This paper examines existing challenges to the implementation of global United Nations policy guidelines on issues of outreach and adult education, as contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), on the local level, using the Laughing Bird Caye National Park, a World Heritage Site co-managed by the Friends of Nature organization, as an example. For this analysis of conservational and educational issues, central categories such as livelihood, empowerment, community participation and community education, which are included in the new paradigm of protected areas management, compose the contextual backbone of the research. By use of Niklas Luhmann’s system theory a dimensional theoretic embedding allows for the determination of communication processes between organizations of different levels and shapes. In the Caribbean region examined, the offshore reef and also the livelihood of the inhabitants of the coastal area are threatened. Information on local living conditions in social and economic terms, as well as their impact on and interactions with the natural environment is provided. The cross-cutting issues covered by the framework of the CBD, as listed under Article 13, target Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA). The case analysed in this paper is schematically positioned according to its provisions in terms of space and habitats as pertaining to programmatic domains of the CBD. A multi-level analysis of the systemic interrelation between global policy and local reality is conducted. Problems that hinder conservationally sound and time-efficient communication processes are identified by means of a case study on the local organization and found to be primarily caused by insufficient management. Further obstructive influences from the national and global levels are identified. And include a lack of coordination and collaboration. Findings of the thesis indicate a need for increased networking and more transparency regarding decision making, these are strongly recommended for better practices on site and improvements for systemic communication development and information exchange worldwide.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1972 set the contemporary standard for cultural and natural conservation. Today, a place on the World Heritage List is much sought after for tourism promotion, development funding, and national prestige. Presenting case studies from across the globe, particularly from Africa and Asia, anthropologists with situated expertise in specific World Heritage sites explore the consequences of the World Heritage framework and the global spread of the UNESCO heritage regime. This book shows how local and national circumstances interact with the global institutional framework in complex and unexpected ways. Often, the communities around World Heritage sites are constrained by these heritage regimes rather than empowered by them.

This volume analyzes the politics, policy and practice of cultural heritage at the global level, identifying the major directions in which international heritage practice is moving, and exploring the key issues likely to shape the cultural heritage field well into the twenty-first century. It examines the tensions between the universal claims of much heritage practice, particularly that associated with the World Heritage system, and national and local perspectives. It explores the international legal framework developed since World War Two to protect heritage, particularly at times of war, and from theft, showing how contemporary global problems of conflict and illicit trade continue to challenge the international legal system. Heritage and Globalisation critiques the incorporation of heritage in the world economy through the policies of international development organisations and the global tourism trade. It also approaches heritage from seldom-considered perspectives, as a form of aid, as a development paradigm, and as a form of sustainable practice. The book identifies some of the most pressing issues likely to face the heritage industry at a global level in coming decades, including the threat posed by climate change and the need for poverty reduction. Providing a historically and theoretically rigorous approach to heritage as a form of and manifestation of globalisation, the volume’s emphasis is on contemporary issues and new fields for heritage practice.

Not all World Heritage Sites have people living within or close by their boundaries, but many do. The designation of World Heritage status brings a new dimension to the functioning of local communities and particularly through tourism. Too many tourists accentuated by the World Heritage label, or in some cases not enough tourists, despite anticipation of increased numbers, can act to disrupt and disturb relations within a community and between communities. Either way, tourism can be seen as a form of activity that can generate interest and concern as it is played out within World Heritage Sites. But the relationships that World Heritage Sites and their consequent tourism share with communities are not just a function of the number of tourists. The relationships are complex and ever changing as the communities themselves change and are built upon long-standing and wider contextual factors that stretch beyond tourism. This volume, drawing upon a wide range of international cases relating to some 33 World Heritage Sites, reveals the multiple dimensions of the relations that exist between the sites and local communities. The designation of the sites can create, obscure and heighten the power relations between different parts of a community, between different communities and between the tourism and the heritage sector. Increasingly, the management of World Heritage is not only about the management of buildings and landscapes but about managing the communities that live and work in or near them.

'Sense of place' has become a familiar phrase, used to describe emotional attachment to a particular location. As heritage management policy and practices increasingly attempt to draw on the views and expressions of interest amongst local communities, it is important to have a better grasp of what people mean by this concept, and to assess its uses and implications. Here, a range of practitioners from NGO, agency, cultural heritage and archaeological backgrounds review the meanings of 'sense of place', and where it is useful in the context of heritage management practice. This volume breaks new ground in specifically addressing place attachment from a cultural heritage perspective, and drawing on local and national interests from a diversity of cultural situations. Illustrated with case studies from around Europe and Australia, the book addresses key themes, including the rootedness amongst communities in the past; policy-making for accommodating senses of place within planning and management, for land- sea- and city-scapes; official versus unofficial views; and the often difficult balance between planning policies that extend from regional to global scale, and local actions and perceptions.

Examines the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of heritage research and practice, and the underlying international politics of protecting cultural and natural resources around the globe. Focuses on ethnographic and embedded perspectives, as well as a commitment to ethical engagement Appeals to a broad audience, from archaeologists to heritage professionals, museum curators to the general public The contributors comprise an outstanding team, representing some of the most prominent scholars in this broad field, with a combination of senior and emerging scholars, and an emphasis on international contributions

The remarkable success of the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage is borne out by the fact that nearly 1,000 properties have now been designated as possessing Outstanding Universal Value and recognition given to the imperative for their protection. However, the remarkable success of the Convention is not without its challenges and a key issue for many Sites relates to the touristic legacies of inscription. For many sites inscription on the World Heritage List acts as a promotional device and the management challenge is one of protection, conservation and dealing with increased numbers of tourists. For other sites, designation has not brought anticipated expansion in tourist numbers and associated investments. What is clear is that tourism is now a central concern to the wide array of stakeholders involved with World Heritage Sites.