Extending heritage diplomacy : a dialogic approach to cultural heritage

Abstract

Heritage diplomacy is a recent concept and a new area of interest in the expanding field of diplomacy. The EU has recently emphasized the role of cultural heritage in its external relations to respond to global challenges and crises within, at, and beyond its borders. This use of cultural heritage runs the risk of underlining Eurocentric notions of heritage and expertise. Principles of democracy, dialogue, and inclusion form the basis of building trust and long-term cultural relations through heritage diplomacy, in EU external and internal relations. These relations should be perceived as deeply entangled.