The publication is the first in a new series on existing and innovative paradigms in Heritage Studies. The series aims at systematising and developing the academic discourse on heritage, which has yielded a wealth and breadth of contributions over the past few years. The publication offers its own emphasis by developing heritage studies with a perspective towards and as a contribution to human development. It thus offers a vision for the construction and establishment of a new discipline. The academic mainsprings and research interests of this repositioning of heritage studies as an academic discipline are discussed by internationally renowned thinkers and heritage practitioners. The publication thus establishes first important points for discussion. Central to this publication are questions concerning the sustainable protection and use of heritage, focussing on the world cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage, but equally questions on the relation of heritage and memory and how these could mutually enrich our understanding of heritage.

Chang-Vargas, G. 2014. Turismo étnico: sus trampas en algunos casos de comunidades indígenas de Costa Rica. En Oviedo, J. y E. Rozo (eds.) Turismo cultural: retos y perspectivas en América Latina. Universidad del Externado. Bogotá: Colombia. pp. 393-422.

Lempereur, Françoise. 2014. Transmission and dissemination of the intangible scientific heritage: state of play and perspectives. Culture et Musées.

The marking of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention in 2012 focused debate about its merits, achievements and impacts. It is commonly said that the World Heritage Convention is UNESCO’s ‘flagship program’ and its ‘most successful’ convention. As an Advisory Body to the Convention, World Heritage is a prominent part of the identity, mission and activities of ICOMOS worldwide. This paper describes a number of pressing issues concerning the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, and some of the implications of these for ICOMOS in its role as an Advisory Body, and for its global membership.

Deacon, Harriet and Rieks Smeets. 2013.The use of expertise in the examination of nomination files under the Intangible Heritage Convention. Report of the researchers meeting on Evaluating the Inscription Criteria for the two Lists of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention, IRCI (International Research Centre for ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region). 10-11 January 2013: Tokyo, Japan.

Cultural policy can contribute to social and economic development by growing our cultural capital, promoting local identity and promoting global cultural diversity. Tangible and intangible heritage forms a crucial part of this cultural capital and needs to be safeguarded. At the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP-RIPC) meeting in Cape Town in October 2002, member states decided to adopt and to implement national policies to protect and promote cultural heritage. South Africa and Senegal agreed to write a research report analysing the legal and financial instruments currently employed by countries and regions to safeguard their intangible heritage.

Beazley, Olwen and Harriet J. Deacon. The Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage values under the World Heritage Convention: Auschwitz, Hiroshima and Robben Island. In J.E. Blake (ed.) Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage – Challenges and Approaches. Builth Wells: Institute of Art and Law. pp.93-107.

Coté, Joost and Natsuko Akagawa. 2015. The Pacific war experience of Dutch Eurasian civilians in Java, 1942-48. In C. Twomey and E. Koh (eds.). The Pacific War: Aftermaths, Remembrance and Culture. Routledge: Oxon. pp. 110-132.

We describe here a pattern of archaeological sites that suggest that ‘mainland’ Aboriginal people were viewed by their Torres Strait neighbours as being specialists in particular ritual knowledge. The region under consideration includes the northern-most tip of the Australian continent and extends northward through Torres Strait to Papua. Our study area focuses on the southern end of the region: the Australian mainland as well as Pabaju (Albany Island), Muri (Mt Adolphus Island) and associated islands and islets. Archaeological investigation over many years reveals a high density of ritual sites over this relatively small area. These include sites on prominent headlands. The density and visibility of sites could be interpreted as both marking and ‘marketing’ ritual expertise. The location of some of the sites also suggests they served as ‘sentinels’ within a cosmo-political seascape. Far from having an impoverished role in regional exchange networks, Australian mainlanders clearly held something of extraordinary value that drew people from the Torres Strait to their shores. We contend that southern reciprocity in regional trade and exchange may have been based on intangible knowledge transactions, in particular, knowledge related to increase ritual.