Heritage In War And Peace

This edited collection, which brings together nearly fifty authors from across the globe and various disciplines, makes a valuable contribution to the field of conservation, covering a wide range of topics regarding the protection of heritage in times of war and peace. Uniquely linking the two typically separate perspectives, the book builds on the wealth of discussions that took place during the 2021 and 2022 installments of the international “Heritage in War and Peace” Seminars held in Rome and Montréal, respectively. Issues explored in the volume include but are not limited to questions surrounding the protection of contentious heritages, unsustainability of the current dichotomic cultural/natural heritage protection frameworks, digitalization of heritage, place of heritage in military conflicts, use of heritage by armed non-state actors, indigenous peoples’ relationships with heritage, the intersection of intellectual property (IP) law and heritage, human rights matters linked to heritage protection, and the latest case studies surrounding restitution. Given its scope, the book will be of particular interest not only to practitioners and conservation specialists but also to academics and students in the broader social sciences and humanities, and to all those who hope to preserve our heritage for future generations.

Heritage, Conflict, and Peace-Building examines the possibilities arising from, and challenges associated with, transforming heritage from a casualty of conflict into an opportunity for peacebuilding. The contributors to this book, who hail from academia and practice, present case studies that shed light on the multifaceted factors and conditions influenced by diplomacy, nationalism, victimhood, and the roles of diverse institutional actors in fostering peace. They demonstrate the possibilities and pitfalls of the work heritage does for local communities, the nation-state, and the international community, when these different actors and their peace aspirations and agendas intersect. Looking at heritage and peace processes on all continents, the contributions in this volume amount to a compelling analytical account of how the discourses of heritage and peace connect, overlap, and diverge. They also emphasise that our shared aspiration for peace should not be taken for granted in a heritage context, and that it is incumbent upon heritage scholars and practitioners to be more intentional about the work they wish to do to promote peace. Heritage, Conflict, and Peace-Building will be of interest to scholars and practitioners working in heritage studies, transitional justice, museum studies, international relations, education, history, and law.