Heritage and Cultural Activities for Sustainable Development. A Proposal for a Theoretical and Methodological Approach

Abstract

Initiatives organized to promote cultural heritage interventions, and culture in the context of development cooperation more generally, especially in fragile contexts, are always conditioned by the scarce resources available, which are at risk of being allocated to heterogeneous sectors. It is for this reason that such initiatives ought to be conceived, designed and implemented on the basis of a sound and well-defined theoretical and methodological approach. Indeed, in the following pages, we will endeavour to outline such an approach.

1 Demarcating the Intervention Field

A primary and central issue to be addressed concerns the choice that is to be made as to whether it is appropriate to intervene on cultural heritage in cooperation actions in areas that are not of a high priority, at least not in terms of meeting basic livelihood needs. Indeed, one wonders: can we devote to cultural heritage resources that could be used to provide humanitarian assistance, and that could be allocated to healthcare and to assisting people with disabilities, that could be invested in education, or go towards helping to combat climate change or improve agriculture?

Such a choice is not straightforward and comes with its fair share of ambiguity, and thus should be contextualized, taking two main points into account:

• a. The need to move past the emergency stage, where human lives are in danger and the necessary infrastructure for survival is at stake;

• b. The need to assign value to the cultural heritage for which there are plans to intervene with regards to: (1) its source community and (2) the assessment method that is used internationally, relative to the classifications as well as the historical framework that generated it.

Therefore, it seems wise for development cooperation interventions in the cultural sphere to be designed and implemented only after those connected to emergency and humanitarian aid, which are aimed at people’s survival.

On the other hand, the importance of the broadly understood cultural dimension of individual well-being, even in precarious living conditions and distressing contexts, should not be underestimated. Cultural baggage and identity are intrinsic to human beings, embedded in an organized social environment, enveloping and conditioning them even while being physically removed from the places they usually reside in.

Interventions within the cultural sphere can thus also be implemented in contexts of humanitarian aid (e.g., in favour of communities displaced from their original residences), just as they can involve physical/material or intangible goods, identified primarily in accordance with the classifications recognized by the international Conventions that concern them (predominantly those of UNESCO¹).

Material and physical cultural heritage is the most obvious and recognizable (archaeological sites, monuments, the museums and artworks contained within them, libraries, archives, etc.) and most often linked to its touristic potential. No less important, however, is that which is encompassed by the 2003 UNESCO Convention, defined as intangible cultural heritage. The customs, rituals, traditions, ceremonies, manufacturing/crafts, land use or relationship with the land, as well as traditional community practices, all of which help define its identity and foster cohesion.

Lastly, in the context of development aid, sectors of the so-called cultural and creative industries ought to be considered as well (publishing, audio-visual and cinema, design and fashion, crafts, etc.). The latter were indeed the subject of intervention for the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

2 The Sector’s Disciplines and Reference Bodies

In this contribution, we limit ourselves to discussing the disciplinary fields and theoretical approaches considered most useful in defining the forms of intervention and the suitability of public resources allocated to support cultural heritage, and culture more generally, addressing them as factors of growth and development.

First and foremost is the approach that fits into the well-defined set of regulations, forms, and procedures for the analysis and monitoring connected to the UNESCO Conventions mentioned above. These put together an in-depth definition of the theoretical framework for interventions and operations, from design to implementation, as well as for the monitoring and the assessment of the interventions.²

Next, the most important area of study and research is undoubtedly that of the Economics of Culture, a discipline around which a vast and varied debate has been developing since the 1970s. It has produced a number of national and international studies that have investigated and illustrated the role that culture can play in the economic growth of contemporary society, as well as its very nature and the suitability of the public resources that support it. It is not possible here to go over the arguments and differing positions that characterize this disciplinary field, but it is important to mention that the methodological tools for measuring the economic dimension of culture are now well-established quantitatively and, where possible, qualitatively.

In this endeavour, the European Statistical System of the European Commission has played an important role. In 2012, for example, it published the “Final Report”, titled CULTURE European Statistical System Network on Culture (European Commission (2012, 2019), which puts forward an interesting up-to-date summary of cultural activities (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

ESSnet-culture framework: cultural activities (Fig. 4, p. 48 Final Report, 2012)

A methodological framework of great interest for interventions relating to Development Cooperation is certainly the one put forth by UNESCO, referring to the 17 goals set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (and relevant targets). The UNESCO framework identifies 22 cultural statistics variables and groups them into 4 different thematic indicators, aiming to measure and monitor the sector’s economic activities (UNESCO 2019) (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2

UNESCO—thematic indicators for culture in the 2030 agenda

Approaching the cultural sector as a feature of development, one should also point out the work carried out by the OECD on determining tools for analysing and designing cultural policies (OCSE-OECD 2022).

Research and studies associated with development cooperation interventions in the cultural sector can also in a way be associated with the economics of happiness, which investigates the factors that engender human well-being. Among such factors, participation in the cultural practices of the community is one that is seen as extremely important for those who are part of it (Nikolova and Graham 2020).

In this regard, mention should also be made of the attention given to this issue in the United Nations system, which since 2012 has established the position of Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. The task of such Rapporteur is to identify best practices in the promotion and protection of cultural rights at the local, national, regional and international levels and to identify obstacles to the promotion and protection of cultural rights, and make recommendations to the UN Council on ways to overcome them (United Nations 2023).

Moreover, it is important to mention the attention paid to the cultural context within the activities and programmatic guidelines presented in 2015 in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, as part of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction exercise (UNDRR 2022).

Finally, the importance of the cultural aspect both from the perspective of both economic as well as individual and collective well-being presented in Kate Raworth’s 2017 ground-breaking study on sustainable development should be mentioned as relevant. The graphic illustration of development as a “doughnut,” rather than as a GDP vector graph, highlights with great clarity the importance of a “social base” (and, therefore, social justice) for truly sustainable development to be accomplished.³

3 From “Cultural Cooperation” to “Development Cooperation in the Cultural Sector”

As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the most straightforward, as well as controversial, area of intervention in this sector is “tangible” cultural heritage (archaeological, artistic, monumental, bibliographic, archives, etc.), which represents the material legacy of the past and evokes instantly recognizable and vivid memories for its people.

The material cultural identity of a community: in this case, the need to intervene should not be questioned, as long as the intervention comes after ensuring survival and after rescuing lives. Development cooperation should, in this case, be based on the recognition, preservation and enhancement of the community’s founding values, while also aiming at creating activities and services that can generate profit for the community and, therefore, foster sustainable development.

It should be stressed here that initiatives of this kind, which are supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), are often the result of extensive research and study missions that Italian universities have been embarking on with admirable dedication and excellent results. Said initiatives are indeed recognized within the academic world and are supported by resources made available by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Directorate General responsible for cultural cooperation.

Therefore, the difference between “cultural cooperation” and “development cooperation in the cultural sector” lies precisely in the purpose of the two activities, which are complementary but also distinct. The former is connected to academic research (historical, philological, archaeological, artistic, monumental, anthropological, etc.) and to the interchange of professional expertise among the countries being studied. The latter is aimed at activities carried out in the cultural sphere (in its broad sense) that can contribute to the development (again, in its broad sense) of the country in which they are carried out.

As for potentially development-generating activities, some examples include:

• 1. Direct interventions on heritage

  • a. Artefact conservation and restoration

  • b. Cataloguing, surveying, documenting (drawings, photos, videos, etc.)

  • c. Interventions connected to site accessibility and enjoyment of the visit

• 2. Other services connected to Cultural Tourism

  • a. Ticketing and reservations

  • b. Tour guides

  • c. Feature publications

  • d. Transportation

  • e. Hotel accommodation/catering

• 3. Cultural and creative industries

  • a. Artistic handicrafts

  • b. Video products

  • c. Fashion and design relating products

  • d. Events

To conclude this paper, an attempt will be made to outline an initial list of features and factors that should be taken into consideration when setting up and implementing an intervention project aimed at achieving development by supporting the heritage and cultural activities sector.

4 An Initial Outline of the Approach to be Followed in Cooperation Initiatives or Programmes Involving Heritage and/or Cultural Activities

Following the procedures of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), an intervention in cultural heritage and/or culture more generally, should, broadly speaking:

• a. be relevant to one or more countries among those identified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs 2023);

• b. keep in mind that in planning the interventions, the Italian Cooperation focuses on the 5 “P” of the UN 2030 Agenda (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership), aims at achieving one of the 17 goals, and maintains as its point of reference the targets and implementation tools that are associated with each goal;

• c. be agreed upon with the relevant Italian Embassy and negotiated in advance or, better, by answering to a specific request that is sent by local government authorities.

More specifically:

• d. respond to a development demand while respecting local identities and the needs of the community in question;

• e. identify, in the most accurate way possible, the scope(s) of the intervention within the international classification systems mentioned in the previous paragraphs, and especially that put forth by UNESCO;

• f. provide useful tools of determining and gauging baseline, and be able to measure quantitatively as well as (where appropriate and possible) qualitatively, the impact of interventions;

• g. strike a balance between the economic-commercial dimension and respect for the preservation and conservation of the cultural assets that are the subject of the interventions;

• h. identify the local professionals involved in such initiatives, and ensure that they benefit the most from collaborating with international professionals;

• i. make sure that said benefits always go two ways, i.e., that the international professionals working locally act respectfully and learn about the cultural, social, administrative, and procedural practices of the context in which they operate.

If services or business activities are to be carried out, especially of a touristic nature, the intervention must:

• j. act with respect towards the social, environmental and cultural environment in which it is implemented, ensuring fair and widespread distribution of any anticipated profits;

• k. aim at a gender balance, making sure to involve women;

• l. consider the added value that comes with promoting accessibility and a broader enjoyment of the site, paying special attention to people with disabilities;

• m. encourage the consumption of local products, as well as community tourism, by involving local people in hospitality.

The points laid out above are by no means exhaustive in determining the approach that should be followed in emergency or development cooperation interventions connected to cultural heritage and culture. We hope, however, that they can help establish an initial checklist useful to guide action, taking into account the many multifaceted variables that should be considered when intervening in this sensitive, complex but wonderful field.