Civil Society

One of the increasingly promoted principles of UNESCO’s heritage programs is the emphasis on community participation. However, the convention’s governance system is centered on State Parties interaction and decision-making and UNESCO is mandated to work with state institution and strengthen institutional building on national level. This system limits the civil society participation which plays a fundamental role in cultural and natural heritage conservation.

This theme revisits the old and new meanings of civil society, its participation in heritage governance and its role in strengthening democratic governance of heritage which would make the process of heritage management more participatory, consultative, and transparent. The main question that this theme addresses is: How can the decision-making system and the management of the Convention be democratised to reflect fundamental and inclusive change?

ORGANIZERS:

Sibongile Masuku
Coordinator

Verónica Mateus Pereira
Coordinator and Co-Convener

Biljana Volcevska
Co-Convener

Jonathan Sharfman
Co-Convener

E. Nurcan Yalman
Co-Convener

Yihao ‘Rayna’ Li

Chryshane Mendis

Harry Thomas Creber

Sinan Cana

Niccolò Acram Cappelletto

AFFILIATED INSTITUTES: