Cultural and spiritual values at the IUCN workshop on protected landscapes

The IUCN Protected Landscapes Task Force organised an international workshop in the North York Moors National Park, England, from 27 Abril-1 May 2008. Participants and task force members came from a number of different countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia.During the workshop subjects such as cultural and spiritual values, equity and governance were discussed, based on the work of the Task Force on Protected Landscapes and the IUCN’s Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities.

The paper presented by Josep-Maria Mallarach centred on the work carried out by the Delos Initiative over the previous four years and the presentation of the second volume of the UICN’s series Values of Protected Landscapes and Seascapes dedicated to the cultural and spiritual values of protected landscapes. During the sessions a number of subjects of debate arose concerning the role of spiritual values in the conservation of the natural world and the fact that many of these values are not taken into account in protected areas in Great Britain.