World heritage sites, human rights and cultural heritage in Palestine

Abstract

The main aim of this short report is to discuss issues of heritage management practice, community development and human rights. It will focus on the role of Palestinian local organisations in conserving World Heritage sites. It considers the struggle to manage cultural heritage in spite of the many challenges posed by the complexity of the Palestinian political struggle. Two cities are taken as case studies: the Old City of Jerusalem inscribed as World Heritage in Danger in 1982 and the Old City of Hebron, which is included in the Tentative List proposed by the Palestinian Authority in 2004. Human rights issues are central to the clear identification of the mission, goals and implementation of the heritage conservation programmes. This study argues that in areas of armed conflict, protecting cultural heritage is an effective tool in protecting national identity. The impact of the Palestinian management programme has been very positive, despite the repressive Israeli measures that touch their everyday life, in sustaining dignity for the people who continue to live in these cities. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group.