Session - Monday, Round Table 1: Collaborative and Sustainable Management of Cultural Heritage in Peru

By Jenifer Huamanyauri Cardenas, Andrea Jaramillo Caro and Victoria Zucchi

The first roundtable, about collaborative and sustainable management of heritage, was held on Monday 23rd September. Through this panel we explored different projects in Peru and how they engage with numerous communities and organizations and their commitment with sustainability.

The chair of the first roundtable was José Salazar, from UNESCO Peru, who introduced the speakers: Vanessa Wagner from US Embassy in Peru; Shirley Mozo, Director of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Michaela Novotna from Friends of Art in the Andes. 

Vanessa told us about the Ambassador Fund which provides funding for projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage with the purpose of helping the economic growth of local communities. It's an annual projects competition, and she said that Peru is the country that has won the most. Shirley talked about how, by modifying the General Law of Cultural Heritage of the Nation (N°28296), they can now collaborate with the private sector to manage the diversity of cultural heritage that Peru has and add the participation of sub-regional governments. And finally, Michaela explained to us how she trained young people in conservation and restoration abilities to help in the restoration of the cathedral of Ayaviri.

This round table generated significant interest, with numerous questions primarily focused on better understanding financial aid and its long-term implications. Additionally, there were inquiries regarding the intervention projects led by Micaela Novotna in the Puno community.

Shirley Mozo clarified the collaboration between the different government areas and the distribution of financial aid. She stated that one of the main goals is to give assistance to equalize access to heritage conservation in the different communities in Peru. Mozo emphasized that the focus extends beyond material goods to include the unique knowledge and expertise inherent to these communities, thereby valuing their identities and equipping them with essential survival tools.

Micaela Novotna mentioned that the notion of leveling the playing field can sometimes seem somewhat utopian. She pointed out that in peripheral areas, there are often no conservation plans or technologies in place. Novotna believes that significant gaps remain, and financial aid is frequently insufficient to provide sustainable long-term solutions. She marked the importance of integrating communities into conservation efforts through an intercultural approach, ensuring communication is both accessible and equitable.

Additionally, the representative from the Brazil Hub, Camila Camargo, commented that the impact of climate change and the overexploitation of resources in Brazil has been seen on the environment and on cultural heritage. While calling out this problem, she emphasized the importance of developing collaborative networks with public institutions, civil society, and scientific communities in order to develop public policies aimed at the preservation of cultural and environmental heritage through education and democratization. 

In addition, Ana Isabel Giraldo, from the Colombia Hub, reiterated the nation's commitment to empowering communities and alleviating inequalities in the access to information for the guardianship of cultural heritage