Vision, Current Challenges, and Sustainability Strategies
Under the invitation of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and with the Supreme Commission for Inter-Governorate Coordination, TARII conducted a workshop on several critical heritage areas for 37 participating officials, representing every governorate of Iraq.
Objectives of the Workshop
Enhance the knowledge and capabilities of governorate representatives in understanding Iraqi cultural heritage, determining its values, identifying the dangers threatening it, and setting realistic priorities for its protection, management, and sustainability. It also introduces relevant national and international frameworks, as well as the role of governorates in protecting tangible and intangible heritage.
The objective is not merely for participants to know "what heritage is," but rather to enable them to answer five core questions by the end of the workshop:
What heritage do we possess in our governorate?
What value does this heritage represent?
What dangers threaten it?
What must be protected first?
How can this be turned into an actionable and sustainable plan?
In addition to introducing the participants to TARII, topics of presentation and discussion included:
What does heritage mean for my governorate?
Concepts of Cultural Heritage: Tangible vs. Intangible
Heritage from an International Perspective through UNESCO Definitions
Heritage Mapping in My Governorate
National and Local Vision for Protecting Iraqi Heritage
Current Challenges and Risks Facing Iraqi Heritage
Sustainability Strategy for Heritage (Development and Resource Maximization)
Risk Matrix
Action Plan to Protect Governorate Heritage
Outcomes
By the end of the two days, participants are expected to be able to:
Distinguish between tangible cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage, while understanding the relationship between them.
Recognize the cultural, social, scientific, economic, and developmental value of heritage.
Gain a simplified and precise understanding of the UNESCO World Heritage system
Identify the primary risks facing heritage within their respective governorates
Prepare an initial risk and priority matrix
Draft a concise heritage action plan for the governorate
Understand the concept of heritage sustainability and link it to local planning and development
Collaboration
This workshop was a collaborative effort between TARII and Supreme Commission for Inter-Governorate Coordination in the Prime Minister’s Office, developing more direct and structured cooperation between us in areas that are closely aligned with our shared goals, including capacity building, cultural heritage preservation, institutional development, and strengthening cooperation.
