HERITAGE: CONSERVATION Vs DEVELOPMENT Challenging Our Attitudes

1. Moses Wafula Mapesa 15th ICNT Entebbe, Uganda Sept 30, 2013 HERITAGE: CONSERVATION Vs DEVELOPMENTChallenging Our Attitudes

2. THE PRESENTATION • INTRODUCTION • UNDERLYING CONCEPTS • CHALLENGING OUR LEADERS • CHALLENGING OUR ATITUDES • CASE STUDIES • CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION • KEY WORDS: Heritage, Conservation, Development, Leadership, Culture • UNDERSTANDING THE KEY WORDS • Is Conservation in contest with Development? I say NO!

4. HERITAGE • Heritage is: What we inherit – Birthright, Tradition, Custom • Broadly Heritage is • “Something passing from generation to generation • There are 2 distinct categories: • Natural Heritage • Cultural Heritage

5. Natural Heritage Is the Inheritance of: animals, plants, water, land, landforms. It is the Natural Inheritance

6. Cultural Heritage • Is the legacy of physical artifacts & intangible attributes passed on from generation to generation • Includes: buildings, monuments, books, art, dance, traditions, folklore, language, landscapes, religion, knowledge

7. Cultural Heritage • Food Heritage is part of cultural heritage • Food Heritage is about: • Places of origin of plants and animals domesticated for food • Includes: farms, mills, dairies, orchards, breweries, restaurants, markets

8. Cultural Heritage • Industrial Heritage is also part of Cultural Heritage • Refers to physical remains of Technology & Industry • Examples in Africa include: pyramids in Egypt, the Great Zimbabwe , Timbuktu in Mali, Kasubi Tombs in Uganda

9. CONSERVATION • Is an ethic of resource use, allocation and protection. • Prevention of injury, decay, loss or waste of natural and cultural heritage. • Careful utilization or “wise use” of our heritage – for livelihoods & development • Based on planning, control, cooperation and monitoring to spur development . • Avoiding destruction, depletion, extinction, loss.

10. DEVELOPMENT • Is a process: Of Social & economic transformation of a society based on cultural and environmental factors. • Development may also be understood as: • The systematic use of natural laws (science) and cultural knowledge to meet society needs • Heritage therefore drives development • Put simply, it is the socio-economic transformation of society using its inheritance.

11. UNDERLYING CONCEPTS • The Concept of Sustainable Development • Improving the quality of human life without compromising the needs of future generations • Economic growth, Environmental protection & Social equality • Often priority is on economic growth at the expense of environmental protection & social equality. • Note: Environment + Social ethics = Heritage

12. Underlying Concepts • The Concept of Public Trusteeship • Also referred to as Public Trust Doctrine • Is about collective ownership, protection & use of heritage • Often backed by national and international laws • Sometimes abused, leading to conflicts • National Heritage • World Heritage – World Heritage List • Outstanding Universal Value

13. Underlying concepts • The Concept of Common Property Rights • Embedded in traditional heritage management practices • Community collective ownership, protection & use • Based on societal (cultural) norms • Worked for hundreds of years for many agricultural, livestock and fishing communities globally • However, many societies have been dispossessed of their heritage – leading to conflicts

14. CHALLENGING OUR LEADERS

15. Challenging our Leaders (i) • Different leaders for Heritage, Conservation and Development. • The natural environment is changing quite fast • Demands are increasing – food, water, energy infrastructure. • How do we pass on our inheritance to the next generation amidst these demands? • Scharmer, 2011, argues there is a void in the leadership to address crises like climate change, housing, food and water shortage

16. Challenging our Leaders (ii) • Need for cross-sector and cross – cultural entrepreneurial leadership? Scharmer, 2011 • Need cooperation among sectors and collective action? Dent, 2012 • Leaders need to engage more using current communication technology e.g cyber conversation. • Leaders must understand the complexity of socio-ecological systems • The community level is critically important because of varied cultural settings. Pollard , 2008

17. CHALLENGING OUT ATTITUDES

18. Challenging our Attitudes • We believe we know all about heritage, conservation and development • We know the underlying concepts and principles (the precautionary principle, equity, prior informed consent) • Do we practice what we know? • Are we willing to learn (from local communities, indigenous people, foreigners)?

19. COMMON ATTITUDES (i) • Heritage is Culture – Not really • Culture is a component of heritage • Heritage Conservation is anti-development – Not at all. • Conservation is about wise use and right choices for development

20. COMMON ATTITUDES (ii) • Culture is Static – No • Cultures does change, gradually though • Heritage is not a driver for development – Wrong • Heritage is a powerful driver for development but there has to be a balancing act

21. COMMON ATTITUDES (iii) • Culture is not important for development - Wrong • Former US Senator, Patrick Moynihan, observed: “The … truth is that it is culture not politics which determines the success of society. … Politics can change culture and save it from itself”. • Several scholars confirm the assertion above • Trust, hard work, respect for others, control of one’s destiny are key cultural values for de’vpt

22. CASE STUDIES • Case studies abound on linkages between heritage, conservation and development • But the question why some countries develop faster than others still remains. • Why is Africa lagging behind? • Why is Latin America seemingly slow? • Why did Japan and China stagnate then leap? • Why do some ethnic groups (Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, Jews, Croats) do better than others wherever they go? • How did UK, USA and other develop?

23. CONCLUSION • A team of economic scholars (Khan et al, 2010) concluded that: • The cultural values of: self determination, , honesty, cooperation, trust, mutual respect, self-improvement and freedom of thought; which depend on individual attitudes, and are based on a set of beliefs and norms are the key to development of any society. • The link between heritage, conservation and development is strong and positive – there is no gap and there is no contest.

24. Thank You (Asante Sana)