Civil society action in the field of cultural heritage in Europe has both strengths and weaknesses. It plays an important role in mediating functions like education and advocacy. However, civil society action related to cultural heritage suffers from fragmentation, a lack of global coordination, and tension between tangible and intangible heritage concepts. Recent conventions and frameworks like the Faro Convention emphasize broader participation and see heritage as reflecting community identities rather than just nation states, opening new opportunities for civil society to engage across borders on cultural issues.