Professor Sophia Labadi has been invited to take part in a panel on ‘People’, as part of the symposium on ‘Museums, Cities, Cultural Power’, on Friday 25 June. Organised by Brunel University London, the Museum of London and UCL Urban Laboratory, this event offers a critical space for cultural and museum practitioners, academics, urbanists, architects and activists to explore the civic, cultural and economic agency of contemporary urban museums. Professor Labadi will discuss the results of her 2017 book, ‘Museums, Immigrants, and Social Justice’ published by Routledge.
On 30 June, Professor Labadi will take part in a panel discussion on ‘World Heritage, The Role of Civil Society’, organised by the International Centre for the Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites. The aim of the panel is to discuss why the World Heritage system need to be more inclusive and open to civil society; which aspects need to be improved and how can civil society become more effective in World Heritage conservation processes. Using her research on World Heritage, including her 2013 book on UNESCO, Cultural Heritage, and Outstanding Universal Value, Professor Labadi will highlight issues with the World Heritage programme, particularly as concerns gender representation and present some possible solutions.
Professor Labadi has been invited to be a speaker at the Inaugural Session of the Our World Heritage Sustainability Month (July). The inaugural session is intended to set the scene for an intensive month of discussion on how World Heritage can be used as a medium for transformation into more sustainable societies, and will frame discussions around the mission of OWH to debates to raise awareness about the opportunities and threats that natural and cultural World Heritage sites encounter, and particularly discuss the UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy.