Emergent cultural heritage against settler colonialism: Claudia Vlad, ‘Reclaiming Palestinian Cultural Heritage under Settler Colonialism: Grassroots Practices in Kafr ‘Aqab, Jerusalem’, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2026 | settler colonial studies blog

Emergent cultural heritage against settler colonialism: Claudia Vlad, ‘Reclaiming Palestinian Cultural Heritage under Settler Colonialism: Grassroots Practices in Kafr ‘Aqab, Jerusalem’, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2026

02Jul26

Abstract: Grassroots cultural heritage in Palestine functions as a pivotal arena of resistance, challenging hegemonic heritage approaches adopted by the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian Authority, and international heritage organisations. Focusing on the NGO Riwaq’s initiatives in rural Jerusalem, this paper demonstrates how heritage becomes a site for reimagining Palestine beyond flagged symbols of nationhood. Through these counter-hegemonic frameworks, this article sheds light on how grassroots actors subvert hegemonic heritage models. The analysis traces three interconnected practices through Riwaq’s projects: the rehabilitation of Kafr ‘Aqab Historic Centre, the ‘Mapping Rural Jerusalem’ project, and the ‘Engaged Margins’ exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2023). These scales are explored through theoretical frameworks, including Anderson’s ‘imagined communities’, Euro-American heritage management and the human rights discourse. Drawing on Chatterjee’s critique of Western modular forms of imagined communities, Barakat’s ‘deruination’ and Muñoz’s disidentification from a victim-centred aesthetic regime, this paper argues that Riwaq broadens what counts as heritage. Ultimately, the paper posits that cultural preservation is a form of resistance, enabling grassroots organisations to challenge colonial power structures, assert the right to narrate overlooked histories, and advance ‘Alter-Native’ forms of self-determination.

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