50 Years World Heritage Convention: Shared Responsibility - Conflict & Reconciliation

This open access book identifies various forms of heritage destruction and analyze their causes. It proposes strategies on avoiding and solving conflicts that are based on integrating heritage into the human development strategy of the Agenda 2030. It reflects on the identity-building function of heritage, the multidimensional conflicts and destruction of heritage, conflict-solving strategies and future perspectives. Furthermore, it engages theoretically and practically with the concepts of responsibility, reconciliation and sustainability, relating the world heritage mainly with four Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. SDGs 4 (education), 11 (e.g. World Heritage), 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).Today 1,154 properties in 167 countries are inscribed in the World Heritage list. In the course of time, some improvements, such as the Global Strategy, occurred, but conflicts have not been solved. The book advocates for a more balanced distribution of properties and strategies (in receiving World Heritage status) to represent nearly all recognized independent countries of the world. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of heritage in identity building. This book is of interest to researchers of cultural heritage.