I am pleased to share that my chapter, “Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Military. New Partnerships in Uncertain Times”, has been published in the special edition of #HeritageAlive, entitled ICH and Armed Conflicts. Sharing Experiences from the Field.
The chapter addresses the role of armed forces in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in crisis and conflict-related contexts.
Read the chapter: Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Military. New Partnerships in Uncertain Times
Read the full publication: ICH and Armed Conflicts. Sharing Experiences from the Field
In the chapter, I reflect on the outcomes of the first-ever conference and workshop in Wrocław, Poland, which brought together military forces, heritage specialists, NGOs and public officials to discuss the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in military activities. The event was co-organized by the military International Centre for Training and Research on Cultural Heritage in Danger, the Polish Ministry of Defence, and the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Public and Global Governance at the University of Warsaw.
The chapter situates these discussions within UNESCO’s framework for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in emergencies, including the Operational Principles and Modalities for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Emergencies, as well as the MONDIACULT documents. It also raises important ethical, operational and legal questions concerning cooperation between heritage actors and the military.
I argue that, in emergency situations, engagement with military actors may at times become unavoidable. However, such cooperation must remain ethically principled, transparent, community-centred, accountable and resistant to instrumentalization.
The special edition brings together contributions addressing the impact of armed conflicts on intangible cultural heritage, as well as the role of living heritage in supporting resilience, dignity, social cohesion and recovery.
The publication was also discussed during the ICH NGO Forum meeting held in the framework of the 11th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 2003 Convention, on 18 June 2026 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The meeting provided an opportunity to present the special edition to accredited NGOs and other actors engaged in the safeguarding of living heritage, and to situate it within broader discussions on intangible cultural heritage in conflict and emergency contexts.
