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Thursday 12 sepTember 2019

Heritage, an enabler of Sustainable Development

MAASTRICHT — For a long time this column has been an advocate
for both cultural and heritage preservation, especially when related
to intangible and tangible cultural heritage issues. It was recently
in the news that the famous “Forno di Kalki” in Rancho will get ren-
ovated after much lobbying and perseverance from those in the
Aruban cultural sector. It has been a protected landmark for some
time but has been experiencing on and off vandalism, which in re-
turn does not help the situation and the intentions of the foundations
to preserve this heritage site. Another good example of effort be-
ing made to preserve Aruba’s cultural heritage is the beautiful and
serene “Ser’i Noka” (1963), which is located in Santa Cruz and is
Aruba’s oldest open air theatre (amphitheater). Compared to other
countries in the Caribbean, Aruba has been slowly making prog-
ress in solidifying the developments on this issue. However, it seems
like time is running out and Aruba is still wandering behind inter-
national standards and procedures. It is important nonetheless to
understand what cultural heritage actually is and why it is important
for the future.

According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural and realization of the 17 sustainable formation of the future generations,
Organization (UNESCO) (2019) there are three categories consid- development goals. In other words: when the tangible heritage of a
ered heritage, which are: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and culture would become the heart of country is respected and valued.
heritage in an event of armed conflict. First the term cultural heri- the SDGs. This is perfect on paper,
tage encompasses several main categories of heritage, which but is resulting to be much more dif- Moving Forward
are divided in tangible and intangible heritage. Tangible cultural ficult to translate into effective cul- It remains positive that Aruba is
heritage includes: movable cultural heritage (paintings, sculptures, tural policies or the involvement of continuing the road towards es-
coins, manuscripts etc.), immovable cultural heritage (monuments, culture in other policy areas, such tablishing sustainability within the
archaeological sites etc.), and underwater cultural heritage (ship- as the economy, education and cultural sector, however, effective
wrecks, underwater ruins and cities). While, intangible cultural heri- social welfare of communities. policy making and legislative mea-
tage includes: oral traditions, performing arts, rituals. Second, the surements remain a challenge.
term natural heritage consists out of natural sites with cultural as- It is not a secret that urban areas Aruba will lose most of its heritage
pects such as cultural landscapes, physical, biological or geologi- rich in cultural heritage and with if stakeholders don’t roll up their
cal formations. a vibrant creative sector are more sleeves and take initiative. Culture
attractive for businesses, which is is the core of a countries existence,
Cultural Heritage and the SDGs exactly what Aruba is looking for. and if the government could realize
Cultural heritage is recognized as being of historical, social, and Thus, promoting inclusive and sus- how much more they can accom-
anthropological value and is considered as an enabler of sustain- tainable economic growth through plish by including cultural develop-
able development. As a result, it is included in the United Nations’ employment in culture and creativ- ment in their policies, we as Aruba
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 8. Specifically, SDG ity encourages decent work. The can secure so much more for the
11.4 emphasizes the protection and safeguarding of heritage, and economies of some cities draw future generations. Aruba has yet
SDG 8.9 aims to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and significantly on intangible heritage to realize a list of its cultural tangible
promotes local culture and products (Xiao et. al, 2018). This is also a such as crafts, music, dance, visual and intangible heritage for protec-
great example of how the creative industries influences other stable arts, traditional cuisine, and theatre tion as the World Heritage List of the
economies, such as Tourism. Form previous research on SDG 11.4, it that are often an integral aspect UN prescribes.
was quite remarkable that Aruba lacks sustainable national cultural of historic urban areas (UNESCO,
policies and protective legislation on cultural heritage. Also, the UN 2019). Further, cities are kept unique
has stipulated that culture would be the core of implementation and can be preserved for identity Continued on Page 14