Baltic Youth Workshop on World Heritage
Lithuania, Vilnius, 3-8 July 2006
Objectives
The Baltic Youth Workshop on World Heritage was organized on the occasion of the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee in Vilnius.
The general objective of the workshop was to make an input of the young people into the work of the Heritage in order to search for solutions and suggestions on how to preserve, manage and raise awareness about the World Heritage sites, create and develop a responsible attitude of young people towards the heritage as the expression of their national identity.
This year the program of the workshop was adjusted to specific and most topical concerns regarding heritage protection in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Proceedings
The Baltic Youth Workshop on World Heritage hosted 28 students and 6 teachers.
The entire program of the workshop was objected to train the project preparation and implementation skills of young participants in the field of heritage, to train presentation, discussion and team-work skills, to encourage meeting, communication and cooperation of the peers and to introduce cultural and natural heritage of Lithuania to the participants.
Three out of five working days were devoted for each of the Baltic themes. Each day started with introduction of the national team and presentation of homework tasks, followed with group workshops. In the afternoon, composed according to the national theme, the lectures, meetings with the heritage experts, architects, restaurateurs, representatives of responsible institutions, and various excursions were held.
Two days of the Workshop were devoted for visiting the World Heritage sites in Lithuania.
Outcome
The Baltic Youth Workshop on World Heritage served as a perfect possibility to involve and make input of young representatives of the three Baltic States into the World Heritage Committee session. The event also served as a fine introduction to the further cooperation of Baltic States in the field of heritage education and preservation. The selected project prepared by the national teams were not only presented to other participants, but were also followed by discussion and suggestions on how to improve them. The participants were assisted by large number of professionals who work in the field of heritage, media and youth culture. The workshop also provided a Baltic youth platform to express their ideas and exchange mutual interest on World Heritage, it helped the young to express and present best practice ideas and activities for young people to be involved in World Heritage, conceptualize the World Heritage campaign project by Baltic youth.
Organizers
The Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Participants
34 participants attended the workshop: 28 students and 6 teachers.
Countries represented
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Sponsors
The department for Cultural heritage and the Ministry of Affaires of the republic of Lithuania. The Latvian and Estonian National Commissions for UNESCO supported the travel expenses of young participants to the Workshop.
Organizing persons
- Liliana Bugailiškytė, Lithuanina ASPnet national coordinator
- Martynas Užpelkis, Director, public agency "KULTUR"
- Rūta Ambrasūnienė, Program coordinator, Lithuanian national Commission for UNESCO
- Edwin Warkentin, Public Agency "KULTUR"