The term “cultural heritage” encompasses the values, traditions, and histories of a community that are passed on from one generation to the next. It can include both tangible heritage (things you can see, such as art or monuments) and intangible heritage (things you cannot see, such as stories or beliefs). It can also be the legacy of a place that is sacred to a culture. It is the sum total of these cultural traditions that a community lives by and is a source of its identity.
In a world of increasing mobility, many people are losing their sense of place and community. Heritage organizations play an important role in helping people connect with each other, with their local history, and with their heritage. This is especially true for culturally diverse communities, where heritage can act as a link between different cultures and generations.
Nonprofit heritage organizations are crucial to the development of public culture in our nation. They support communities of all sizes and types, offering a wide range of services to preserve, promote, and celebrate the cultural heritage of all of us. This includes preserving cultural resources, creating educational programs for young people and the general public, supporting the creation of new works of cultural significance, and facilitating the exchange of ideas and information.
Cultural heritage is a dynamic concept that changes as societies change. The concept of cultural heritage is evolving from a narrow, static notion to a flexible value-based approach that recognizes the multifaceted nature of cultural heritage as a source of identity, tradition and inspiration. This shift has been accelerated by the increasing importance of the Internet and the growth of social media in all societies.
While the value of heritage can be expressed in economic terms, there are many other benefits that heritage provides, including community building, education, a sense of place and identity, and spiritual well-being. The preservation and protection of heritage is therefore an important tool for human development and sustainable living.
A number of factors influence heritage conservation practices, and these can be grouped into categories: lack of community concern, illicit trafficking, promotion towards sustainable development, natural catastrophes, and agricultural practices. In addition, the research found that there was a significant positive relationship between heritage conservation and the use of local and traditional language.
Despite the challenges, many heritage organizations are successfully promoting and preserving their communities. They do so by addressing multiple needs and often blend program areas that many public and private funders traditionally keep separate. They also reflect the values and histories of the groups and communities that build and sustain them. In doing so, they can serve as models for other communities facing similar challenges. They can also help to shape a more equitable and prosperous future.