Our daily lives are woven from the customs we observe, the places we inhabit and visit, the language we speak, the stories our grandparents told us, and the abstract ideas we hold to understand the world, ourselves, and our community—along with many other aspects of life. We did not invent all of this; we inherited it. While some beliefs and customs may be detrimental to human development, others enrich and bring joy to our life experience. The latter belong to our cultural heritage.
UNESCO defines cultural heritage as monuments and collections of objects, as well as traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and transmitted to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and knowledge and techniques linked to traditional craftsmanship. ( UNESCO 2004)
Cultural heritage is passed down collectively from generation to generation and recreated by the community in relation to its environment and history; as it is transmitted to new generations, it fosters a sense of belonging and identity. Each community determines what is valuable to its members and the legacy it wishes to leave to its successors.
Cultural heritage strengthens communities in the face of adversity; this is why the destruction of cultural heritage is a tactic of war and domination—such as the burning of books from the libraries of Alexandria or Constantinople, or the prohibition of languages other than Spanish in Francoist Spain.
Cultural heritage is constantly at risk due to multiple factors, such as rapid urbanization, large-scale emigration, industrialization, and environmental changes. One people's cultural heritage is just as valuable as another's; however, the imposition of hegemonic cultures causes economically disadvantaged groups to abandon or conceal their cultural legacy for fear of discrimination.
The loss of heritage entails the loss of ancestral knowledge, detachment from the community, and the loss of collective identity, all of which profoundly affect a community's social and economic development. It is for this reason that...