Paper short abstract:

Social critiques have called for international organisations to take a positive moral ethical position in striving for social justice in Europe. Paradigm shifts will not fully take hold unless they are translated into political and administrative strategies for the day-to-day work of public authorities.

Paper long abstract:

With Faro, for the first time a legal instrument has risked a new and expanded definition of Cultural Heritage. It is not that which is or must be conserved; buried or upstanding monuments, objects moveable or immovable, ensembles or landscapes, but rather 'a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify, independently of ownership, as a reflection and an expression of their constantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions'. Heritage values are perceived by citizens, which may include 'heritage communities': defined as groups that transcend national, ethnic or linguistic boundaries and therefore groups with a stake in a 'Common European heritage', also defined by the convention as a 'shared source of remembrance, understanding, identity, cohesion and creativity' and 'ideals, principles and values' which in turn generate the idea of a common responsibility.

Although Faro has been ratified in less than ten Member States, the Council of Europe (CoE) is already promoting the convention through its monitoring activities and practical projects in South East Europe and the Caucausus. This paper presents two case studies concerning projects I have been involved in as a consultant to the CoE; the first looks at how Faro has been introduced into the Granada Convention monitoring project; the second concerns practical work going on in South East Europe and again, looks at dialogue between different groups responsible for heritage in national and local government, with a focus on Kosovo.