CIE - Centre for International Heritage Activities
Centrum voor Internationale Erfgoedactiviteiten
Welcome to CIE
CIE – the Centre for International Heritage Activities is a lively and globally connected hub for heritage activities. We believe in collaboration, inclusion, and working with local partners to share knowledge and build skills together.
Through joint projects, inclusive training, and community-driven initiatives, we help improve how heritage is understood, managed, and celebrated around the world.
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We use heritage and memory as tools for justice, resilience, and inclusive change. Through research, education, and storytelling, we challenge dominant histories and support communities in reclaiming their narratives and cultural spaces.
Signature Programme: HeritageLab
HeritageLab is an interactive online space for grassroots organizations dedicated to preserving collective memory and community narratives while at the same time connecting these communities across oceans and trade routes through shared tangible and intangible heritage.​
Main Themes of Collaboration
CIE Re-accredited for UNESCO 2001 Convention at the Meeting of States Parties in Paris
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CIE participates in the 10th Meeting of States Parties to the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, with representation by Robert Parthesius, Talal Al Muhana, and Léa Lydie De Bruycker. The team also contributes to the Scientific Conference on Climate Change and Underwater Cultural Heritage on June 19. On Friday, CIE serves as one of the organisers of the NGO Coordination Meeting, strengthening networks and advocacy efforts within the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage community.
“Datelines: The Journey of the Date Palm from Arabia to South Asia and Africa and Back Again”
Alia Yunis presented at the Heritage & Migration Conference in Dakar on Wednesday, 11 June 2025
This paper explores the deep cultural and historical journey of the date palm—from its role as an ancient “superfood” and trade currency, through its entanglement with colonial-era agricultural practices and migrant labor, to its modern implications for heritage, water rights, food sovereignty, and sustainable land-use across Southwest Asia, South Asia, and both northern and southern Africa.
