Resources

This founding text was the first to acknowledge cultural diversity as “the common heritage of humanity”. It is with great pride that UNESCO is commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Declaration. Commemorate – from the Latin cum memorare – means quite literally “to remember together” or “to remember with”. This collection is compiled the voices of all those who have contributed to the heightening of human awareness by throwing into relief the inestimable value of cultural diversity. These excerpts from books, articles and statements by global intellectual and political leaders, artists and Nobel Prize-winners all call for the safeguarding of cultural diversity, which is inseparable from respect for human dignity. Their voices resound in bearing witness to the strength of cultural diversity and to its capacity to enlighten the minds of women and men. We are duty-bound to ensure that it is central to public policies and a resource for development and dialogue among nations. The United Nations was born of the determination of men and women “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...”. In accordance with that principle, UNESCO was established on a key idea, expressed at the very beginning of its Constitution: “... since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. In the world today, globalized, connected and interdependent as never before, this mission is more vital than ever. The rapprochement of peoples and cultures requires a commensurately global awareness. Cultural diversity has always been at the heart of international relations. It is also, increasingly, a feature of the contemporary mixed and plural societies in which we live. In view of this reality, we must formulate appropriate public policies and rethink the mechanisms of social cohesion and civic participation. How can we build common ground on the basis of such diversity? How can we construct genuine moral and intellectual solidarity of humanity? Any new vision of humanism must be grounded itself in the dynamism and diversity of cultural heritage. It is a source of inspiration and knowledge to be shared and a means of broadening our horizons. The goal of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity is to provide keys and benchmarks for capitalizing on this wealth. There can be no sustainable governance if cultural diversity is not acknowledged. There can be no economic and social development if specific features of every culture are belittled and ignored.