CONFERENCE AGENDA
CULTURE IN CRISIS: Cross-Disciplinary Learning Opportunities for Natural and Cultural Heritage Preservation
University of Pretoria, South Africa (17th-21st October 2018)
Projected Itinerary
Weds 17th Oct: Arrival of organisers and speakers (welcome meeting / reception)
Thurs 18th Oct: Excursion Day (Rietvlei Nature Reserve and Apartheid Museum)
Fri 19th Oct: Workshop Day One
Sat 20th Oct: Workshop Day Two
Sun 21st Oct: Departure
Proposed Themes and Sessions:
1. DEFINING THE PROBLEM: HERITAGE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Historical perspectives on processes of collection, acquisition and conservation of natural and cultural heritage; discussing the political past of museum objects….
2. ASSESSING THE RISK
Global climate change, poaching, theft and looting, urbanisation and many more. Identifying threats, prioritising action and engaging diverse perspectives. How do we measure and prioritise that which we are trying to protect, and who, when considering the diversity of world perspectives, decides?
3. ENGAGEMENT AND ACTION
Engaging communities, promoting sustainable economic development and establishing mutual benefit for people, their culture, wildlife, and the environment we all live in. Exploring home-grown solutions for global preservation issues.
4. GOVERNMENT AND CITIZEN
Top-down and bottom-up approaches to protecting our natural and cultural heritage, interrogating the tension between government efforts and community needs. The potential of Citizen Science in Africa, including the FAIR principles and their implementation.
5. BALANCING THE NEEDS OF MIXED HERITAGE SITES
What happens when heritages collide? How do we negotiate the various needs of human and wildlife and populations within the same environment?
6. WORKING WITHIN THE LEGACY OF HISTORIC COLLECTING AND CONSERVATION PRACTICES
How have the legacies of collecting and conservation affected our work today? How are we striving to overcome these issues and redefine our approaches?
7. FUTURE FOCUS
Opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning and innovation within natural and cultural preservation. How can we coordinate efforts and share best practices on a local, national and global level, across multiple preservation disciplines? How can themes around sustainability, advocacy and audience engagement be transferred from one area to another?
8. CONCLUDING PANEL: CULTURE – NATURE – HERITAGE: COMMON PROBLEMS, JOINT SOLUTIONS
Reflecting on the papers of the conference, to address common problems of natural and cultural heritage preservation and discuss possible joint actions to tackle those problems. To get a clearer view of both the challenges and opportunities of thinking about natural and cultural preservation as two sides of the same coin.