Need for Safeguarding Heritage

Heritage preservation cannot be realized in isolation. Heritage has to be multidisciplinary in its outlook and mechanism. manuals, charters, documents and resolutions adopted by various heritage organizations bring this issue to the fore. It has been endeavored to adopt and realize legal, technical, administrative and financial measures focused at strengthening and creation of the institutions for training in heritage issues and transmission of such heritage through initiatives that give expression to the living traditions. Safeguarding heritage involves   educational aspects of awareness, information spread aims at sensitizing stakeholders and especially the young people who are the catalysts of preserving the heritage. it includes the non formal modes of approach by involving the artisans and other social groups. Safeguarding the cultural heritage is basically the issue of transmission as transmission has been identified as the only viable element of preservation for the living heritage. The case studies analyzed by the organizations like ICCCROM have laid stress on the non-formal transmission of heritage as it disallows the violation and dilution of the richness and originality of the heritage and its cultural values. Review of literature suggests that challenges have evolved in safeguarding the heritage due to the globalization and westernization of the young generation in the Asian region. The reason being the economic hardships of the hosts. As local people feel it incumbent upon themselves to adapt the alien culture to overcome the financial constraints and in this process the cultural heritage identity is rendered redundant and leads to disruption of the heritage values. The challenge is to address this concern and keep the youth rooted in native culture and make them seek value of their assets. They are dismayed by the economically myopic policies of the governments. The governments need to develop cultural heritage as the mainstay of the indigenous economies and make people self-sufficient in terms of their rich legacy that has come down from generations having unique attraction. The change in cultural constraints by shortening of the time lag and distance has led to peculiar challenges in this new tourism paradigm .In which heritage tourism is playing the lead role. Traditionally history has been taught as the necessary element of human memory to sensitize the new generation but the ultimate outcome of this legacy in terms of culture and heritage has been relegated to the background; intentionally or unintentionally. History is the past but heritage is the living phenomena that connects past, present and future and this gives it a unique distinction bind many things into reality of human consciousness. Focus has been laid by the heritage conservation experts on the reward in terms of the living human treasure and this can be achieved through creation of institutions for heritage skills and information gathering besides its sharing. Role of the media has been elaborated by many experts who value the presence of the mass media   and term it as the blessing meant to address the new challenges of the new tourism in terms of heritage and culture. Not only mass media but the social media is acting as the sentinel of the heritage issues. It is leading to the promotion of the cross –cultural collaboration to safeguard the cultural property that has heritage essence and viability. It is leading to connecting cultures and making it possible to revive the linkages that existed in the past between the cultures of common philosophy and moorings.