Towards a National Strategy for Cultural Heritage-Based Social Development in Pakistan: From Area Conservation to Celebrating a Historic National Landscape of Multiculturalism

Ref.: 128
Key theme: 02 Functional integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 15/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

AHMED, Sameeta * (Pakistan) - NWFP University of Engineering and Technology,

ABSTRACT

What is today Pakistan has been referred to as `the historic Indus Valley Region' by scholars, with its meeting and layering of cultures, bridging of Central and South Asia, and its multiculturalist-humanist Sufism. Starting the historic chain from the ancient Indus valley Civilization, it contains the cultural heritage of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Europeans, Sufis, and folk cultures, historic living cities and cultural landscapes.

This rich legacy has always been recognized by the State of Pakistan, which in relation to cultural heritage has supported post-colonial legislation, departments of archeology and museums, media programming, a folk heritage foundation and Sufi shrine patronage. Its heritage resources management has been lacking in efficiency however, and historic urban landscapes have not been conserved. Whether the causes of this have included neglect, mismanagement, or lack of resources and education, today the state must respond to contemporary needs, but also other non-governmental mechanisms for cultural heritage protection, planning and conservation must be tied in. And unless cultural heritage is actively linked with social development, these efforts cannot be successful.

This paper attempts to propose a Pakistan National Strategy for Cultural Heritage Promotion and Conservation by identifying: positive precedents and recent developments, which include the first legal protection-listing of a historic urban area in Pakistan, successes in historic area conservation by independent agencies, and an upcoming proposal for a UNESCO listing of a cultural landscape; existing relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions, agencies and professional bodies; possible strategies that can mobilize and orchestrate a combined national effort that links heritage with social progress, for the mutual benefit of both causes.

Since there is a broadening of scope in Pakistan from monument-conservation to area conservation, government is being localized, media is interested in covering more heritage, and there are more segments of society receiving formal education, a lot can be done with existing resources within the country. It identifies how the tools of area conservation can be applied in historic cities and also how to officially and socially broaden the term "historic urban landscape" to include intangible heritage, rural cultural landscapes and even archeologically sensitive zones.

There will be a targeting of three `actors' - government, civil society, stakeholders - and `themes' will include education, environment, capacity-building, cultural programming, institution-building, gender- and minority-inclusion, employment, awareness-raising, publishing and international representation. An important recommendation is to mobilize professionals, including conservationists, architects, archeologists, historians and others, even those based abroad, as organized advocates who can provide direction, guidance and resources.

An institutional-professional cross-linking, as well as a historic periods cross-linking can broaden the platform of significance and responsibility, and in fact see Pakistan as a "historic national landscape". The history of culture in the country is diverse but much can be brought under one umbrella by calling upon the living heritage of Sufism for furthering the cause of the underprivileged, and for its values of secular, multiculturalist humanism.

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