Shared History & Heritage - As A Key Route To Sustainable Knowledge and Resource | World Heritage Day | Campaign for Sustainability | truCSR

 

Written by Rebecca Shibu

Edited by Yamini Peter

Conversations around cultural heritage initiate both a critical review of the past and a commitment to the future. In recent years, debates regarding the removal and erasure of several historical narratives have flared up. Prioritization of certain narratives over the other leads to disputed histories amongst communities in the society. To bring forth experiences of all people and places through narratives that are holistic in nature, sustainable pathways need to be sought. Sustainability in developing knowledge and resources can only be achieved when all experiences and narratives are accounted for throughout history.

The World Heritage Convention (1972) states: “deterioration or disappearance of any item of the cultural or natural heritage constitutes a harmful impoverishment of the heritage of all the nations of the world”. However, there are still inequalities in the acknowledgment, understanding, and, eventually, retention of different cultural manifestations.

Therefore, ICOMOS with UNESCO World Heritage Centre promotes inclusive and diverse points of view in heritage identification, conservation and transmission to future generations. On World Heritage Day, this year, the theme is ‘Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures’ - which allows us to build conversations around challenges that have emerged in the process of greater inclusion and recognition of diversity.

Creating Space for Shared History and Heritage
From toppled monuments that are reminders of select histories throughout shared civic spaces to the treatment of ancestral sites and indigenous territories across cultural ecosystems, uncovering and creating more inclusive narratives will fill gaps that are present throughout history. Furthermore, help future generations have an informed understanding of the past.

Heritage disputes are rarely about the object itself, but rather about fundamental tensions that divide society, whether they are founded on unresolved historical grievances, marginalized groups' sense of injustice, divisive political exploitation, demonstrations over economic inequality, or other grievances.

A number of civil society initiatives are aimed at constructing a shared narrative from disparate historical narratives and experiences. If adversarial and conflicting historical narratives lead to fueling tension between groups, then a common and shared understanding of the history can serve as a foundation for resolving differences.

Identifying commonalities in adversary groups' narratives, highlighting similar experiences across groups in conflict, stressing the mutual challenges of members of each group, or uncovering shared positive experiences (e.g., periods of peaceful coexistence) in the past are all techniques used to construct shared narratives.

Notable examples of long-term active participation, experimental research, and study of complex Indian Cultural Landscapes such as Majuli, Braj, Hampi, and Khajuraho have shown enormous potential for improving the modern/official management structure by integrating valuable lessons from the conventional one, allowing it to better understand and function in the field. 

Given this understanding, developing a space that brings people together in thought and finds a common ground to accommodate the past and further work towards a shared future has become consequential today.

Methods that Promote Inclusion through Shared History

• Pluralizing the Past: Inclusion and space for several outlooks are needed to ensure an undogmatic view of history. It is also critical to forming an enriched understanding of the new shared history that helps us navigate the actions taken ahead in the future. Pluralizing the past further creates scope for a more holistic view into the past that, as a result, influences the actions in the present and future.
• A Process-Oriented Approach through Dialogue: A multi-stakeholder framework that deals with situations involving uncertain information located across distributed contexts and ecosystems in history are crucial. The information’s inability to be combined into a singular knowledge base provides a platform for dialogue and an approach that examines the possibilities of an all-encompassing understanding of the past. By the means of equitable dialogue, representation can be practiced and ensured.
• The Local Perspectives and Intangible Heritage: The impact of accommodating and opening up the space in history for perspectives of the local communities is a constructive way forward. Heritage can only be shared when power is distributed amongst all people of the society. This is also a great way of accounting for the intangible heritage that evolves in pockets of the country. And, the effort to bring them into the mainstream would mean adding layered nuances to the historical narratives.

Conclusion
It matters how disputes over current and proposed heritage are dealt with in a responsible and successful manner. Clearly established values, evidence-based analysis, a consistent process of the steps taken, attempts to involve key stakeholders, and clear contact with the general public are all factors that can help heritage integrate successfully into the changing nature of coexistence.

The preservation and management of Indian heritage is a major challenge that requires a long-term joint effort from the official and traditional worlds, as well as the various agencies and institutions involved in sites. There is an immediate need to develop context and relevant resources that are built through consistent involvement/ engagement with the web and are not focused on any preconceived notions. 

Hence, the significance of the theme for the year ‘complex pasts: diverse futures’ is immense. It brings difficult conversations to the forefront and enables institutions and individuals to process the incomprehension that comes with heritage. In order to strengthen the ideas of shared history and heritage, it takes a variety of stakeholders, both in positions of power and common persons, to perceive what lies ahead. Encouraging diversity in the future will take effort and work in the path of inclusion and deconstruction of the past.

---------------------

truCSR is a social engagement platform run by a group of professionals with a passion for social development with a cumulative experience of more than 100 years in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (#CSR), finance, taxation, corporate and allied laws, corporate governance and strategic management. The platform seamlessly connects Implementers and Contributors to amplify the #CSRimpact and accelerate the process of social change with digital solutions. This platform is owned and developed by a company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

If you are looking for projects from #nonprofit organizations in different thematic areas, write to info@trucsr.in - truCSR will coordinate end-to-end with the nonprofit community and share proposals with you as per the requirement.