| Abstract: |
In 2005 UNESCO launched the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the
Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The aim of the Convention was to foster
cultural diversity worldwide, having knowledge of the role of cultural
diversity and cultural activities in promoting economic development. The World
Heritage List can be considered a basic reference for the protection of
cultural diversity as well. This requires that the properties in the List
fairly represent the main expressions of the human activity, according to a
harmonious development respectful of cultural diversity. The aim of the paper
is twofold. First, by using the Shannon-Weaver’s index of diversity, we
measure how much cultural diversity there has been in the World Heritage List
since its beginning in 1978. In other words, we assess at which extent each
culture is represented in the most important international system of cultural
preservation and promotion. Second, we estimate the number of sites which
guarantees the maximum level of cultural diversity and, then, we propose how
to improve the World Heritage system by increasing the quality of the
properties. Results show that just after the first two years of activity, the
cultural diversity attained a good level and kept this level high until now.
Notwithstanding this general conclusion, we estimate that there is room for a
further improvement in the diversity by increasing the number of sites filling
the cultural categories not still represented. It will result in 371
additional sites. Once attained the number of sites which guarantees the
maximum of cultural diversity, the main policy left is to improve the World
Heritage system by increasing the quality of the properties. The tool we
select to launch this new strategy is a tournament model, according to which
each property can be challenged by an external site belonging to the same
cultural category. As a final result, there will be the substitution of
lower-quality World Heritage properties with higher-quality properties. The
model also takes into account risks related to political and lobby activities
undermining the whole quality of the system and is used as a base to propose
solutions. |