The workshop’s programme is intended to contribute to advancing professional and institutional capacities of managing authorities, heritage bearers, and other relevant practitioners from UNESCO designations on the mentioned subjects, in order to increase the benefits for the local communities and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.​

Special attention will be paid to “multiple designated areas”, i.e. local territories with a concentration or proximity of more than one UNESCO designation, in order to analyze the potentialities, challenges and possible experiences related to the coordination and integration between different designations.

The workshop is primarily aimed at local government agencies and other relevant actors responsible for the management/safeguarding of World Heritage properties, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks, UNESCO Creative Cities, and elements inscribed in the UNESCO Lists and Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Other practitioners such as professionals in local development agencies, independent experts, scholars/researchers, staff from international organizations or NGOs, etc. can also apply.

In line with the cross-disciplinary and dynamic approach, the workshop’s programme offers a combination of lectures, panel discussions, presentations by participants, and visits to case-studies and local communities.

The workshop will mainly focus on the role of food and food-related practices as driver for sustainable development in UNESCO Designations. In particular, the meeting will aim at sharing experiences, defining good practices, and discussing creative solutions on the integration of food-related practices - from production to consumption - in the management of UNESCO designated areas and the safeguarding of the related cultural and natural resources, in order to ensure an appropriate and equitable balance between conservation, sustainability and development.

Within this framework, specific sub topics addressed in the 2019 edition will be:

1. Integrated management models for cultural and natural resources, exploring emerging approaches, tools and practices to effectively engage multiple stakeholders and to better integrate food-related cultural and natural resources within local development programmes.

2. The role of creativity and innovation in community based development, to understand how the synergy between food-related heritage and cultural and creative industries can sustain inclusive social and economic growth in UNESCO designations.

3. Tools and practices to facilitate the management and development of food-related sustainable tourism at UNESCO designated areas, through fostering increased awareness, capacity and balanced participation of all stakeholders.

The workshop is open to maximum 25 selected participants.  

Scholarships are available to cover the participation costs (including accommodation and travel), with priority to applicants from the countries under the mandate of this regional Bureau (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey) plus Italy as host country.

Applications will only be considered if received by 16 June 2019 (extended deadline), 08.00am (Central European Time).

More info: https://www.academysd.net Apply here