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Appeal to celebrate the UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

To all institutions and persons interested in contributing to the improvement of the situation of the audiovisual heritage.

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends and colleagues

In 2006 at its 33rd session the General Conference of UNESCO declared 27 October as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. This gives us a unique occasion to raise awareness of the importance of sounds and images as a source of history of the last 150 years and of the importance of preserving them and making them accessible to whoever is interested in their content.

UNESCO has mandated the Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA)*, the umbrella organisation of the international non-governmental organisations concerned with the preservation of the audiovisual heritage, to promote the World Day. This year, the celebration has the overall topic “The Audiovisual Heritage as a Witness of Cultural Diversity” which highlights the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

As CCAAA cannot organise events all over the world to celebrate the World day, it has to rely on its members and the institutions and persons active in the field to take the initiative. This can be done as an appeal, an event of more or less significant dimensions, as commented screenings of moving images, seminars or broadcast programmes, to give but a few examples. It is important that we reach sections of the population which are not aware of the richness of the audiovisual heritage, especially decision makers and politicians. Your National or regional UNESCO commission is certainly willing to help you.

Please give us feed back before or after the 27th October on what you have done so that it can serve as an example next year for those who have not yet succeeded in organising some activities.

Best regards

Kurt Deggeller, Convenor of CCAAA

Message from UNESCO Director General
(PDF download)

* AMIA, ARSC, FIAF, FIAT, IASA, ICA, IFLA, SEAPAVAA