During the first two weeks of the course, the participants developed their communications skills, as an aid to analyzing conservation decision-making processes. Other topics covered included the values and messages of cultural heritage, how it changes in time, and its relationship to heritage preservation.

A mini-conference on 'Current Approaches and Challenges In Conservation Decision Making' was held in the Academia di San Luca in Rome in which participants presented their own experiences of conservation decision-making processes.

Participants also had the opportunity to discuss and clarify the notion of 'cultural project'. This considers the 'object', its context, and the actors involved in conservation decisions. The role of international charters and guidelines
and the issue of terminology in conservation were also reviewed.

A study of the conservation of a living tradition (the Nativity Scene) was undertaken at the Istituto Centrale del Restauro, Rome and the Museo San Martino, Naples.

A study tour to Naples also included a visit to Herculaneum where issues on the conservation and use of an archaeological site were discussed during a practical exercise at Villa Campolieto.

Member States represented: Brazil, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany,  India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

updated on: 24 November, 2007