What is World Heritage Day, and why is it important?
Every year on the 18th of April since 1982, we celebrate World Heritage Day, but what does it stand for?
The History of World Heritage Day
World Heritage Day was created to celebrate the legacy and rich heritage of humanity given to us by our ancestors and acknowledge the organizations that safeguard it. The day was announced by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982. It is still officially called the "International Day of Monuments and Sites", which often causes confusion. The day was approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1983 and has been observed ever since.
ICOMOS was established on the principles of the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (also known as the Venice Charter), which provided an international framework specifically for the conservation and restoration of historical buildings and emphasized "common responsibility to safeguard them".
It is not just about heritage sites
High Temple, Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, Belize - Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve, Belize - British Colonial Sugar Mill, Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, Belize © Heritage Education Network Belize
As our collective understanding of heritage and culture has become broader over the years, World Heritage Day has grown to include more than just sites and monuments.
Heritage sites are places of cultural significance, but this cultural significance is not tangible. Physical heritage spaces and artefacts are manifestations of ancient and traditional lifeways, including music, arts, food, artisanship, folklore, spirituality, religions and people's relationship with the environment. Therefore, World Heritage Day is an effort to raise awareness of the conservation of heritage sites, the environment as well as of the living cultures and people who interact with them.
How can you celebrate World Heritage Day?
High Temple, Lamanai Archaeological Reserve © Ella Békési, Heritage Education Network Belize
World Heritage Day is a call to action to celebrate and aid our shared heritage. Each year, ICOMOS sets a theme for the day and organizes events at heritage sites worldwide. The theme in 2020 was "Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage, Shared Responsibility", and in 2021 "Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures."
To celebrate the day, some chose to support organizations working in the culture and heritage spheres. You can also visit an archaeological or historic site near you or talk to elderly family members about their lives and traditions. It is simple; the more you understand about the past, and the more you connect past events and life to sites of cultural significance, the better you will understand the present with its complex issues and diverse narratives. Most importantly, you will understand why there is a great need to celebrate and protect the legacy and rich heritage of humanity given to us by our ancestors.
To see 2021 World Heritage Day events by ICOMOS, click here! For archives of past events click here!
Resources: ICOMOS, 1964. International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (The Venice Charter). IInd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, Venice, 1964. [Online] Available at: https://www.icomos.org/charters/venice_e.pdf
Written by Ella Békési, Heritage Education Network Belize