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Afet Zamanlarında Kültürel Mirası Korumak

2023-3-TR01-KA153-YOU-0001711132023Mobility of youth workersongoing
Countries: TR|MA|IT|DE|ES · Grant: €27,586
Cultural heritageKey competences developmentDisaster prevention, preparedness and recovery

Objectives

The main purpose of implementing this project was to raise awareness among youth workers and young people about the protection of cultural heritage, particularly during times of disaster. Cultural heritage is a set of tangible and intangible values that have been passed down from the past to the present, embedded in the collective memory of societies, and play a vital role in fostering social solidarity and identity formation. Historical structures, archaeological sites, monuments, traditions, languages, music, dance, and rituals are not only of aesthetic or historical value, but they also represent the memory, identity, and continuity of societies. Unfortunately, these values suffer considerable damage especially during natural disasters, severing the ties between societies and their past, and distancing younger generations from their historical roots. UNESCO’s adoption of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972 clearly underlines the importance of these values for all humanity. Sites such as Göbeklitepe in Türkiye, the Colosseum in Italy, Cologne Cathedral in Germany, the Medina of Meknes in Morocco, and the Poblet Monastery in Spain are not just the legacy of their respective countries, but shared heritage of all humankind. However, the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye on February 6, 2023, the floods in Italy on May 2, 2023, and the earthquake in Morocco on September 10, 2023, have shown how vulnerable these heritage sites are to natural disasters and how irreparable the resulting damage can be. In this context, our project aimed to raise awareness not only about the preservation of UNESCO-protected sites but also of local cultural heritage sites that have not yet been officially recognized. The primary objective of the project was to increase the knowledge and awareness of youth workers and young people regarding the protection of cultural heritage in the context of disasters, and to empower them to become conscious actors in this field. In addition, we aimed to ensure the sustainability of the project by enabling participants to disseminate the knowledge and experiences they gained throughout the project within their own institutions, communities, and youth work practices. The activities were designed using non-formal and experiential learning methodologies to help participants become culturally sensitive and disaster-prepared individuals. Emphasis was placed on the idea that cultural heritage is not merely something to be preserved, but a dynamic component that actively shapes individual identity and values. Through this approach, the project aimed to inspire young people to engage with cultural heritage more consciously. Moreover, by fostering intercultural learning among participants from different countries, the project sought to build a shared sense of understanding and responsibility toward the protection of cultural heritage. Hosted by Morocco, the project brought together a total of 34 youth workers from Türkiye, Italy, Germany, and Spain, creating an international learning environment where knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to heritage protection were developed collaboratively.

Project partners (5)