{"id":4965,"date":"2026-10-25T11:14:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogg.lnu.se\/unesco\/?p=4965"},"modified":"2026-10-25T11:15:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:15:01","slug":"what-needs-continuity-when-the-world-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogg.lnu.se\/unesco\/?p=4965","title":{"rendered":"What needs continuity when the world changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As part of the Scientific Symposium \u201cLiving Heritage\u201d<\/em> of the 2026 General Assembly of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Kuching, Malaysia, I organized and chaired on 20 October 2026 a panel discussion on \u201cHow can cultural heritage sites contribute to the world\u2019s common future?<\/strong>\u201d. The panel attracted more than 100 participants.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Panel members from left to right: Nicholas Gani (Malaysia), Karla Penna (Brazil\/Australia), Ave Paulus (Estonia), Cornelius Holtorf (Sweden) Zeynep G\u00fcl \u00dcnal (Turkey), Mariana Pereira (Portugal), Steve Brown (Australia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ABSTRACT:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 UN Pact for the Future calls for \u201ca new beginning in multilateralism\u201d and sets out an ambitious agenda for protecting the needs and interests of present and future generations. What role can cultural heritage sites and landscapes play in this common future we do not know yet? Beyond protecting heritage from the impacts of conflict, climate change and other global threats, how might cultural heritage actively contribute to more sustainable, peaceful and inclusive futures under challenging and changing conditions? And how can ICOMOS help realise this potential through international cooperation? This panel brings together experts from different parts of the world to explore how we can get the future we want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panel members:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cornelius Holtorf <\/strong>(ICOMOS Sweden, member of three ISCs). Cornelius Holtorf is a Professor of Archaeology and holder of the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures at Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden. He is specializing in heritage theory, heritage futures, and contemporary archaeology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Brown <\/strong>(ICOMOS Australia, International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL)). Steve Brown is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, University of Canberra, Australia, and an Advisor with the consultancy GML Heritage. His interests include World Heritage and cultural landscape, including Indigenous heritage. He has current interests in sustainable lunar activities and animal cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholas Gani <\/strong>(ICOMOS Malaysia). Nicholas Gani is an Indigenous anthropologist and archaeologist at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in Malaysia. His research explores the connections between archaeology, Indigenous knowledge, and cultural heritage, with an emphasis on understanding the past, strengthening community engagement, and advancing the preservation and sustainable management of heritage in Sarawak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ave Paulus <\/strong>(Focal Point of ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group; President of ICOMOS Estonia). Ave Paulus holds an MSc from the Estonian Academy of Arts and a PhD from Tartu University, Estonia. She is a heritage expert and researcher focused on the cultural continuity of heritage ecosystems and the rights of heritage communities, with a specific focus on climate and heritage policies. With over 20 years of experience in Estonia’s Ministry of Climate as expert on cultural\u00a0heritage, she now focuses on international cooperation and policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karla Penna <\/strong>(Member of ICOMOS Sustainable Development Goals Working Group). Professor Karla Penna is an architect, anthropologist, and cultural heritage manager with a PhD in Transformative Education. She is a Brazilian Indigenous descendant, specialised in Indigenous Landscapes Cultural Mapping and Intercultural Communication Competence. She currently works in Western Australia, recording Aboriginal Elders’ memories and writing their life stories to support intergenerational knowledge transmission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mariana Pereira <\/strong>(Board Member of ICOMOS; Board Liaison for Emerging Professionals Working Group). Mariana P. L. Pereira is a heritage researcher whose work focuses on diaspora and on the ways communities use heritage to negotiate identity and change in post-displacement settings. She recently completed a postdoctoral research position at the University of York, following her PhD at the University of Cambridge, both in the U.K..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeynep G\u00fcl \u00dcnal <\/strong>(Board Member of ICOMOS; President of International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP)). Zeynep G\u00fcl \u00dcnal is a conservation architect and professor at Y\u0131ld\u0131z Technical University in Turkey, specializing in cultural heritage conservation and disaster risk management. Her work focuses on disaster risk management for cultural heritage across the full disaster management cycle, with particular expertise in preparedness and emergency response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After my introduction<\/a> to the panel, each members gave short statements to a seldom asked question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Imagine the world in 2050. What old and new roles could monuments and sites (and ICOMOS) play in addressing global challenges, seizing emerging opportunities, and helping us \u201censure the future we want\u201d? <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Among the answers to this question presented by the panel were the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n