Heritage and Human Rights

This book explores interlinkages between heritage and human rights and emphasizes that the connections are not just theoretical: Its chapters examine relevant laws, institutions, and actions that reflect both established and emerging trends in the field. The diversity of its authors' disciplinary and geographical backgrounds allows for coverage of perspectives ranging from international relations to art history and cases from Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The first section connects heritage to peacekeeping, transitional justice, climate change, and the sustainable development goals. Chapters in the second section address more granular civic initiatives, critically assessing their  political contours, challenges, and opportunities, and examining sites and processes as mediums for archiving rights. In the final section of the book, authors address the relationship between “subalternized memories”, “invisible heritages”, history-making, and the denial and recognition of rights. Going beyond traditional conceptions and approaches, authors demonstrate how less-traditional examples of cultural heritage can call attention to the violation or achievement of human rights and address the needs of people often excluded from current heritage-related discourses and practices. Ultimately, Heritage and Human Rights: Laws, Institutions, Actions  critically assesses how frameworks and practices linking heritage and human rights can be complementary, limited, or even antagonistic.

Scholars, students, and actors in the heritage space will all benefit from this volume's frank explorations of underexplored cases.