History, Civilizations & Shared Heritage is a multidisciplinary working group within People for Diplomatic Action.
It brings together historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, museum professionals, archivists, educators, diplomats, religious scholars, cultural institutions, technology specialists and representatives of communities connected to historical heritage.
The group examines how the past shapes contemporary identities, borders, conflicts and international relations. Its purpose is not only to study history, but to transform historical knowledge and shared heritage into instruments of dialogue, cooperation and diplomatic action.
Human history cannot be divided into isolated national or civilizational possessions.
Ideas, languages, religions, technologies, symbols, trade routes and political institutions developed through centuries of movement, exchange, conflict and mutual influence. Much of what is now represented as exclusively national belongs to a longer and more interconnected human history.
The group therefore approaches heritage not only as something inherited from the past, but as a shared resource for building relations in the present and designing a less divided future.
Historical narratives have become an increasingly powerful instrument of contemporary geopolitics. States, political movements and identity groups use selective interpretations of the past to legitimize borders, territorial claims, military action, exclusion and cultural superiority.
At the same time, armed conflicts are destroying museums, archives, archaeological sites and places of worship. UNESCO’s 2026 response concerning the Sudan National Museum documents destruction, systematic looting and risks to collections containing more than 10,000 objects. UNESCO
Questions of restitution and colonial collections are also moving from academic debate into international negotiations. In 2025, UNESCO convened representatives of all 54 African member states to discuss new agreements for the return and restitution of cultural property. UNESCO
Climate change, natural disasters and environmental degradation create another layer of risk. Following COP30, heritage sites and cultural traditions are increasingly recognized as part of international climate adaptation policy. ICOMOS
Digital technologies create new possibilities for documentation, reconstruction and public access, but also raise questions about ownership, authenticity, manipulation and the authority to represent the past. UNESCO’s Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects demonstrates how digital technologies can support international cooperation against illicit trafficking. UNESCO
These developments require a new collaborative environment connecting historical research with diplomacy, technology, public participation and practical projects.
To transform history and shared heritage from sources of division and geopolitical competition into foundations for dialogue, mutual recognition and international cooperation.
A world in which historical knowledge is not monopolized by individual states, political movements or identity groups, but developed through transparent, multidisciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration.
The group seeks to build a new culture of historical understanding in which multiple perspectives can coexist without abandoning evidence, professional standards or responsibility.
Historical events are selectively interpreted to justify contemporary political claims, territorial ambitions, hostility and violence.
The group will examine how historical narratives are constructed, circulated and transformed into instruments of political mobilization.
Civilizations are often represented as separate, self-contained and permanently opposed systems.
The group will investigate their actual patterns of exchange, migration, adaptation, borrowing and mutual influence.
States and communities frequently claim exclusive ownership of symbols, traditions, historical figures, religious sites and cultural achievements that emerged through complex transregional processes.
The group will develop models for recognizing layered, shared and overlapping heritage.
Different societies often preserve incompatible memories of the same war, border, empire, migration or political transformation.
The group will create formats in which conflicting memories can be documented and discussed without requiring one side to erase the experience of another.
Museums, archives, monuments, archaeological sites and religious buildings are destroyed, looted or deliberately targeted during war.
The group will support documentation, risk mapping, emergency protection, digitization and post-conflict restoration.
Museums and states face complex questions concerning objects acquired through colonial rule, military occupation, unequal exchange or illicit trafficking.
The group will explore negotiated solutions that combine provenance research, legal analysis, ethical responsibility and continued public access.
Rising temperatures, floods, fires, desertification, coastal erosion and other environmental changes threaten both material heritage and living traditions.
The group will connect heritage protection with climate adaptation and community resilience.
AI can reconstruct lost sites, translate archives and connect fragmented collections. It can also fabricate evidence, reproduce bias and create convincing but historically false representations.
The group will develop principles for responsible digitization, AI-assisted historical research and transparent reconstruction.
Documents, artifacts and expertise are distributed across countries, institutions, disciplines and languages.
The group will work toward interoperable archives, shared vocabularies and international research cooperation.
Historical interpretation is often controlled by governments, academic institutions or museums without sufficient participation from communities whose heritage is being represented.
The group will develop participatory models that combine professional knowledge with community memory and living experience.
Connect researchers, museums, archives, universities, communities and technology partners working with historical and civilizational heritage.
Create standards for presenting contested historical events through several documented perspectives without replacing evidence with political relativism.
Identify historical subjects, objects, sites and narratives that are disputed, divided between countries or capable of supporting international cooperation.
Develop practical partnerships for documentation, emergency assessment, digitization and protection of heritage threatened by conflict, trafficking or environmental change.
Use shared history, museums, archives, archaeology and cultural heritage as platforms for dialogue between countries and communities.
Create a neutral environment for provenance research, negotiated returns, shared custody, long-term loans, digital reunification and new forms of institutional cooperation.
Develop common principles for digital archives, historical databases, virtual museums, AI reconstructions and verification of digital historical content.
Produce accessible publications, educational resources, visual materials and public discussions that communicate historical complexity without political simplification.
Move from discussion to joint exhibitions, research programmes, digital archives, restoration initiatives, educational projects and international heritage routes.
Prepare practical recommendations for governments, museums, universities, international organizations and civil society institutions.
Researching long-term civilizational development, ancient connections, migration, language, religion, technology and the circulation of cultural forms.
Studying competing historical narratives, memory politics, contested borders, inherited trauma and the use of history in contemporary conflicts.
Developing projects that connect countries and communities through common historical figures, routes, sites, traditions and cultural achievements.
Creating mechanisms for risk assessment, documentation, emergency digitization, protection and recovery of heritage affected by war or disaster.
Supporting research and dialogue concerning disputed objects, colonial collections, stolen artifacts and alternative models of ownership and access.
Developing digital archives, mapping tools, virtual exhibitions and transparent standards for AI-assisted reconstruction and interpretation.
Connecting traditional knowledge, cultural practices and heritage protection with environmental adaptation and community resilience.
Creating educational materials and public formats that help people understand the complexity and interconnectedness of human history.
