07/31/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/31/2021 10:11
As the magnitude, length and complexity of conflicts increase around the world, culture's role in conflict prevention and reconciliation must be fully acknowledged and systematically integrated into UN actions. Within a post-conflict and/or reconciliation context, cultural diversity should be harnessed as a capital for social cohesion and stability that can help reduce communities' vulnerability to external shocks, rather than a threat or an instrument for division. Such soft power of culture can be unleashed notably through building on the significance of heritage sites and museums, as places of exchange and knowledge that can enable a better understanding of cultural identity and cultural diversity and lead to the appropriation, safeguarding and transmission of cultural and heritage values, identities and memory that can help regain self-confidence and unity. As a critical condition for cultural diversity to flourish, the protection of cultural rights is equally central to sustaining peaceful and inclusive societies, building on existing achievements and mechanisms, notably embedded in the UNESCO Culture Conventions and in strengthening synergies between culture and education. Looking forward, expanding policy discussions on individual and collective cultural rights as well as strengthening related policy and legislation frameworks can lay a critical foundation for harnessing the power of culture for peacebuilding and dialogue.
i) Cultural rights for social cohesion, peacebuilding, and security; ii) Preventing violent extremism (PVE) through strengthened synergies between education and culture; iii) Rehabilitation and recovery of historic and urban centers; iv) Conflict prevention and mitigation; v) Intercultural dialogue and education.