Interview Jan Pronk Structures of Violence in Darfur

Abstract

On 25 September 2006, Jan Pronk delivered a keynote lecture at the conference “Culture is a Basic Need: Responding to Cultural Emergencies,” organized by the Prince Claus Fund. In his speech, he passionately argued that cultural heritage refers not just to cultural property but also to traditions, values, and practices that make a community.1 Pronk explicitly referred to the annihilation of villages in Darfur when illustrating that destructing cultural heritage also means the destruction of a way of life. Pronk’s concern for community structures and for Darfur was discussed in more detail during an interview earlier that day.