The Micronesian region is significantly rich and diverse in cultural heritage. By incorporating it into a collective appreciation, we are better prepared to move forward for the new challenges of the future. In a world where cultural tourism is growing in importance the historic heritage of Micronesia represents an economic venue for sustained development. Hence, community involvement and awareness of historic heritage has played a growing role in recent years. In order to contribute to those dynamics, and in the light of the cultural and historic relations between Spain, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, the Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperati on, with the collaboration and partnership of the Guam Preservati on Trust, along with the Historic Resources Division of the Department of Parks and Recrea tion Office; hosts this International Conference on Stonework Heritage in Micronesia. The conference invited experts and individuals from the Micronesian Region, the Philippines, and Spain to present papers on historic stonework heritage and tackle issues such as the challenges in its conservation, restoration techniques, contemporary tourist potential, and appreciation among the community. The publication of the papers will increase the corpus of bibliographic materials that may serve as a reference in the coming future. In this International Conference on Stonework Heritage, organizers, presenters and participants belong to different disciplines: Archaeology, History, and Architecture. Each of us has different approaches towards cultural heritage: recovery, restoration, protection, and revitalization. These disciplines are simply different sides of one and the same coin. We are here because we belong to the same group, whose professional activity is oriented to foster a better understanding of cultural heritage in its different manifestations. We envision a situation in which gatherings like this that we are about to celebrate, shall not be an exception. This conference aligns with Article 7 of UNESCO’s Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity, adopted on November 2, 2001,
Article 7 – Cultural heri tage as the wellspring of creativity
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