Sustainability aspiration / challenge
The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, and Damascus University aims to improve ethical tourism management of prehistoric sites in Syria, considering their conservation and sustainability, their inclusive use as educational resources, and the involvement and benefits for their local communities.
Site-related collections contribute to the project by supporting the creation of stronger networks among cultural institutions worldwide for peace, justice, equality, intercultural communication, social cohesion, and cooperation to raise awareness about the preservation of cultural heritage.
More specifically, this field project has been focused on:
- Raising awareness about Syria’s prehistoric sites and their conservation.
- Adopting effective techniques and technologies to improve knowledge and access to these sites.
- Rethinking the presentation of the sites in more dynamic ways, e.g., “open-air stands” that are suited to non-formal education for children and youth, while offering multiple experience opportunities for all people.
- Adopting effective communication tools and strategies to promote the sites, such as dedicated websites, ads, presentations, guidebooks and brochures about excavations, faunal and botanical findings, and related early human activities.
- Strengthening the role of the sites in tourism to attract visitors in a sustainable way.
- Integrating local communities so that they can meaningfully participate and benefit from the project outcomes.
OCM toolkit resources used
A Five-Step Framework for a whole-institution approach to embedding ESD
The ABC Method: a risk management approach to the preservation of cultural heritage
Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
EXARC Archaeology and Open Air Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals
SDG targets addressed
This OCM field project addressed the SDG targets below. Click on each target to learn more about their meaning, indicators and related tools in the OCM toolkit to help collections-based organizations strengthen their contribution to sustainable development.
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