Nearly 150 heritage sites across Flanders will be lit up in blue between 16 and 21 November to mark Unesco’s 80th anniversary, Unesco Flanders announced on Friday.
Unesco, the United Nations organisation for education, science and culture, came into force on 4 November 1946, shortly after the Second World War. It was founded on the belief that co-operation in education, science, culture and information is essential to building peace.
The organisation places sites of “outstanding universal value” on the Unesco World Heritage List. It aims to protect those places, manage them carefully and pass them on to future generations.
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To draw attention to that mission, monuments across Flanders will be illuminated in blue where possible. In other locations, a blue Unesco flag will be flown.
“The campaign shows how Unesco is part of our daily surroundings and how special places in Flanders help tell the story of humanity,” Unesco Flanders said.
According to the organisation, the anniversary is also a moment to reflect on the role of heritage in today’s society. It said peace, human rights and international co-operation are now under pressure.
“The post-war conviction that inspired Unesco risks fading into the background,” the organisation said. “Countries are withdrawing from international bodies, international law is losing force, and national interests are increasingly taking precedence over shared solutions.”
Unesco said wars around the world affect not only people, but also their history, monuments and collective memory. Protecting heritage, it argued, is therefore more than a cultural task.
“It helps communities preserve and pass on their history, while also teaching us lessons about the present,” Unesco said. The organisation added that budget cuts are no excuse for allowing heritage to be lost.
