The towns and rural areas whose inhabitants leave due to lack of vision, resources or economic opportunities will be the focus of the 2nd Faro Convention Lab, which will take place in the historic towns of Najera and San Millan, Spain. Organised with the participation of interested member States and local communities, the Faro Convention Labs are intended to empower local communities to work with national stakeholders on heritage-related initiatives.

The second in the series of Faro Convention Labs is themed Places Without People: the Stories Left behind and its focus is on areas that have lost or are rapidly losing population. Some examples include wine villages in Cyprus that are suffering gradual depopulation as people move to the urban centres in the region and earthquake damaged towns in Italy, whose inhabitants have left due to natural threats.

As one of the ways to protect such sites, the implementation of Faro Convention principles can be a relevant theme for communities living in these areas. This is why a small group of heritage experts, including European Heritage Days national coordinators in the region, will gather at the 2nd Faro Convention Lab to discuss best practices and possible steps to their implementation.

The organisation of the lab is supported by Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España (IPCE) through its training center in Nájera (La Rioja), Fundación San Millán and Diputación Foral de Bizkaia with their European Heritage Days programme.

About Faro Convention Labs

Dedicated to the exploration of the Faro Convention principles and their effective implementation, the Labs include a series of events that typically last for 2-3 days. The programme of the labs involves workshops, talks and presentations by stakeholders at national, local and community levels. Their main goal is to expand a group of participants from each country, so that they can work together on their return to promote and implement the Faro Convention. 

While the specific topic of each Lab is decided together with the host community, overall objectives of the initiative include:

  • Promotion of the Faro Convention with local and national stakeholders
  • Becoming familiar with the Faro Convention approach
  • Enhancing the Faro Convention Network 
  • Skill building for the implementation of the Faro Convention principles

 

By encouraging collaboration between different community groups and stakeholders, the Faro Convention Labs support the development of heritage protection and preservation initiatives. The upcoming meeting in Spain will help extend this support to regions which need immediate attention by heritage communities and highlight their values and relevance for Europe.