Heritage sensitive conservation policies

The symposium offers a space to discuss a state-of-the-art overview of heritage-sensitive policies related to sacred forests and spiritual landscapes, with a focus on forest conservation practices based on Indigenous ecological ways of knowing and relating to forests. The seminar will explore the concept of indigeneity as a decolonial relational approach to forest dwellers that overcomes the rigid, top-down definition of who are Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs). The seminar highlights recent advancements in interdisciplinary research, decolonial methodologies, political ecology analysis and ethical approaches to the conservation of sacred natural sites and spiritual landscapes. By gathering scholars working across the Indo-Burma and South Asia regions, open to different disciplines, the seminar will analyze the policy frameworks as they relate to forest conservation in this region. This will set the stage for reflection on the current mainstream practices towards IPLCs through a political ecology lens. The seminar aims to foster dialogue, share best practice, and lay the groundwork for future collaborative research.