In FUNPASOS FUNPASOS participates in the Herition project as an advisory partner, contributing expertise in citizen participation and sustainable rural development. Based in Extremadura, Spain, the organization works alongside the Badajoz County Council and other European partners to advance participatory heritage management in natural protected areas. Throughout the project, FUNPASOS actively participates in study visits and knowledge exchanges, sharing innovative participatory methodologies that can be adapted to other partner regions. By bringing practical insights from different projects, FUNPASOS helps the consortium explore new ways to empower local communities as active participants in preserving and sustainably using their cultural and natural heritage.
Objectives
Herition is a collaborative project that tackles this challenge head-on. Across Europe, protected natural areas are home to an extraordinary cultural heritage, from ancient monuments and traditional architecture to intangible heritage and local customs. However, the sustainable management of this heritage requires more than just conservation. It calls for a new approach that brings together diverse voices and perspectives.
We believe that the best way to protect our heritage is to involve everyone. That is why we are creating new models of participatory heritage management that bring together public authorities, private heritage owners, local communities and tourism operators. Through interregional cooperation, we are learning from each other's experiences and adapting successful practices to our own contexts.
Our project builds on lessons learned from previous European initiatives, such as Interreg ZEN, Innocastle, and Share. These projects revealed a fundamental insight: sustainable heritage management requires open, democratic, and transparent approaches. Local communities, which are emotionally attached to their cultural and historical assets, must have a genuine say in decisions about how their heritage is used, preserved, and promoted.
Our approach is holistic and focuses on key areas to build a more resilient future for our heritage:
• Digitisation: making our cultural assets more accessible to everyone, everywhere.
• Participation: giving local communities a real say in the management and conservation of their heritage.
• Innovative financing: developing new and sustainable ways to finance heritage projects.
• Mobility and accessibility: ensuring that everyone can experience and enjoy our cultural treasures.
PARTNERS INVOLVED
