A Think-Tank Meeting Informing a Vision for the Conservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage in the Arab World

Sharjah, UAE, 6 – 8 February 2018

Arab Forum on Cultural Heritage

The Arab Forum on Cultural Heritage, held in Sharjah, UAE from 6 – 8 February 2018, examined the philosophical contexts and values that inform conservation practices in the wider Arab region. Thematic sessions, discussions and daily workshops provided opportunities to exchange views on these vital issues. The goal was to identify challenges in this area and devise a strategy to address them.

“Conservation today has a social and economic role,”

underlined ICCROM's Director-General, Webber Ndoro, in his welcoming remarks to the Forum. He stressed the role of community and social inclusion in caring for heritage:

“Engaging communities means that we must pay attention to societal needs.”

ICCROM’s Regional Office in Sharjah has organized the Arab Forum on Cultural Heritage under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah, to develop philosophical principles and approaches aimed at promoting and preserving heritage places and artworks in the Arab world.

Both Dr Ndoro and the President of the ICCROM Council, Oliver Martin, expressed their deepest thanks and appreciation for the support of His Highness the ruler of Sharjah, praising the Emirate’s efforts to preserve heritage.

Over fifty speakers from a wide range of Member States offered multiple perspectives on conservation and promotion of cultural heritage in the region. The Arab Region was represented by speakers from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. Other represented Member States included Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, France, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

Naseer Shamma, world-renowed Iraqi Kurdish oud virtuoso and UNESCO Artist for Peace 2017, opened the proceedings with a brief performance.

Thank you @NaseerShamma , @unesco artist for peace 2017, for opening the Arab Cultural Heritage Forum in #Sharjah today ? @ICCROM_ATHAR pic.twitter.com/SmI31OWLeI

— Bodour Al Qasimi (@Bodour) 6 February 2018

Historical accounts of cultural heritage in the Arab Region are deeply rooted in the long and rich dynamics of valued sites, artefacts, folklores, different dialects and languages. Learning from our heritage enriches our knowledge and consequently the quality of our lives. With its varied geographical environments, the Arab Region is home to people of diverse religions and backgrounds, each with their own distinctive cultures and valued heritage assets, where ideas and intangible values linger in proverbs, tales, anecdotes, and other cultural expressions.

Arab Forum on Cultural Heritage

It is the materiality of places, landscapes, buildings, and artefacts infused with sounds, smells, and a ‘spirit’ of a place that transforms heritage from a set of meanings to an experience of existential dimensions that anchor the past in the present. Ruins and traces are the material witnesses of departed communities. They are the reminders of the emotions, meanings and values associated with the place when it was alive. Heritage is thus a main strand that weaves communities together in a common history, formed by a continuum of civilizations within a specific geographical range and geopolitical position.

At the same time, heritage connects individuals to communities. It is a symbol of identity and source of pride. Heritage and culture identifiers are thus complex, intertwined and often contested, dependent on and relevant to a place or community.

The Arab Region is at a critical crossroad, as cultural heritage has never before been exposed to the types of threats it is facing today. Natural processes of decay and deterioration have always threatened heritage, but human induced threats such as negligence, development and even deliberate destruction have recently intensified. Despite current challenges, cultural heritage has the potential to unify society and foster a culture of peace. Cultural heritage may indeed be a vehicle to resolve grievances and defuse conflicts.

Arab Forum on Cultural Heritage

The Forum's goal was to promote dialogue aiming to review regional and diverse cultural perceptions and values, pose significant questions, and critique a spectrum of regional views on the subject. The forum specifically aimed to:

  • Encourage experts from a range of cultural fields to discuss concepts related to the essence of tangible cultural heritage conservation in the Arab Region;
  • Discuss influences on conservation strategies and practice (including orientalism, religious or non-religious beliefs, international doctrine developed by institutions specialized in heritage and culture, as well as the economic conditions surrounding conservation practices);
  • Advocate and promote the significance and meanings of cultural heritage in its tangible forms, as perceived in the region, and of its conservation;
  • Analyse the role of media and education in forming conceptions, making cultural heritage relevant in the public sphere, and influencing a culture of conservation;
  • Provide a platform for individuals with deep and profound concerns and interests in the region to participate and contribute to current debates and conversations.

The ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Office will follow up on the Forum’s objectives through its mission as a school for heritage conservation and promotion serving the region, as well as a think tank for policy-makers in the region. It will continue to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge at institutional, socio-cultural and professional levels.

The Forum took place over three days. The first day’s discussion focused on “what we value and what cultural heritage is in the Arab Region.” The goal was to seek clear definitions on what we are talking about when we examine conservation of cultural heritage in the region. The second day focused on the current regional climate and the wider threats to heritage: why are we convening, and why do we conserve heritage? The third day addressed strategies on how we can protect this heritage in light of discussions initiated in the first two days. What are the optimal strategies and practical solutions?

The expected outcome of the Forum is a critical analysis of the state of cultural heritage in the region, in order to enhance the principles and practices of its conservation and promotion from a regional perspective. The outcomes will specifically include:

  • A publication of the Forum proceedings to make them available to researchers and specialists;
  • Strategic recommendations to follow up on the Forum objectives with partner institutions;
  • A message from the Forum to the general public on the significance and specificity of cultural heritage and the need for its conservation.