Last month's 5th Arab Forum for Cultural Heritage, organised by ICCROM, held a spotlight on the energising discussions and strategies regarding cultural heritage protection in the Middle East. This included key projects supported by the Cultural Protection Fund.
Held on 29 September to 1 October, the key theme of the Forum was ‘the role of women and youth in cultural heritage conservation and museums innovation.’ The event gathered researchers, practitioners, policymakers and media professionals – all producing fruitful recommendations on the future of cultural heritage protection in the region. These ranged from youth-led and women-led initiatives, aligning with sustainable development goals, audience-focused partnerships and more.
A key highlight was the people-centred approach of the Cultural Protection Fund in Palestine. CPF has supported more projects in Palestine than in any of the fund’s other target countries. Since 2016, CPF has awarded over £10.4m to 39 projects protecting Palestinian heritage in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
The range of projects were delved into in the panel discussion on ‘Empowering Women and Youth in Gaza through Cultural Heritage and Digitial Innovation.’ Moderated by Nasir Aldarmaki (Deputy Director of ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah), attendees heard insights from Martin Daltry (British Council Director, UAE) and Rafif Al Amassi from Première Urgence Internationale.
‘As women, we adapt and innovate to overcome challenges—whether during siege, crisis, or the COVID-19 pandemic. These moments tested our strength, but sparked creativity and resilience that shaped INTIQAL’s path, said Rafif.
INTIQAL was launched by Première Urgence Internationale in 2017 with the support of CPF. This inspiring programme is led by local youth and graduates to create a sustainable local development model for Palestinian communities around the Saint Hilarion Monastery (Tell Um el’Amr) and other cultural heritage sites in the Gaza Strip and in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The programme aims to create a safe and inclusive space where everyone can contribute to the understanding, appreciation, care, and protection of Palestinian cultural heritage.
Speaking after the panel, Martin Daltry commented that: ‘The Forum was particularly important to share learnings between cultural heritage practitioners and communities across the Arab region. This is especially with encouraging and inspiring young people working to protect their heritage in the most difficult circumstances. For example, the Palestinian team working with young people in the INTIQAL project in Gaza saw great benefit in connecting with youth working on the Old City of Mosul in Iraq to create hope for their future.’
Catch up on the recordings of the event here.
