The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the European Association of Historic Towns and Regions and the City of Norwich, organised the European Symposium on "Heritage for the future - Realising the economic and social potential of a key asset", which was held in Norwich (United Kingdom) on 9 - 10 September 2004.This publication contains the main statements and representations of the symposium. The event was attended by over 100 participants from across Europe, who shared their experiences relating to the heritage of European towns.The symposium included discussions on the economic and social importance of cultural heritage, mechanisms to facilitate the protection and enhancement of heritage, enhancing the potential of cultural routes, cultural heritage and technology and improving co-operation between international organisations and the public

Preservation of natural and cultural heritage is often said to be something that is done for the future, or on behalf of future generations, but the precise relationship of such practices to the future is rarely reflected upon. Heritage Futures draws on research undertaken over four years by an interdisciplinary, international team of 16 researchers and more than 25 partner organisations to explore the role of heritage and heritage-like practices in building future worlds. Engaging broad themes such as diversity, transformation, profusion and uncertainty, Heritage Futures aims to understand how a range of conservation and preservation practices across a number of countries assemble and resource different kinds of futures, and the possibilities that emerge from such collaborative research for alternative approaches to heritage in the Anthropocene. Case studies include the cryopreservation of endangered DNA in frozen zoos, nuclear waste management, seed biobanking, landscape rewilding, social history collecting, space messaging, endangered language documentation, built and natural heritage management, domestic keeping and discarding practices, and world heritage site management.

Cultural Heritage and the Future brings together an international group of scholars and experts to consider the relationship between cultural heritage and the future. Drawing on case studies from around the world, the contributing authors insist that cultural heritage and the future are intimately linked and that the development of futures thinking should be a priority for academics, students and those working in the wider professional heritage sector. Until recently, the future has never attracted substantial research and debate within heritage studies and heritage management, and this book addresses this gap by offering a balance of theoretical and empirical content that will stimulate multidisciplinary debate in the burgeoning field of critical heritage studies. Cultural Heritage and the Future questions the role of heritage in future making and will be of great relevance to academics and students working in the fields of museum and heritage studies, archaeology, anthropology, architecture, conservation studies, sociology, history and geography. Those working in the heritage professions will also find much to interest them within the pages of this book.

This book explores the potential contribution of cultural heritage in the enhancement of the territories, investigating the possibilities but also the criticalities involved in the process. Based on the knowledge process built on the Monasteries of Haghpat, Sanahin, Geghard and moreover, in the Upper Azat Valley in Armenia, the work suggests the development of an integrated design approach with interdisciplinary focus. The conservation of the Architectural Heritage of these sites is a priority for the identity safeguard but also to start virtuous processes able to ensure a sustainable development for places and communities. The objective of this work is the setting of pilot strategies and guidelines for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage as an engine for a compatible and sustainable tourism development of the area, with tangible impact on social and economic development of the country. The work would benefit local authorities and communities, as well as researchers involved in these topics.

Where have we come from and where do we go? Why are human beings born? Are our lives just random events or do they have some greater purpose? What is the meaning of death? Nichiren Buddhism, based on the Lotus Sutra, is a teaching of hope that provides answers to these and other important questions for modern life. Ranked among the most important works in Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren’s 13th-century writings were revolutionary. They sought to give people a deep sense of confidence and self-reliance in this lifetime by exploring the topics of death and eternal life. In his The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, Nichiren explains the ultimate Buddhist view, which frees people from both their fear of death and their unhealthy attachment to self. Daisaku Ikeda’s simple and straightforward commentary brings alive this important writing for the modern world. Thoughtful people of all faiths will resonate with his compassionate insights on the universal teaching of happiness that is Nichiren Buddhism.

Climate change is a critical issue for heritage studies. Sites, objects and ways of life all are coming under threat, requiring alternative management, or requiring specific climate change adaptation. Heritage is key to interpreting the societal significance of climate change; notions (and images) of the past are crucial to our understanding of the present, and are used to prompt actions that help society define and achieve a specific and desired future. Relatively little attention has been paid to the critical intersections between heritage and climate change. The Future of Heritage as Climates Change frames the intellectual context within which heritage and climate change can be examined, presenting cases and sub-fields in which the heritage-climate change nexus is being examined and provides synthetic analyses through five overarching themes: The heritage of change among coastal communities: liminality and the politics of engagement Dwelling materials: processes and possibilities; Environmental heritage: meanings of the past – prospects for the future; Blurring the boundaries of nature and culture: the politics of anticipation; Climate change and heritage practice: adaptation and resilience. The Future of Heritage as Climates Change provides scholars, managers, policy makers and students with a much needed examination of heritage and climate change to help make critical decisions in the next several decades.

This book investigates the relationship between heritage and development from the global visions articulated by UNESCO and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to local activism, livelihood innovations and political strategies employed in diverse countries of the Global South. In recent years, as culturally informed approaches to international development have become increasingly important, engaging with heritage has been seen as a way to draw on practices and meanings from the past to help build future development. This book gathers researchers and practitioners from across disciplines to address important themes such as health, the environment, sustainability, peace, security, tourism and economic growth. In doing so, the book asks us to consider whose past and whose future is ultimately at stake in efforts to use heritage for development. Key topics explored include histories and legacies of colonialism and calls for decolonisation, and related questions of expertise, ownership and agency. Students, practitioners and researchers from across the broad areas of history, heritage, education, archaeology, geography and development studies will find this book an invaluable guide to dynamic and contested understandings of heritage and development and the relationship between them.

Robert A. Heinlein is generally recognized as the most important American science fiction writer of the 20th century. This is the first detailed critical examination of his entire career. It is not a biography--that is being done in a two-volume work by William Patterson. Instead, this book looks at each piece of fiction (and a few pieces of sf-related nonfiction) that Heinlein wrote, chronologically by date of publication, in order to consider what each contributes to his overall accomplishment. The aim is to be fair, to look clearly at the strengths and weaknesses of the writings that have inspired generations of readers and writers.