Heritage Values in Contemporary Society

Heritage values have an important role to play in contemporary society in areas as diverse as economic development; indigenous claims and rights; political agendas and ideologies; armed conflict; poverty reduction; sustainable development and the law and legal and legislative systems. However, incorporating heritage values into contemporary society requires applying legal, ethical, cultural, and scientific perspectives to meet cultural heritage concerns. It is critical that this is done in a manner that is accountable, sustainable, inclusive and does not compromise the quality of life for future generations. This allows heritage values to compete with other agendas while at the same time allowing different ways of viewing the world, including the past, to coexist.

This thematic poster session consists of posters that draw upon heritage values on a worldwide scale in terms of defining heritage policies and issues and articulating the need for effective, sustainable, and responsive cultural heritage and economic policies that can help to effectively develop best practices; be responsive to crisis or conflict situations on a global scale; ensure adequate funding at both the local, national, and international levels; and create new models, tools, and partnerships to help protect, manage, and enjoy our collective cultural patrimony.