Heritage Care through Active Citizenship:
what does it take?
Some thoughts & experiences.
Mechelen (B), march 23, 20109
Raphaël Souchier
Manager, ADD Europe
raphael@addeurope.net
www.addeurope.net

«HERITAGE CARE THROUGH ACTIVE
CITIZENSHIP: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?»
Heritage & active citizenship:
Emergency, ...solidarity,
...cities, ... not just stones,
Involvement, ... sharing,
Belonging, ...diversity, ...identity,
...change.

A SENSE OF EMERGENCY

FROM EMERGENCY
TO SOLIDARITY
«Opération Villages
Roumains»
(20 years of cooperation
between european villages
from Europe’s West &
Romania)

«HERITAGE»?
Charter of European cultural cities and territories
«The heritage value of a city - or of an area - is higher than a mere real estate or
a property owned for centuries.
Heritage is a relationship to events, through which, generation after
generation, a population gives it a sense which distinguishes it from others,
and, at the same time, which gives it a universal meaning.
Heritage is the traces of the intermingling and successive contributions,
which forged the unique character of each city.
It is also the sum of the attitudes of the population & visitors towards their
shared heritage.»

CULTURAL CITIES :
GREAT PLACES TO MEET & SHARE
Charter of European cultural cities and territories
«We wish to see our cities as thriving cultural centres, and a meeting point
between different cultures. We want to consider tourists not only as a mere
economic activity, but also as an opportunity for exchanges between fellow
humans.
Each European Cultural City will:
* carry out a cultural development policy for the whole of its population, with
special attention to those with difficulties to access cultural activities.
* endeavour to design and implement forms on how to welcome visitors and
inhabitants and enable them to meet in a real and effective way.»

HERITAGE IS
MORE THAN JUST STONES
Heritage: beyond
tangible heritage,
preserving endangered
ways of life

SHARING
Accessibility
AVEC: Toledo’s patios
competition & open days
heritage accessibility to
handicapped persons

INVOLVEMENT
facilitating citizens’ participation in public projects
& policies
AVEC/Qualicities: «Local Heritage Forum»
encouraging & supporting private initiatives

A SENSE OF BELONGING
from local to universal
from community to personal
vision & experience

WHOSE HERITAGE?

WHOSE HERITAGE?
Charter of European cultural cities and territories
«One of the priorities of a European Cultural City is to develop the sense of
belonging & ownership of the local heritage by the population. This for,
everyone should become able to decipher, interpret, occupy and reinvent the
common property of a city's public places & facilities.
Inhabitants should be, more than just users: i.e. responsible and active
citizens.
* Each European Cultural City will rely on a qualified Heritage Mediation team.
* they will invite local partners (public administration, universities,
organizations, businesses…) in joining their Local Heritage Forum.
* and work closely with the inhabitants to define and protect their local
common heritage.»

WHAT BECOMES HERITAGE?
WHY, & FOR WHOM?

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN
ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»
continent country
mankind
province
life
town
self
universe
street
religion profession
language
education
kinship
friends

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN
ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»
country
continent
mankind
province
life
town
self
universe
street
religion
profession
language
education
kinship
friends

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN
ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»
continent country
mankind
province
life
town
self
universe
street
religion profession
language
education
kinship
friends

«HERITAGE CARE : A WAY TO STRENGHEN
ONE’S MARKERS OF IDENTITY ?»
Council of Europe
continent country
Draft European Manifesto on Multiple Cultural Affiliation
...
mankind
Freedom to choose one’s own culture is a central element
province
in human rights and fundamental freedoms.
life
Simultaneously or at various stages in their lives,
everyone may adopt different cultural affiliations.
town
self
universe
No one should be confined against their will within a
particular group, community, thought-system or world-
view, but should be free to renounce past choices and street
makereligion ones – as long as they are consistent with the
new profession
universal values as promoted by the Council of Europe.
... language
education
kinship
friends

«HERITAGE CARE THROUGH ACTIVE
CITIZENSHIP: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?»
Heritage & active citizenship:
Emergency, ...solidarity,
...cities, ... not just stones,
Involvement, ... sharing,
Belonging, ...diversity, ...identity,
...change.

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
Raphaël Souchier
Manager, ADD Europe
raphael@addeurope.net
www.addeurope.net

REFERENCES
World Heritage list, UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list
Opération Villages Roumains, www.ovr.ch
AVEC - Alliance of European Cultural Cities, www.avecnet.net
Asociación Amigos de los Patios de Toledo, www.toledo-turismo.com/turismo/contenido/
conociendo-la-ciudad/donde-mirar/patios-toledanos.aspx
SLOW FOOD Movement, www.slowfood.com
Council of Europe, draft European Manifesto on Multiple Cultural Affiliation, http://
www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/aware/Identities/manifesto_en.asp