International Workshop on World Heritage Educational Multi-media Resource Material

Pont-du-Gard, France, 21-23 March 2005

Objectives

For teachers:

• Provide secondary and elementary school classroom teachers with innovative, user-friendly multi-media interdisciplinary educational resource material on specific World Heritage sites, touchstones of civilization, in support of intercultural learning;
• Develop new educational approaches to enhance the understanding of the history of humankind by focusing on the contributions of different cultures to our common universal civilization and make appropriate links between the past, the present and the future;

For students:

• Mobilize students (aged 12-16 years old) to appreciate our common universal civilization by learning more in-depth about other cultures reflected by selected World Heritage sites;
• Enable students to become more aware of the present day threats facing World heritage sites and possible solutions;
• Enhance the capacity of students to effectively use multi-media resource materials and develop life skills including creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, research and analysis, communication and language learning;
• Implicate students in intercultural learning and dialogue and develop their respect for differences and diversity;
• Involve students in life-long support of World Heritage protection and preservation.

Description

The workshop consisted of the presentation and evaluation of the educational multimedia materials prepared in advance by 9 countries (Cuba, Egypt, France, Greece, Morocco, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Spain and Uzbekistan). The idea was that countries present in an innovative way a specific World Heritage Site, a touchstone of civilization, in their respective countries.

Conclusions

The countries' materials were very diverse in terms of content, presentation and support. It became thus clear that minimal common regulations concerning the contents needed to be prepared by UNESCO.

Detailed Guidelines for the Content of the multimedia material:

Patrimonito's presence and typical music throughout

Brief texts and visuals (images, cartoons and visuals) explaining:

• Influence on other cultures/sites - contributions to universal values and civilization
• Universal value of WH site (including criteria used for inscription on WH List and copy of WH certificate, photos of WH plaques on site)
• Unique features of site
• Intangible/living/spiritual heritage (music, dance, art, architecture, food clothing, philosophy, religion, crafts, sculpture, festivals, traditional games and sports, life styles and customs etc.) surrounding site in the past/present
• Present day  threats facing the site
• Further sources of information (bibliography, web sites)
• Defining a common format

Organizers

UNESCO WHC
UNESCO ASPnet
The French National Commission for UNESCO

Participants

41 participants from 12 countries took part in the workshop.

Countries represented

Cuba, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Mali, Morocco, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain and Uzbekistan