At the risk of being boring and going over one of my hobbyhorses -
while I like the manifesto, I do have a problem with item 4.
While I understand the need for respecting multiple narratives and we
must avoid didactic enforcement of single narratives of the past, this
does have its dangers. In the Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) we
are not really used to the dangers of this as much as elsewhere. Do we
give respect to Holocaust denial? To creationism? To racist narratives
of English, Welsh or Scottish origins? Having visited
Auschwitz-Brikenau last month - I wonder how they would react to be
asked to consider multiple narratives.
Best wishes,
Don
Don Henson
Freelance Consultant in Public Archaeology and Education
See my web pages at
http://www.independent.academia.edu/DonHenson
http://nowthenuk.wordpress.com
and my new book, Doing Archaeology, at
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415602129/
I am also Hon. Director of CASPAR
Centre for Audio-Visual Study and Practice in Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology
University College London
Dear colleagues
The GEM Manifesto..
..is one yearold and is the work of 24 people and 3 conference sessions
(GEM, MA and ICOM-CECA,all in 2012)
It is also a living manifesto and unlike itsCommunist, Anarchist,
Dadaist or October Manifesto forebears, it must always movewith the
times and embrace new thinking and new circumstances. As at the endof
August 2013, it states:
1. Our heritage isnot about things - it is about people and how
they relate to things 2. Heritageencompasses all sciences,
technologies, environments and the arts 3. Heritage isessential as
the cradle of everyone’s tomorrow 4. The multiplenarratives of
heritage deserve respect 5. Everyone, regardlessof age, ability,
creed, gender, ethnicity or orientation, has a right toknow about and
be at ease with heritage 6. All interactionwith our heritage
involves learning 7. We stand forall realms of learning whether
experienced in cognition, attitudes, behaviours,skills, styles, values
or preferences 8. Our developmentof heritage learning skills and
techniques is and must be a perpetualexcellence.
Thanks toeveryone over the past year who has contributed, commented,
shaped and reshapedthe ideas, imperatives and syntax.. I hope you
recognize and can spot yourinput We’ll doubtlessraise the stakes and
move it along still further this coming week andI’d be glad of your
reactions at this point just before our GEM conference in Leeds.
Kindest regards
N
Dr NickWinterbotham
Chair, GEM
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