There have been many sad headlines in recent years about ancient sites destroyed or threatened by acts of extremists -- Timbuktu, the Bamiyan Buddhas, Nimrud, Palmyra and many others.
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, works around the world to use culture as a tool to reconcile people and bring them together. The World Heritage List is one example of this and the National Park Service is actively involved in the World Heritage program including nominating U.S. sites for designation.
UNESCO also builds "coalitions for culture" that block the black market trade in cultural artifacts by coordinating the work of armed forces, Interpol, the World Customs Organization, museums, leading auction houses and national governments.
Now, UNESCO has started the #Unite4Heritage (http://www.unite4heritage.org/) campaign to build support for the protection of heritage in areas threatened by extremists. This campaign will be highlighted at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, where staff of the NPS Office of International Affairs will form part of the official U.S. delegation.
"When violent extremists say humanity is not a single community that shares values, when they say world heritage doesn't exist, when they say pre-Islamic heritage is idolatry, when they say that diversity is dangerous, that tolerance and dialogue are unacceptable - we must respond," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stated at the launch of the #Unite4Heritage campaign at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Baghdad in Iraq in March.
The campaign is working to spread the word through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. In order to show support, take a photo with a heritage site or artifact, and describe why it is important. By using the hashtag #Unite4Heritage, UNESCO and the global community can help share the values of tolerance, diversity and respect.
Learn more about the U.S. participation in the UNESCO World Heritage program at http://www.nps.gov/oia/topics/worldheritage/worldheritage.htm.
Submitted by Jonathan Putnam, jonathan_putnam@nps.gov
