TEHIC-Handbook_of_best_practices

2. An overview of the concept of heritage interpretation and its evolution. TEHIC Towards a European Heritage Interpretation Curriculum 24 · Democracy: heritage interpretation assists the understanding of the deep meanings and values of our legacy by a diversity of audiences, promoting the socialisation of heritage. Heritage interpretation engages the community in the ethical development of its practice. · Social justice: heritage interpretation can work for the promotion of equity, including a human rights perspective and shedding light on historically invisible collectives and narratives. · Participation: heritage interpretation can encourage the involvement of the commu- nity in the various stages of the process: legacy planning, design, and dissemination. Work should be done on the co-creation and identification of the meanings of herit - age resources together with the local population. Interpretation helps in making in- formed decisions about heritage in order to manage it properly. Collaboration with the communities is sought, not only in the development of projects for the communities, but also from and with them, favouring the creation of a social fabric. Interpretation also encourages the audience to be active receivers. · Integration : refers to all aspects of the human being as a whole and not as isolated parts. It can facilitate the eco-social systemic approach . · Preservation: interpretation promotes behaviours related to the custody of the leg - acy, seeking the preservation of the heritage and the dissemination of its values. Heritage interpretation promotes the involvement of citizens in conservation, at the individual and collective level, facilitating its management. · Relevance: interpretation fosters intellectual and emotional connections witihin par- ticipants, helping them to build their own meanings about legacy. Interpretation aims to make visitors feel welcome, so that they perceive that this heritage has something to do with them. · Personal and community development: interpretation encourages reflection, pro - moting a critical spirit. Interpretation works with a clearly value-based approach, seeking to generate changes and positive attitudes, encouraging social action; it promotes creativity, understood. Heritage interpretation seeks to promote human development not only conceptually, but also emotionally and spiritually; with a focus on the medium to long term, it can contribute to the socio-economic development of the community.