Mubashir Nadeem
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of preserving and accessing audiovisual sources, such as films, videos, sound recordings, and radio broadcasts. These sources are valuable records of humanity’s cultural, social, linguistic, and historical diversity, as well as sources of knowledge and entertainment. However, they are also vulnerable to deterioration, damage, and loss due to various factors, such as the fragility of the materials they are recorded on, the obsolescence of the technologies they require, the lack of resources and expertise for their preservation and restoration, and the legal and ethical challenges for their Access and use.
The WDAH was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005 in collaboration with the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA), a global network of professional associations dedicated to the safeguarding and promotion of audiovisual heritage. The date of October 27 was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images by the UNESCO General Conference in 19801. This was the first international instrument to recognize the cultural and historical significance of film and television archives and to urge member states to take measures to protect them.
The WDAH has a different theme each year, which reflects the current issues and challenges faced by the audiovisual heritage community, as well as the opportunities and achievements that have been made. The theme for 2023 is “Your Window to the World”, which highlights how audiovisual sources enable us to witness events we do not attend, listen to voices of the past, and create narratives that inform and entertain. The theme also invites us to explore the diversity and richness of audiovisual heritage from different regions and perspectives and to appreciate its role in fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding.
Various stakeholders celebrate The WDAH worldwide, such as audiovisual archives, libraries, museums, educational institutions, media organizations, civil society groups, and individuals. The celebrations include activities such as exhibitions, screenings, workshops, lectures, seminars, publications, online campaigns, and social media events. These activities aim to showcase the value and beauty of audiovisual heritage, to raise public awareness of the need for its preservation and Access, to attract media attention to its issues and challenges, to acknowledge the work and achievements of audiovisual professionals and institutions, and to advocate for more support and resources for audiovisual heritage.
The WDAH is a significant day for UNESCO because it aligns with its mission to promote peace and security through international cooperation in education, science, culture, communication, and information.
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By celebrating audiovisual heritage as a common heritage of humanity, UNESCO hopes to foster respect for cultural diversity and human dignity and encourage dialogue among civilizations. The WDAH also supports UNESCO’s efforts to implement the 2015 Recommendation Concerning the Preservation of, and Access to, Documentary Heritage Including in Digital Form, which provides a comprehensive framework for member states to safeguard their documentary heritage in all forms and formats. Furthermore, the WDAH contributes to UNESCO’s work on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, promoting media development, enhancing media and information literacy, advancing open Access to scientific information, protecting freedom of expression, and fostering creativity and innovation.
Lastly, the WDAH is a day that celebrates audiovisual heritage as a vital source of knowledge, culture, memory, and identity for humanity. It also raises awareness of the need to preserve and access audiovisual sources before they are lost or forgotten. By doing so, it supports UNESCO’s vision of building a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world through international cooperation in its fields of competence. Furthermore, Pakistani richness in audiovisual heritage needs to be preserved as a national heritage. Accordingly, Pakistan should also implement the spirit of the day.
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