Lesson 3: Cultural heritage and respect for diversity

The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity

The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001) defines culture as “...the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.”

The notion of cultural heritage is comprised of two main categories of heritage: tangible cultural heritage (movable, immovable, and underwater cultural heritage) and intangible cultural heritage (oral traditions, rituals, and performing arts, among others).

By “culture” on the one hand we understand both the process of transformation of nature by human beings and the results of this transformation.

Diversity is a key aspect in valuing cultural heritage and its preservation.

In this chapter we explore the importance of inclusion of different social and cultural groups with respect to defining and preserving cultural heritage.

Source: Albert, Marie-Theres, World Heritage and Cultural Diversity, German Commission for UNESCO, 2010