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... Show moreOn 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. Show less
Since early 2003 Darfur has been the site of mounting violence which has led the UN to describe the conflict as currently “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” The US Congress even labelled the... Show moreSince early 2003 Darfur has been the site of mounting violence which has led the UN to describe the conflict as currently “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” The US Congress even labelled the conflict a “genocide.” Diverse ethnic groups as well as the government were engaged in violence in the 1980s and 1990s. However, violence has reached a new dimension in the recent war where racism has become the main legitimating discourse of the conflict. The recent history of the conflict suggests, however, that the root causes are socio-economic and political rather than ethnic. Show less
