ACTED was created in 1993 in Afghanistan, and has since developed in Central Asia, the Balkans, Nicaragua and Congo-Brazzaville. In each of its intervention areas, it shares its expertise and past experiences relating to the region concerned with the local populations. The conception and implementation of ACTED’s projects rely on two key principles - political neutrality and independence - by which ACTED selects beneficiaries according to the only criteria of vulnerability and an active involvement of the local populations for they should be the first to be implied in the reconstruction process. In line with the idea of an integrated development approach responding to economical, social, educational and cultural needs, ACTED has for many years enlarged its action to the cultural field, focusing mainly on cultural heritage and education. Cultural action, conceived as a factor of national identity and regional stability, has naturally become one of ACTED’s key focuses for intervention.