From meetings in Paris to Heritage for Building Peace and Officina 2027, an ongoing commitment to fostering dialogue between cultures through heritage.

How can cultural heritage actively contribute to dialogue between people from different cultural backgrounds? This question was at the heart of the meetings held in Paris on 16 March 2026 between the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation – Life Beyond Tourism® and representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.

At UNESCO Headquarters, the Foundation’s President, Carlotta Del Bianco, met with Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre, and Peter Debrine, Senior Project Officer at the Centre. The meeting, facilitated by the Foundation’s Honorary President, Mounir Bouchenaki, provided an opportunity to discuss the role of cultural heritage in education, community engagement and peacebuilding.

From Heritage to Participation: Heritage for Building Peace and Officina 2027

Among the initiatives presented was the international Heritage for Building Peace Appeal, launched in November 2025 to engage institutions, professionals, local communities and the hospitality sector in promoting cultural heritage as a means of mutual understanding and dialogue.

The Appeal encourages people to see cultural sites as places of encounter, where individuals from different backgrounds can share experiences, perspectives and knowledge.

This approach will be put into practice through the International Officina for the Culture of Dialogue 2027, taking place in Florence on 11–12 March 2027. Through working sessions, professionals, researchers and representatives of international institutions will exchange experiences and practices that recognise cultural heritage as a resource for dialogue and sustainable development.

Alongside Officina, Storytellathon 2027 will involve students and young people in developing cultural itineraries, encouraging them to tell the stories of their own territories and discover those of others from new perspectives.

Dialogue with ICOMOS and Relations with Cambodia

The discussions at UNESCO were followed by a meeting with Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS, and Gaja Jungeblodt, Director of the organisation, with which the Foundation has maintained a cooperation agreement since 2013.

The meeting explored opportunities to involve ICOMOS International Scientific Committees in initiatives promoting the Culture of Dialogue, as well as the Heritage for Building Peace Appeal and Officina 2027. Possible participation in the ICOMOS General Assembly scheduled for October 2026 in Malaysia was also discussed.

During the visit to Paris, the Foundation’s delegation also met with H.E. Long Kosal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to UNESCO, building on the relationship established with the APSARA Authority through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Florence in November 2025.

The meetings in Paris form part of the Foundation’s work over more than 35 years to promote encounters and mutual understanding through its Life Beyond Tourism® vision.

From the Heritage for Building Peace Appeal to the working sessions of Officina 2027, the aim is to turn shared values into practical action, bringing together people, institutions and communities to foster a Culture of Dialogue.