Transsylvania Nostra, 2020 (Anul 14, nr. 1-4)
2020 / nr. 2
Can the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage Contribute to the Revitalisation of Rural Communities? ■ Abstract: The mission of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation (MET) is to revitalise the Romanian local communities through the enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, multicultural integration, and the encouragement of the local economy. MET sets into practice an integrated concept of sustainable development and, through the involvement and accountability of local actors, preserves the authenticity of heritage and harmonises it with the needs of the community. It is my hope that in the coming years all the villages in which the MET operates will become whole villages. This means that the villages will be able to manage their resources and their cultural and natural heritage in a sustainable way, as well as that they will come to solve their social and economic problems by developing local entrepreneurship in the field of crafts and traditional agriculture. The sustainable way of capitalising on the authenticity of the place is also acquired by initiating responsible tourism through which all the products and services offered are made locally. ■ Keywords: revitalisation, cultural heritage, community, authenticity, enhancement ■ During the communist regime in Romania, industrialisation and forced urbanisation led to the degradation of the Romanian village; the loss of appreciation for the value of work and personal responsibility wreaked havoc in the entire country, but in the villages - where life meant community - its effect was devastating. Once the borders were opened in the 1990s, when visiting Europe became possible, I came to realise that the rural communities there had lost the traditions and values they inherited from the past. In Romania they were still preserved, despite the systemic attempts of the communist regime to destroy them. I gradually realised that through the preservation and enhancement of the heritage created by our ancestors during centuries of history, we, the community of Viscri Village, can have a better life. Transsylvania nostra ■ Caroline FERNOLEND' Poate contribui punerea în valoare a patrimoniul cultural la revitalizarea comunităţilor J din mediul rural? ■ Rezumat: Misiunea fundaţiei Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET) este de a revitaliza comunităţile locale din România prin punerea în valoare a patrimoniului cultural şi natural, integrare multiculturală şi încurajarea economiei locale. MET pune în practică un concept integrat de dezvoltare durabilă şi, prin implicarea şi responsabilizarea actorilor locali, păstrează autenticitatea patrimoniului şi o armonizează cu nevoile comunităţii. Am speranţa că în următorii ani toate satele în care activează fundaţia MET să devină sate de sine stătătoare. Aceasta înseamnă ca satele să reuşească să-şi gestioneze în mod sustenabil resursele şi patrimoniul cultural şi natural, respectiv să ajungă să-şi rezolve problemele sociale şi economice prin dezvoltarea antreprenoriatului local în domeniul meşteşugurilor şi al agriculturii tradiţionale. Modul sustenabil de valorificare a autenticităţii locului se dobândeşte şi prin iniţierea turismului responsabil, prin care toate produsele şi serviciile oferite sunt realizate local. ■ Cuvinte cheie: revitalizare, patrimoniul cultural, comunitate, autenticitate, valorificare 39 2020 I 02 1 Economist, preşedintele fundaţiei Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET), România. ■ Foto 1. Alma Vii, incinta bisericii fortificate înainte de restaurare © MET ■ Photo t.Aima Vii, precinct on the fortified church before conservation © MET 1 Economist, president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation (MET), Romania.