Celebrated every year on April 18, World Heritage Day is a day of great global importance. More so, India is a land replete with cultural, historical and religious artifacts, which draw a sense of wonder for the visitors and certainly makes every Indian feel proud of this valuable possession. Therefore, speech on world heritage day is commonly delivered in order to spread awareness amongst the people and encourage people to preserve their national heritage for posterity.
Long and Short Speech on World Heritage Day in English
To give comprehensive and relevant knowledge on the subject, there are long speeches on world heritage day as well as short speeches on world heritage day too for those who are looking for succinct yet useful descriptions.
So read through the pages and inform yourself as well as others on this crucial subject.
Speech on World Heritage Day – 1
Good Morning Children – I hope you all are doing well in your studies and if there are any issues related to your studies; then please feel free to come to my office. Today, I and all the teachers decided to assemble all the children for the speech ceremony on World Heritage Day. Since the day is around the corner, I wanted to enlighten our children on this subject. As a principal of this school, I take the onus not only to make our children perform well in studies, but also to enlighten them on such subjects that concern mankind greatly.
World Heritage is described as the common wealth of mankind. This day is a brilliant reminder of our rich cultural past and it becomes our responsibility to preserve our heritage not only for ourselves, but for the next generations to come. Undoubtedly, heritage sites ought to be preserved and protected. They are priceless assets for mankind. The date for the celebration of World Heritage Day is 18 April and it first began in the year 1982. ICOMOS, i.e. International Council for Monuments and Sites had started a symposium in Tunisia, the African country.
The calls were made in order to celebrate the “International Day for Monuments and Sites” across the globe. The idea caught the attention of the people and the committee members then gave approval to the suggestion. The proposal afterwards was introduced at the UNESCO General Conference where a decree was passed in the month of November 1983.
Since that momentous day, the whole world began observing the “International Monuments and Sites Day”, which is also called as “World Heritage Day” on 18th April. Our sites and monuments can only be given protection through the joint efforts of the global community. On the day of World Heritage, awareness campaigns are being organized for enlightening the masses about the diversity of our cultural wealth and the kind of solution is needed to preserve and protect it. It is true that heritage sites are exposed to various risk factors and hence we should do all that we can to the best of our capacity in providing protection to these precious assets.
Interestingly, year after year a theme has been chosen to celebrate this day. Let’s say for example, in the year 2010, “Agricultural Heritage” was decided as a theme. The whole idea was to consider the evolution of man on this earth and its indispensable relationship with nature. Agricultural heritage laid stress on various types of agricultural activities, landscapes and systems and how they took shape as the human civilization progressed.
Thus, the World Heritage Day is observed in many ways. Visits to the sites and monuments are planned with a view to highlight the importance of preserving these cultural assets. When restoration works become successful, people are often invited to pay a visit to these sites. There is also a wide media coverage that throws light on impressive monuments. Interviews and conferences are also held everywhere. Debates and discussions are organized and exhibitions are also put up for a great visual treat. This day is indeed a day for every respective citizen of a country to feel proud of the great cultural assets of his/her nation.
I hope everyone enjoyed listening to this speech as much as I did in delivering it. This is all I wanted to say.
Thank You!
Speech on World Heritage Day – 2
To our esteemed chief guests and dear audience – Welcome to the 97th symposium of our Radhakrishna cultural committee! I am your host for today – Rajeev Shukla – and have been an active part of this committee from past four years.
Friends, since all of us are present here it is my great desire to deliver a speech on World Heritage Day as somewhere I feel people experience a sense of detachment from their national cultural heritage and globally as well. It is extremely important to inculcate a feeling of pride at our national cultural wealth and preserve it for posterity so that the coming generation can have the privilege of appreciating the cultural possessions of his/her country.
Before I explain the importance of World Heritage Day, please let me first throw some light on what a world heritage site actually is. A world heritage site is categorized as a man-made or natural edifice or area, which is of global significance and a particular place which requires special attention and protection. Such sites are officially acknowledged by the UN as well as UNESCO, spelled as the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. According to UNESCO, these sites are categorized as the World Heritage and hold extreme importance for humanity as well as command physical and cultural significance.
This day, therefore, seeks to spread awareness about the challenges faced by the authorities in preserving the world heritage sites. This present year 2017 has allowed the communities to come together and celebrate the overwhelming influence of sustainable tourism and how it can strengthen communities and inform the masses.
Please don’t get surprised when I say that there are about 1,052 world heritage sites. Out of these, 814 fall under the cultural category, 203 are considered natural and 35 are a mix of both. Nearly 55 sites are under constant threat, including the Jesus birthplace, Church of the Nativity and Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem.
There is ICOMOS, i.e. the International Council for Monuments and Sites which suggests a number of ideas about how to celebrate this day of great global importance:
- Encourage a visit to sites and monuments as well as allow restoration works may be with free admission.
- Publish articles in magazines and newspapers as well as send out a message on radio and television.
- Hang banners around chief traffic artery or town squares inviting attention of people to this day and encouraging preservation of our cultural heritage.
- Inviting national as well as international personalities, including the experts for interviews and conferences.
- Organize discussions in city halls, cultural centers and various other public spaces.
- Encourage publication of post-cards, posters, stamps and most importantly books.
- Exhibitions through paintings, photos, etc.
- Giving away prizes to people and organizations that have exceptionally contributed towards the promotion as well as conservation of our cultural heritage as well as have come up with an outstanding publication on this subject.
- Encouraging such activities that raise awareness amongst the school going children as well as youth.
- Reintroduce a recently refurbished monument.
Thus, in many ways we can help preserve our cultural possessions and raise awareness amongst the people on a global platform.
Thank You!
Speech on World Heritage Day – 3
Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Respected Teachers and My Dear Friends – Warm Greetings of the day to all!
Firstly, I would like to extend a note of thank you to the respected principal and vice principal of our school as well as to our dear teachers for assembling here and making this event happen. Friends, as you all know that a trip to Jaipur’s national heritage has been organized by our school in the coming weekend, for which of course we are extremely excited and are really looking forward to it.
Therefore, considering this upcoming trip, we as students wanted to organize a speech ceremony on World Heritage Day so that more awareness can be spread amongst the students and seriousness can be grown towards preserving our heritage sites.
I am speaking from my personal experience and I am sure each one of you must have observed at some point or the other the fact that many people around have developed a reckless attitude towards our national heritage. This is the reason why heritage buildings are often found to be damaged or tampered. However, it is due to the continual restoration work of such sites by the officials that our nation is still able to preserve their beauty, if not in their entirety, but at least to a major extent so much so that it draws millions of tourists every year.
Heritage sites whether belong to our country or a foreign land has to be revered and no damage should be caused to them. So one specific day, i.e. April 18, has been dedicated to world heritage sites with a view to raise the consciousness of people about the diversity of rich cultural wealth and make them aware about the vulnerability of these sites.
The day is observed with a clear aim to enlighten people about the need of preserving and protecting the world heritage sites and propagating to the world about the immense value that these monuments carry with them. These invaluable possessions are a matter of great honor for the mankind. Whether it’s the Taj Mahal – an epitome of love and romance, the Great Wall of China which can even be seen from the moon or the Great Barrier Reef that contains the wealth of the underwater world or the Machu Picchu ruins that are symbolic of the glorious period of Incas – every site has something really unique to offer to its visitors.
In many ways we can contribute towards the maintenance of world heritage sites so that their beauty doesn’t fade away and these continue to remain the points of attraction for people from all over the world. The least that we can do is not to throw garbage or litter the waste anywhere close to the premise of these heritage sites. This way we can help bring down the pollution level to some extent. The natural heritage places as well as coastal regions require special attention as they offer shelter to various endangered species. For instance, poaching animals in the national park should be strictly prohibited because these animals play a major role in sustaining the ecological balance of our planet Earth.
As per one report, over 100 natural heritage places have been tampered with due to human activities in the few preceding decades and now it’s seriously a high time that we hold back ourselves and also stop others from causing degradation of these sites.
That’s all I have to say. Thank You!
Speech on World Heritage Day – 4
Good Evening Ladies and Gentleman – Warm welcome to all of you and thank you for being a part of this cultural heritage trip and coming in large numbers to make this a success. Since I am one of the organizers of this trip, I assure you all that we will have unbounded fun and get to discover the royal beauty of our ancient monuments and heritage sites. You can carry your cameras and other essential things so that you can enjoy each and every moment of the trip and capture your most wonderful memories there.
But friends, before we begin this trip, please allow me to discuss with you the significance of our heritage sites and the reason behind the celebration of World Heritage Day. World Heritage Day is observed all over the world with a view to inspire individuals as well as local communities to realize the importance of world heritage sites in our lives as a global citizen. Every year, this day is celebrated on 18th April. It is ICOMOS, i.e. the International Council on Monuments and Sites located in France that designated April 18 as the World Heritage day in the year 1982. It was consequently passed by the UNESCO General Assembly in the following year, i.e. 1983.
There are a variety of events conducted on this day that help people go back to the ancient past. Programs such as heritage walks are organized; discussions and debates are also conducted amongst the expert panelists in order to facilitate cultural and ideological exchange of thoughts. Since every year a theme has been decided and around that particular theme the day is celebrated, following were the themes of main focus in the previous years for the observance of World Heritage Sites:
- Save our historic villages
- 20th Century Heritage
- Underwater Cultural Heritage
- Industrial Heritage
- 40th Anniversary of ICOMOS
- Cultural Landscapes and Monuments of Nature
- Earthen Architecture and Heritage
- Heritage and Science and Agricultural Heritage
- Religious Heritage and Sacred Places
In this manner, a theme always dominates the World Heritage Day celebration every year so that people in large number can come together and contribute towards it. This year let’s take a pledge that we will no longer act as mere tourists, but as responsible travelers. Rather than traveling as a tourist, travel to different places as a volunteer and make meaningful contribution towards encouraging the growth of host communities that can look after the maintenance of heritage sites. If you travel abroad, embrace their culture and enjoy there with the given resources, for instance relish their local dishes at the restaurants, shop from their traditional markets and travel through their local transport. This way their economy would get the much needed support.
As put forward by the World Tourism Organization, in the year 2017 when the theme of the World Heritage Day was Sustainable Tourism, which says “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.
Thus, as citizens we should not only preserve our nation’s heritage sites, but should also act as responsible tourists and leave a positive influence on the society, economy and environment of the place we are visiting.
Thank You!
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