemer, J. (Eds.). (2008). ICOMOS World Report 2006/2007 on Monuments and Sites in Danger.Altenburg (Germany):E. Reinhold-Verlag UNESCO. (2015, June 29). Launch of global Unite for Heritage Coalition in Bonn. Retrieved from the official UNESCO Website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1303/ UNITE4HERITAGE. (n.d.). Retrieved from the Website: http://www.unite4heritage.org/en/unite4heritage-celebrating-safeguarding-cultural-heritage United Nations (2015). Transforming our world:The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E Urbinati, S. (2012). The role for communities, groups and individuals under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.BORELLI e LENZERINI (Eds.).Cultural Heritage, Cultural Rights, Cultural Diversity: New Developments in International Law. 201–221. Retrieved from the SSRN Website: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2710593
URI:	https://openarchive.icomos.org/id/eprint/1992

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