For information – ICOMOS is obviously a co-signatory (and contributed comments to the draft) of this manifesto – under the signature of our President Toshiyuki Kono.
Dear Members of the European Heritage Alliance,
First of all, we would like to warmly thank you for your endorsement and support in disseminating our joint Manifesto ‘Cultural Heritage: a powerful catalyst for the future of Europe’.
We are confident that, together, we shall demonstrate that the cultural heritage world can and should contribute to Europe’s immediate socioeconomic recovery, as well as to the longer-term advancement of the European project.
We are also proud to share with you the latest updates with regard to our joint Manifesto.
What has been done?
- In less than a month, our Manifesto was signed and endorsed by over 500 people from all across Europe and beyond. To this date, over 700 high-level personalities and heritage supporters have adhered.
- Since it was published on 9 May, we have individually conveyed this important Manifesto, on behalf of the Heritage Alliance, to the Heads of all EU institutions, including Charles Michel, President of the European Council; David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank; Luca Jahier, President of the European Economic and Social Committee; and Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions.
- We have transmitted the Manifesto individually to all 27 EU Heads of State or Government, ahead of the important meeting of the European Council on 17-18 July 2020 in Brussels.
- We have transmitted this Manifesto to key EU leaders with responsibilities over cultural heritage, including Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, Mariya Gabriel Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and Sabine Verheyen, Chair of the CULT Committee at the European Parliament.
- The Manifesto has been conveyed to all EU Ministers in charge of Culture, as well as to EU Member States’ Permanent representatives to the EU in Brussels.
- We are delighted to inform you that we have already received several positive responses from EU leaders expressing their appreciation for our joint Manifesto, including Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions; Emma Navarro, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank and Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission (see enclosures).
- We are committed to continue widely disseminating the Manifesto and the important messages it conveys – both among heritage operators, heritage enthusiasts and civil society, as well as at the highest political level. For this purpose, we have translated the Manifesto into 16 different languages (English, Estonian, Hungarian, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish and Catalan, Swedish and Turkish) and further language versions will be soon available.
- We are still searching for volunteers who would be willing to translate the Manifesto in other languages. Please, do get in touch with us if you are willing to provide your linguistic support.
Do not forget to sign!
- There is strength in numbers! Together, our voice will become more powerful and influential.
- This is especially important at the time when the European Commission has presented a visionary proposal for the EU’s recovery plan, entitled ‘Europe’s moment: Repair and prepare for the next generation’. We are convinced that this Manifesto will support our joint advocacy efforts to make sure that cultural heritage is duly incorporated across many priorities of this recovery plan (including the ReactEU programme, the revival of sustainable tourism, the digital transformation of Europe, the European Green Deal, the New Skills Agenda etc.)
- We count on you to help us rally the support of all EU leaders (at all levels of Europe’s governance) to make sure that cultural heritage is put where it belongs: at the very heart of Europe’s revival. By gathering as many signatures as possible, we can prove that we are not alone!
Spread the word!
- We are truly thankful for your signature and we count on your support to invite others to join our movement, adding their names to this impressive list.
- Please, share the Manifesto (available in 16 languages) with your network, inviting them to sign and further spread the word.
- You can do it so by simply re-posting our social media message (here) or by forwarding this message to your contacts.
We thank you once again for your most valuable support and we count on you to make sure that our joint Manifesto reaches as many people as possible. Together, we should put forward an “European New Deal for Cultural Heritage“, to be incorporated across many policy areas and priorities, as a major cultural, social, economic and green contribution to the Next Generation of Our Europe.
With our very best regards,
Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra
&
Harry Verweyen, Executive Director of the Europeana Foundation
Reply letter to Europa Nostra_signed pdf
Re Europa Nostra pdf
SENT LETTER Europa Nostra – Europe Day Manifesto Cultural Heritage pdf