M E S S A G E BY T H E P R E S I D E N T
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Parliament and our 7 Most Endangered campaigns, run in partnership with the European Investment Bank Institute, we can be proud of what we have achieved up to now. But it is also time to take what we have accomplished to the next level. Today, we must grasp the momentum for placing cultural heritage at the very centre of European policies and for mobilising the power of Europe’s civil society to protect it for present and future generations.
This annual report looks back at many of the highlights of 2019. It was the year of consolidation of all we had accomplished in the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. This publication gives a complete account of our many remarkable and memorable activities, meetings, and campaigns. It has been my honour and pleasure to lead this organisation for two five-year terms as President. It was a great challenge to take over the Presidency of Europa Nostra in 2010 from my predecessor Her Royal Highness, the Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, who was a formidable leader and a real heritage enthusiast. She sadly passed away on 8 January of this year and will be missed by us all. From my first Awards Ceremony in the Aya Irini in Istanbul in 2010 - via Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Vienna, Oslo, Madrid, Turku and Berlin - to the spectacular evening on 29 October 2019 in the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, it has been a great privilege and an enriching experience to lead Europa Nostra. I have seen the organisation grow in stature and influence. I have seen it flourish as a large heritage family across the continent. I have seen how many of our members – organisations and individuals - work hard every day to make our vast citizens’ movement better and more effective. Together, we can truly move mountains. And we have done so! From our highly respected European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards to our work in Brussels with the European Commission and the European
As I write this in the spring of 2020, I hope you will allow me to reflect also on the extraordinary effect of the COVID-19 crisis on us all, as human beings and as global citizens. As I know from personal experience, this global pandemic affected all aspects of our lives. It was a time of anxiety and sadness but also of reflection and togetherness. As you know, the crisis also heavily impacted the world of art and cultural heritage. We are now entering a long and difficult phase of recovery. But let us not despair. Let us use our new insights and our new lease on life to do better; let us make thoughtful decisions about what we stand for and where we want to go from here. There are many challenges we have to meet head-on, with conviction and dedication, such as climate action, green transformation and sustainability, the digital shift, and the urgent need for more equal rights and opportunities. In the years to come, I am sure that Europa Nostra will rise to the occasion by being a positive force for change in Europe and beyond. It also means that the time is ripe for new ideas and new solutions, and yes, for a new President to help bring Europa Nostra to new heights. I want to thank you all, our members, our partners, our supporters, our Board and Council under the inspiring leadership of Denis de Kergorlay followed by Hermann Parzinger as Executive President. Special thanks to our fantastic team in The Hague and Brussels led by ˘ Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic. ´ Thank you for our Secretary General, Sneska your trust and friendship during the last ten years. It was an extraordinary adventure, and I am grateful to have been part of Europa Nostra’s important journey to promote and save Europe’s heritage. I will always remain a faithful member of our Europa Nostra family and an ardent supporter of our noble cause. Stay healthy and safe. Yours, Plácido Domingo Annual Report | 2019 | Rapport annuel | 7
