Road EffortsChapterPeaceto10.towards Preservation of Heritage
10 Section 1 Preserving and Utilizing Heritages Section 2 Heritage and Peace Section 3 The Greatest Heritage: World Peace Efforts HeritagePreservationtowardsof Chapter
Let us achieve world peace and pass it down as an eternal legacy based on human history’s highest human rights awareness and a global consensus on peace.
Overview The heritages that reflect our ancestor’s unique spirit and culture shape the community’s identity. As each county strives to preserve the sites containing its history, UNESCO designates and monitors heritage sites of ‘outstanding universal value’ included in the World Heritage List. Unfortunately, many heritage sites have been lost due to conflict and wars, resulting in cultural and identity crises in the community. Efforts to protect the heritage become pivotal to restoring broken communities as it strengthens members’ relationships and restores their identities. In addition, heritage becomes a source of new development and a leap forward. This process ultimately leads to the promotion of peace. Peace is the foundation upon which all beautiful values pursued by humanity can blossom.
Therefore, world peace is the best legacy we can pass on to future generations.
In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we came from. Alex Haley (American novelist, 1921-1992)
SECTION 01 Section Preserving1 and Utilizing Heritages
1. Preserving and Utilizing Heritages 5
1) The concept and the importance of heritage
# What are heritages and why must we preserve and utilize them?
We can easily discover that we are living amongst the legacy passed down by our ancestors if we look around. The language we speak is a legacy we inherited from our ancestors, and foods such as cheese, butter, and kimchi are made after learning and developing the food production methods of our
Heritage is a cultural product of particular values inherited and passed on to future generations. When the concept of heritage is expanded, it also includes ‘people’ and ‘spiritual values.’ There are numerous legacy left by our ancestors in the world, and each country is working to persevere and utilize its’ heritage. Let us learn about its concept, significance, types, conservation of heritages, and effort to utilize.
1.
Heritage of humanity
ancestors. The studies taught in school is to educate the next generation the knowledge that the previous generation has researched and organized. Furthermore, there are traces of the lives of our ancestors remaining in clothing and buildings, and like this, we are living with our ancestral heritage, breathing and interacting with our ancestral heritage. It is first essential to understand the terminology to understand the concept of heritage. The term ‘Cultural Property’ was in common use until it was later adopted and coined ‘Cultural Heritage.’ Cultural property is a compound word of culture and property, reflecting the perspective that it is the state’s property or people’s. The term ‘Cultural Property’ was used in the ‘Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict’ and in the ‘Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property,’ adopted by the 16th UNESCO General Assembly in 1970. However, after the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, the term heritage was officially used in international conferences and is now more commonly used. The term Cultural Heritage emphasizes the heritage perspective and is used in a broader concept than Cultural Property and refers to all the historical, artistic, and academic values inherited from our ancestors. Next, let us look at the importance of heritage. First, heritages reflect the mentality, culture, and history of the people who once lived there. Heritages can also be called the epitome of a group’s identity. Through heritage, people find answers to their identity, such as who they are, where they came from, and how they should live. For example, ancient Greece or Rome’s heritage inspires national pride
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and significantly influences identity formation for those who share the legacy. Furthermore, the Jews have maintained their Jewish heritage, such as Torah and Talmud, for approximately 2,000 years, although they have been scattered worldwide without territory. On the contrary, when a legacy is lost, the identity often also fades. Native Americans in the United States have lost most of their homes and heritage through repression, violence, and forced migration by the early United States government.1) As a result, most indigenous people have lost their cultural identity. There are currently approximately 5 million Native Americans in the United States, and those who have maintained their identities are working to protect and restore their heritage.
1 2010, the Americans.displacementoppressiongovernment’sforofficiallyPresidentgovernmentUSandObamaapologizedtheearlyUSandforcedofNative 2 populationcambodia-angkor-news/9681-210510-archaeology.org/https://www.
Another reason for the importance of heritage is that it connects the past, present, and future. Let’s take Angkor Wat of Cambodia as an example. Angkor Wat shows the greatness of the Khmer Empire that came to an end in the 15th century. After discovering Angkor Wat in 1860, a French naturalist, Henri Mouhot, had stated, “One of these temples – a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michael Angelo –might take an honourable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.” According to recent LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) results and excavation data, it is estimated that about 900,000 people lived in and around the Angkor Wat in the 13th century.2) We can see how great the Khmer Empire was considering how 100,000 and 200,000 people lived in Paris and London, which were deemed to be large cities at that time. Cambodia suffered a decade of civil war during the latter half of the 20th century, and Angkor
Wat served as a major motivation to overcome the physical, economic, and humanitarian destruction caused by the civil war. Angkor Wat’s restoration and conservation project united public sentiment and fostered patriotism in the people. Like this, Angkor Wat connects the former Khmer Empire with present Cambodia and serves as a stepping stone towards a better future.
2) Types of heritage Every country has slightly different forms of heritage classification and management systems. Therefore, we will introduce the types of heritage based on UNESCO’s classification system. According to the UNESCO world heritage list, heritage is divided into three categories: ‘World Heritage,’ ‘Intangible Heritage,’ and ‘Memory of the World.’. A ‘World Heritage’ refers to sites with an Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) amongst the country’s real estate heritage. The World Heritage is divided into ‘Cultural Heritage,’ ‘Natural Heritage,’ and ‘Mixed Heritage.’ Cultural heritage includes historical, artistic, and academically outstanding monuments, structures, and historical sites, such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Acropolis in Athens. Natural heritage refers to a natural area or site that has outstanding scientific, conservation, or aesthetic merits, such as Iguazu Falls in Brazil and the Grand Canyon in the United States. Mixed heritage sites contain both characteristics of cultural and natural heritage, including Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Turkiye and Machu Picchu in Peru. As of July 2011, there are a total of 1,121 world heritage sites across 167 countries. Of these, 869 are cultural heritage sites, 213 are natural heritage sites, and 39 are mixed heritage sites. Meanwhile, there are 53
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of the World’ refers to the archival preservation program carried out by UNESCO since 1992. This project aims
Figure 1-2 Machu Picchu, Peru (Mixed Heritage) Figure 1-4 Flamenco, Spain (Intangible Heritage) Figure 1-1 Acropolis, Athens (Cultural Heritage) Figure 1-3 Grand Canyon, United States (Natural Heritage) 1. Preserving and Utilizing Heritages 9
World Heritage sites in danger. ‘Intangible Heritage’ refers to the traditional culture of each country and encompasses various knowledge, skills, performing arts, and cultural expressions. In daily life, intangible cultural heritage primarily has been passed on by word of mouth. It is classified and listed on the ‘List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent safeguarding’ or the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.’ Representative intangible cultural heritages include Flamenco in Spain, calligraphy in China, and Arirang in‘MemoryKorea.
2. Legacy that are lost by conflict and war
3 The beginning of the Inca Empire is also considered to be the Cuzco dynasty in the early 13th century. The Inca Empire was destroyed in 1533, but the remaining powers remained and fought against Spain, and even they were history.anddestroyedcompletelyin1572disappearedfrom first to facilitate preservation, assist in universal access, and increase awareness of the importance of documentary heritage. The categories of documentary heritage are very diverse, from records engraved on parchment or stone to books, newspapers, paintings, music, and videos. Representative world heritage sites include the British ‘Magna Carta, issued in 1215’ and ‘The Literary estate of Goethe in the Goethe and Schiller Archives,’ which contains Goethe’s handwritten manuscripts.
From 1438 to 1533, the Inca Empire3) was one of the largest and most developed civilizations in South America. The center of the empire was located in Cusco, and its territory was centered in present-day Peru and spanned Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia. The Inca Empire built a road about 3,250 miles from Ecuador to Chile and had extraordinary stone architecture, as evidenced by Cusco and Machu Picchu ruins. Furthermore, the Inca Empire was famous for its tremendous amount of gold and its use to make
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Some heritage has preserved well and passed down to future generations, while others have been lost, and destroyed without passing on to future generations. The latter mostly occurred after a country was destroyed by conflict and war, but there are also cases when properties were destroyed for specific political purposes. Let us learn about the necessity of preserving heritage through a few unfortunate cases of losing humanity’s precious heritage.
1) The lost Inca Empire
2) The World Heritage crisis due to the Syrian Civil War As of 2021, the World Heritage Committee has decided to list a total of 53 properties are included in the List of World
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4 After the fall of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu’s existence was abandoned.livedasurroundingmadeoccasionallyknowntothelocalsforwhile,butnoonethereandwasleft elaborate crafts, which attracted the Spanish conquistadors. After the conquest of the Aztecs, the Spaniards heard rumors of ‘El Dorado,’ the legendary city of gold. In 1526, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro González, while exploring South America to search for El Dorado, discovered the Inca Empire and destroyed it in 1533. It is said that Atahualpa, the last emperor of the Inca Empire, was held captive after being captured by Pizarro’s army and offered Pizzaro a room full of gold in exchange for his liberation. However, Pizzaro killed Emperor Atahualpa without releasing him after receiving the gold. The Inca Empire fell after the emperor’s death, and large amounts of gold were moved to various parts of Europe. During 300 years of Spanish rule, numerous Inca cities were destroyed and lost their heritage. Machu Picchu, built on top of a mountain at 2,430 meters above sea level, was completely abandoned until it was rediscovered in 1911 by Belmond Hiram Bingham, an American explorer. 4) Vilcabamba, the last city of the Inca Empire and the last capital of Inca resistance, was also left in ruins. It was not until American explorer Douglas Eugene Savoy rediscovered it in 1964 and officially proved that the remains were traces of Vilcabamba. An invasion that began with greed for gold destroyed the Inca civilization, and for hundreds of years, the Inca civilization was hidden from history. However, as a result of excavation and restoration projects from the 20th century, people worldwide can now view the legacy of the Inca civilization once more.
Heritage in danger. In 2013, UNESCO placed all six of Syria’s World Heritage Sites on the danger list due to civil war. Looking at the situation of the above six World Heritage Sites, the Roman amphitheater of the Ancient City of Bosra in southern Syria was damaged during the war. The Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din built during the Crusades in western Syria were also partially damaged by an air raid. In 2015, the extremist Islamic State (IS) intentionally destroyed the Temple of Bel at the Site of Palmyra, ancient cemeteries, triumphal arches, statues, etc. The area most affected was Aleppo, where fierce street fighting and airstrikes were frequent. Aleppo was the third-largest city in the Ottoman Empire after Constantine and Cairo. However, the entire Ancient City of Aleppo is designated as a World Heritage site. The ‘Great Mosque of Aleppo,’ a symbol of Aleppo, was unrecognizable as its former appearance due to severe damage of the minaret from the tank fire. The Syrian government forces and rebels do not have the military or economic power to sustain a civil war for ten years. They, therefore, depend on the arms support and financing of neighboring countries to continue the war. Unfortunately, the
Figure 1-6 Great Mosque of Aleppo destroyed in Syrian civil warFigure 1-5 Great Mosque of Aleppo before destruction
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Tangible heritage is not the only thing lost through aggression and war. The more severe damage is the destruction and deterioration of the intangible heritage such as language, culture, and customs. In 1940, the Total National
According to the April 2021 publication by the Korea Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation, approximately 200,000 pieces of heritage are still overseas, of which 43% or about 89,000 are in Japan.5) An article in Time Magazine published in February 2002 raised the issue that although there are active discussions regarding active restitution of the properties looted by the Nazis, there are hardly any discussions about the restitution of the property looted by the Japanese during the same period.6)
3) Tangible and Intangible Heritage lost during the Japanese colonial period
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A Legacy Lost, By DONALD MACINTYRE Seoul Monday, Feb. 04, 2002 biggest victim of the war is the Syrian citizens. The Syrian people are not only losing their lives and their properties, but they are losing their precious heritage.
In the early 20th century, Japan succeeded in modernization at the fastest rate in the world since the Meiji Restoration and emerged as a powerful country, colonizing vast territories such as present-day Korea and China. During World War II, it participated as an Axis power along with Germany and Italy and invaded several countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Among them, Korea was forcibly occupied by the Japanese for 36 years, from 1910 to 1945. Many Korean heritages were looted and leaked abroad during this period, and the remaining heritage was severely damaged. Typically, there were 509 buildings in Gyeongbokgung Palace, the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, but only 40 buildings remained after the Japanese colonial period, resulting in 92% of destruction.
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Spirit Mobilization in Chosen was issued by the Japanese Government-General7) of Korea and recorded that “integration is the supreme guiding goal in the Peninsula rule.” The Japanese imperial put forward the slogan ‘Japan and Korea are one entity’ to completely unify the Korean Peninsula to say that Japan and Korea are one body. It can be seen as part of the national annihilation policy to dilute the identity of the Korean people and incorporate them into Japanese occupation. It began first by banning the usage of Hangul and Korean. Newspapers and magazines published in Hangul were completely abolished, and all executives of the Hangul Society were captured. Schools only taught the language and history of Japanese. Furthermore, the students had to read “The Imperial People’s Narrative” every morning, which states their loyalty to the Japanese emperor. The Japanese imperialists forced Koreans to adopt Japanese names and implemented the conscription system in 1940, in which it forcibly drafted Korean youths for war. The greatest atrocity committed by the Japanese empire was the ‘comfort women’. Under the guise of giving women jobs, Japan took Korean women to the military base and forced them into sexual slavery. Like this, Korea suffered enormous human, material, spiritual and cultural damage for 36 years and lost numerous tangible and intangible heritages.Thishistory is not unique to Korea. Throughout history, the conquerors made countless attempts to erase the words and writings of the conquered, extort property and heritage, and obliterate national identity by distorting history. As a result, many people lost their livelihoods and unique culture and suffered for a long time, and they even lost hope for the future. Destroying the culture and heritage of another country for the
7 An institution operated for the ruling of the Koreas since the Japanese Empire signed the Treaty of Annexation between Korea and Japan in 1910 to 1945.
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Although there are historical records of Aztecs and Incas being destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors, there is no record of the exact cause of the Mayan destruction. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Yucatan Peninsula in the 16th century, most of the Mayan city was abandoned and in ruins, and the few remaining cities also fell from history as
3. Efforts to preserve and utilize the heritage
The Maya civilization existed from around 1500 BC to the 17th century, centered in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Honduras in Central America. It had its own writing system and possessed a very high level of knowledge in art, architecture, calendar, mathematics, and astronomy.
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Antonio del Rio, who excavated Mayan artifacts and moved them to Spain in the 18th century, believed ancient Greeks or Romans developed the Maya civilization.
benefit of one country should no longer happen but instead, go on a path of coexistence that respects each other’s culture and heritage.
1) Cooperation for the excavation and preservation of Mayan civilization
In recent years, there has been a shift in perception that the preservation and utilization of heritage is not an option but a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development of the country. Let us examine how perseveration and utilization of heritage are related to sustainable development through the cooperation for the perseveration of Mayan civilization and the usage of heritage.
victims of conquerors and plagues. It is known that the Maya civilization rapidly declined and was destroyed around 950 AD, but various scholars have different views on the cause of the destruction. Among them, Jared Mason Diamond, an American geographer, identified five factors that contributed to the collapse of the Maya civilization in Collapse: How
Figure 1-7 Map
Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed . The five factors are population growth beyond available resources, deforestation and lack of farmland, increase in warfare, climate change and drought, leaders’ greed, and lack of long-term vision. Among them, studies point to severe drought as the leading cause of the collapse of civilization. Although the Maya civilization was destroyed, the descendants of the Maya remained. The Maya suffered horrendous abuse and genocide since the 16th century by the Spanish explorers, but there are still Mayan-speaking Maya living in Guatemala, Belize, and Yucatan, Mexico. According to Guatemala’s 2018 census, approximately 6.2 million people (42%) identified themselves as Mayan. On 3 of Maya civilization
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May 2021, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a formal apology for the abuses committed against the indigenous Mayans over the five centuries. He stated, “We offer the most sincere apologies to the Maya people for the terrible abuses committed by individuals and national and foreign authorities in the conquest, during three centuries of colonial domination and two centuries of an independent Mexico.”8)Thefull-scale excavation of Mayan civilization began only in the 19th century. This process revealed that the Maya civilization was a civilization with a highly developed number system, calendar, and astronomy. Most Maya ruins were covered with dirt and trees from the forest, and therefore, it was only in the 20th century when excavation could begin by mobilizing large-scale personnel and equipment. The ancient Maya city was gradually revealed through the excavation work with the participation of the excavation teams from governments and scholars worldwide. Although the excavation of Mayan ruins is still only in its infancy, the development of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology entered the 21st century and is newly discovering the hidden ruins. A team of international researchers led by Professor Takeshi Inomata from the University of Arizona reported in the international journal Nature regarding the largest Maya monument ever discovered in Tabasco, Mexico using LiDAR.9) It also revealed more than 60,000 hidden Maya structures in the jungles of northern Guatemala.10)
The excavation and preservation of the Maya civilization have important archaeological and anthropological values and contributions to the sustainable development of the region. National governments, universities, and research teams are
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8 show/a-57433490progress-or-political-maya-people-to-indigenous-en/mexicos-apology-https://www.dw.com/
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10020-2343-4com/articles/s41586-https://www.nature.https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/maya-laser-lidar-guatemala-pacunam
collaborating to discover, preserve, and academically research the Maya civilization. Furthermore, UNESCO is taking the lead in preserving the Maya ruins found thus far by designating them as World Heritage sites. The Maya ruins have become a global tourist destination, attracting numerous tourists every year, and are also used as core materials for various cultural contents such as movies, games, and books.
The utilization of heritage is the process of extending or recreating the value of heritage. Of course, the utilization of the property presupposes the preservation of its original form. There has been a recent active discussion regarding the utilization of heritage due to its various effects, such as rediscovering the educational value, recreating economic value, and increasing public interest.
2) Utilization of heritage
There are methods of utilizing heritage such as ‘heritage education,’ ‘tourism,’ and ‘cultural industry utilizing heritage.’ First, ‘heritage education’ refers to education for students and citizens in schools, museums, etc. In particular, heritage education is important in passing down interest and knowledge about heritage to the next generation. Through heritage education, students can acquire not just the legacy itself but also the historical, cultural, artistic, and scientific knowledge related to the heritage. In addition to the class curriculum, the school can conduct heritage education in various forms, such as field trips, simulated excavation experiences, and heritage building
‘Tourism’experiences.isarepresentative
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way to utilize heritage. Cities such as Rome in Italy, Istanbul in Turkiye, Athens in Greece, Jerusalem in Israel-Palestine, and Cairo in Egypt have
‘Cultural industry utilizing heritage’ refers to using heritage as a material for cultural industries such as films, books, music, plays, and art. For example, the National Geographic channel produces and broadcasts various heritage exploration documentaries reflecting the latest information and academic trends. China’s intangible cultural heritage, Kung Fu, was introduced to the world through the 2008 animation Kungfu Panda . The movie Avatar (2009) is also famous for being filmed in Zhangjiajie, one of China’s natural heritage sites. The ‘IT industry utilizing heritage’ is also growing steadily. Since its first release in 1991, Sid Meier’s Civilization , a strategy game in which one selects and develops one of the world’s civilizations, is considered a masterpiece of games that people worldwide continue to enjoy. Like this, heritage can be used in a variety of ways. As we
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preserved so many heritages that the places themselves are cultural legacies and are constantly visited by many tourists worldwide. In addition, many people visit countries such as Switzerland and New Zealand with outstanding natural scenery as tourist attractions. As tourism is an industry that satisfies customers in fine through various services, it also positively affects the development of various service industries in local communities such as lodging, dining, shopping, and leisure. Furthermore, lecturers, books, and video content industry, where people can hear and experience stories related to heritage, will develop along with the tourism industry. The stories of historical events or experiences related to the heritage give special meaning to the heritage. Additionally, tourists who know the story and view the heritage will feel as though they are at the site and experience twice as much sightseeing enjoyment.
have seen above, the active utilization of heritage can also lay the foundation for sustainable development. In the past, many heritages were neglected or damaged in the conflict between development and conservation. However, most countries worldwide now recognize that the preservation and utilization of heritage is not an option but a necessity. Various companies and civic groups voluntarily support heritage protection projects and participate in multiple campaigns. The preservation and utilization of heritage is now a challenge that we all need to address and achieve.
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Road to Peace memo
My heritage has been my grounding, and it has brought me peace.
Maureen O’Hara (Irish actress, 1920-2015)
Heritage2 and Peace # How
Due to war, humanity has lost many heritages and experienced civilization collapse and cultural regression occurrences. Peace must be a prerequisite to preserve and utilize heritage. Let us deepen our understanding of the relationship between heritage and peace, and achieve the goals of preserving heritage and establishing peace simultaneously.
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The Crusades (1095-1201) were a series of wars between Christian and Muslims to secure control of Jerusalem. Since Jerusalem was an important holy city for both religions, the efforts of both sides to protect Jerusalem served as an opportunity to lessen the damage of war. The meeting between Salah ad-Din and Balian d’lbelin on 2 October 1187, is especially noteworthy. Saladin’s coalition of Islamic armies Section are heritage and peace connected?
1. Efforts to protect heritage during war
SECTION 02
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Seeing how Salah ad-Din was speechless, Balian began to negotiate prisoners of war. During that time, the ransom of prisoners of war was 10 dinars for men, 5 dinars for women, and 1 dinar children. With the 30,000 dinars the Crusaders had at the time, they would free 7,000 Christians. Balian told Salah ad-Din he would give up all of his private property to rescue at least one more person. Sal ad-Din found favor and allowed the elderly, widows, and orphans to leave Jerusalem without a ransom. In the end, all Christians living in Jerusalem were not taken prisoner and were safely evacuated. This event demonstrates how much both leaders valued the heritage. The negotiation would not have succeeded if even one side did not cherish the legacy. Furthermore, it is seen that the heart to value heritage is connected to the heart to cherish human life.
Even during World War II, special efforts were made to protect the heritage. The ‘Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA) ,’ well-known as Monuments Men, is a special force established by the Allied armies in 1943 to protect cultural property during World War II. The mission of this special force, which consisted of over 350 people
Balian warned that if Salah ad-Din continued to advance to Jerusalem, Balian would destroy all Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, including the ‘Dome of the Rock’ and ‘Al-Aqa Mosque.’ Although Salah ad-Din would become the conqueror of Jerusalem, Balian threatened that what Salah ad-Din had conquered would be a burning, blood-stained Jerusalem.
continued to win the war against the Crusaders, who no longer had the strength to defend Jerusalem. At this time, Balian, who led the Crusade, requested a meeting with Salah adDin, and the two men met in Salah ad-Din’s tent. Balian, who was on the verge of defeat, threatened Saladin on the spot.
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The mindset of Monuments Men later spread to the Korean War. Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, where the Tripitaka Koreana 11) was kept, was also in danger of being bombed during the Korean War. Having learned that approximately 1,000 North Korean soldiers were gathering at Haeinsa Temple, the UN forces ordered to attack the Hainesa Temple. However, South Korean General Kim Young Hwang knew that the bombing site where Tripitaka Koreana, a national heritage, was kept and did not obey the order. In addition, US artillery officer James Hamilton Dill was informed that North Korean forces were gathering at Deoksugung Palace.12) However, it was apparent that if he bombed the palace to clear the enemy,
11 The Tripitaka Koreana is a compilation of Buddhist scriptures. The Tripitaka Koreana is not only the oldest among the existing Tripitaka Koreana, but also the most complete in format and content, so it was designated as a World Record Heritage in 2007.
12 It is one of the royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. from 13 countries, including museum directors, curators, architects, poets, archaeologists, and art restoration experts, was to safeguard culturally important monuments and artifacts from destruction. To prevent the destruction of the property, the group created a map for the pilot showing areas to avoid during the bombing and quickly took measures to identify and restore damaged areas. When the war ended, the group focused on recovering cultural artifacts exploited by the Nazis and succeeded in restoring masterpieces by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. However despite the efforts, On 18 February 1944, the 1,200-year-old Abbazia di Montecassino was destroyed by Allied bombing. The international community’s accusation of ruthlessly destroying a thousand-year-old heritage did not go away easily. The international community made its position clear that heritages should not be destroyed even during a war. Monuments Men’s activity awakened awareness that heritage is precious and must be protected, and it should not be destroyed indiscriminately, even amid large-scale wars such as World War II.
resilience-and-peaceheritage-now-org/news/protect-https://en.unesco.
cohesiondialogue-and-social-powerful-tools-and-heritage-are-bokova-culture-org/news/irina-https://en.unesco.
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In November of 2015, a symposium ‘Cultural heritage at risk, the Role of Museums in War and Conflict’ took place in Stockholm, Sweden. Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, stated, “The protection of culture and heritage is a humanitarian and security imperative that also paves the path towards resilience, reconciliation, and peace.”13) Furthermore, at a conference held at the University of Geneva in April 2014, she strongly emphasized UNESCO’s strong belief that political and economic agreements alone are not sufficient to establish sustainable peace. She stated, “It is therefore critical essential that the protection of heritage be included in emergency operations, as it is inseparable from the protection of human life for which it bears the values and identities.”
2. UNESCO Heritage Conservation and its relationship with peace
it would destroy a heritage with hundreds of years of history. He discussed with a fellow officer regarding Abbazia di Montecassino during World War II and eventually decided to protect the palace.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which is in charge of the inclusion of UNESCO World
14)
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The consensus on the protection of heritage during the war demonstrated a strong deterrence to war, which halted local battles or provoked discussions about a ceasefire. However, it is unfortunately difficult to find cases where efforts to preserve the heritage prevented war in advance. For the prevention of war through heritage to appear, it is more urgent to raise public awareness of heritage.
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15 India2017,13-14thandSymposiumandGeneralIn:HeritageSharmishtha,Agarwal,forPeace.ICOMOS19thAssemblyScientific“HeritageDemocracy”,DecemberNewDelhi, Heritage Sites, is announcing various research results on the relationship between cultural heritage and peace. Among them, the thesis ‘Cultural Heritage As a Tool For Peace: A Case of Sudan’ states, “In post conflict situations, cultural heritage becomes a tenacious means in restoring of communities, aiding them to regain a sense of normality and reconnect with their identities.” 15) The presentations above clearly explain the purpose of UNESCO’s implementation of the heritage protection project. The project goes beyond the simple preservation and utilization of heritage and is a humanitarian project that lays the foundation for dialogue, reconciliation, and peace based on restoring cultural diversity.
In addition, UNESCO is paving the way for restoration and peace by listening places that evoke painful memories of war and violence as World Heritage Sites. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee designated the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (19401945) as a world heritage in 1979. The location was worthy of conservation as it serves as evidence of the world’s worst genocide in human history. In 1996, Japan’s Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was designated as a world heritage. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial was the only building left standing during the Hiroshima bombing on 6 August 1945 and is still perfectly preserved today since the bombing. Visitors often re-think the importance of world peace and the complete destruction of nuclear wars after seeing firsthand the power of nuclear weapons and the devastation they can cause. Senegal’s Island of Gorée, which was designated as a world heritage in 1978, was the largest slave center on the African coast in the 15th to the 19th century, and it serves as a reminder of Africa’s slave trade as one of the most tragic events in human history.
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3. Expanding the perception of people as heritage In 2003, Article 2(1) of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted at the 32nd General Assembly of UNESCO defines cultural heritage as “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces.” The Figure 2-4 Robben IslandFigure 2-3 Kore Island Figure 2-2 Hiroshima Atomic Bomb DomeFigure 2-1 Auschwitz-birkenau
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 20 years at Robben Island in South Africa, becoming world heritage in 1999. The island served as a prison for political prisoners under the apartheid regime in the 20th century, and it shows how democracy overcame oppression and racism.
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Expanding our perception that people are heritages also changes our perception of heritage preservation. When we consider a person a heritage, we cannot take human life lightly. The concept of preservation of heritage could also include the protection of human life and rights from war, violence, and discrimination of all kinds.
In this way, heritage and peace are inextricably linked. All the efforts, from preserving heritage during the war to recognizing and protecting people as heritage as the creator and successor of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, are all for peace. When I perceive that my life is a legacy to pass on to future generations, I will feel that peace is my first and foremost need.
importance of intangible culture lies in the spirit and culture, rich knowledge and skills that are passed on from previous generations to the next. In general, tangible cultural heritage has a distinct shape. In contrast, intangible cultural heritage is a culture of mind and memory that is intangible, and most have the characteristic of needing a successor. For this reason, most countries have designated bearers of intangible cultural heritage as ‘human cultural heritage’ and are striving to preserve and transmit them. In other words, people themselves are instruments and heritages of conveying the spirit and culture.People are the creators of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. As the connector to the next generation, people are living cultural heritages that contain the spirit, culture, knowledge, and skills. Even if they are not the bearers of a specific intangible cultural heritage, everyone embodies their community’s culture, history, and various understanding.
As people born in the same era and in the same land with the grace of heaven and life instructions, we must leave peace, not war, as a legacy for future generations.
Lee Man Hee (Republic of Korea HWPL Chairman, 1931-present)
World peace is the greatest heritage we must pass down to future generations. No one has found a place in this universe that contains beautiful life such as the Earth. Hence, world peace is necessary to protect this beautiful planet from the threat of war and destruction. Let us look at the mindset we must have to pass down world peace to future generations.
1. Humanity who inherited the war
How one views war directly affects the likelihood of a war occurring. If one glorifies war, it is difficult to prevent or outlaw war. It is especially true when the legitimacy of a ‘war of aggression’ to expand territory or seize an advantage is justified. Even if we take a step back and define war as a necessary evil, we end up acknowledging the necessity of war under certain circumstances.
PeaceHeritage:GreatestWorld is the best time to achieve world peace
Section The3
3. The Greatest Heritage: World Peace 31
SECTION 03
# Now
Road to Peace 32
Everyone has a reluctance to use violence and kill. Therefore, there needed to be a justifiable reason for violence and murder to start a war in any era. The ‘defensive war’ to protect life and property against the enemy was considered a just cause for everyone. However, any war that is difficult to define definitively as a defensive war requires a compelling justification. Primarily, the arguments of philosophers have been convincing. From Clausewitz’s On War, “war is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means,” and “Such dominions … are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others,” from Chapter 1 of Machiavelli’s The Prince was representatively used as causes of war. In Chapter 3 of The Prince, radical expressions appear such as “Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed,” which primarily affected the advocates of the war. Kant, who advocated the theory of perpetual peace, had viewed war as an avoidable means for human progress in his thesis, “Conjectural Beginning of Human History (1786).” Of course, the quote is only a part of the philosopher’s argument, and there is also criticism that it is a statement of objective facts, not to incite war. However, the above statement was indeed used as a justification for advocating war which created a perception that war is a natural part of human history. In each era, the tremendous shock and changes that occurred during the war became the subject of all art fields such as literature, music, and painting. In The Odyssey and Ilias , written by an ancient Greek poet Homer, Greek gods of conspiracy, war, and violence are portrayed as heroic. This representation is similarly found in Roman Mythology. Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory is also war music composed
3. The Greatest Heritage: World Peace 33
to commemorate General Wellington’s victory in the war against Napolean. Conversely, Jacque’s-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps is a representative painting that depicts Napolean as a hero. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings , written during World War II, was made into a film between 2001 and 2003 and is also a representative war novel belonging to the fantasy genre. In addition to this, there is no end to mentioning works of art based on war. Although these works were not intended to defend war or glorify war heroes, they instilled in many people a fantasy and a positive perception of war. War is also deeply permeated into the culture of play. A duel game called ‘Agon’, played during the Olympian festival in ancient Greece, did not end until one side died. Gladiator matches, battles between wild beasts and humans, and simulated naval battles were also held at the Colosseum in ancient Rome, and Roman citizens enjoyed these war games. A ball game similar to soccer today existed in the Maya civilization, and it is said that one side of the winning side or the losing side was all offered as human sacrifices. Even today, war is used as a material for toys and computer games. Models of guns, fighters, and warships used in World Wars I and II are being made and sold as toys for children. There are countless computer games where you can cut people with a sword and experience the battlefield with a gun like a knight in the Middle Ages or a Japanese samurai. Of course, computer games are only fictitious, but there are concerns that simulated murder could also affect the brain, making it less sensitive to violence. This combination of war and play culture became an opportunity for people to accept war very familiarly and naturally.
Humanity no longer considered war a heroic event after witnessing the devastation of two world wars. The emergence of weapons of unprecedented power, such as nuclear bombs, aircraft carriers, fighter jets, and tanks, the rapid sharing of war news due to press and media development, and the most inspired human rights awareness in human history have all affected human history people’s negative perceptions of war.
Road to Peace 34
Also, unlike before, different sectors, including religion, arts, and science, began to raise their voices for the people to criticize wars. Even after the two world wars, there are still many numerous wars in various parts of the world. The people of the world who experienced this realized that war was not as grand and romantic as it had felt in sympathy, nor was it familiar and natural as it felt in war games. They realized the tragedy of seeing limbs fall off and witnessing the tragic deaths of their loved ones. The awareness of the war’s reality led to citizens stonefly demanding peace and security, which forced governments to be more cautious than before regarding the use
2. World Peace, Lasting Heritage for Humanity
Unfortunately, the perception of taking war for granted, from philosophy to art to even play culture, is deeply ingrained in human history. This tendency has caused the reproduction of wars from time to time. War is by no means the only solution to conflict resolution, and humanity has many options to resolve conflicts. We can resolve disputes through peaceful means such as negotiation and dialogue rather than war, and we must strive to pass on peace to our descendants.
of force. The UN system, rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter, has been maintained for 75 years and has contributed significantly to world peace and the creation of international order. In addition, many nongovernmental organizations have served as the ears and eyes of peace to publicize wars still happening across the globe. Yet, there are still blind spots of peace in the world, and we must solve the ongoing conflicts today. World peace is the greatest legacy we can leave to future generations. World peace is the source of sustainable development and new cultures. Human history shows that the 21st century is the most befitting time to achieve world peace. However, this does not mean there are no obstacles. The humanity of the 21st century is standing at a crossroads: selfdestroy itself through nuclear wars or achieve world peace for sustainable development. Will we leave war and pain or peace and prosperity? The choice is in our hands. To pass on peace and prosperity, we ourselves need to become a peace heritage embodying the spirit of peace and spreading the culture of peace to the world with a sense of ownership.
3. The Greatest Heritage: World Peace 35
UNESCO carries out its designation and protection of world heritage based on its advanced perception that heritage preservation and peace of humanity are directly related issues. People themselves, creators of tangible and intangible heritage, and Conclusion
Unlike Cultural Properties or Treasure, the word Heritage has a futureoriented meaning of things that must be well preserved, nurtured and passed on to future generations. However, in reality, many heritages are neglected, lost, or destroyed due to conflict and war. As the Maya and Inca examples show, the loss of heritage can lead to the severance of history and civilization, and its descendants have difficulties in self-reliance and prosperity.Heritages are invaluable because of the mentality, culture, value systems, and history that it contains. The heritage created by reflecting the unique historical situation and the culture of that era is irreplaceable and greatly influences a group’s identity. They also link the past and present and serve as a springboard for a better future by accelerating sustainable development. Governments that have recognized the importance of heritages are investing political and financial resources to conserve them.
carriers of spirit and culture are also valuable heritages. World peace is not only the biggest inheritance, but it is the best inheritance that we can leave for future generations to protect humanity and heritages. Humanity is closer to world peace than ever before. We will enter an irreparable path of co-destruction if we miss this opportunity and get sucked into the whirlpool of wars of the latest equipment – including nuclear weapons. Therefore, let us achieve world peace, the greatest heritage, to leave us an eternal inheritance for future generations.
Figure 1-3 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Mather_Point.jpg
Figure 1-5 Fede Renghino / CC-BY 2.0 / 3/34/Great_Aleppo_mosque_176.jpg/1200px-Great_Aleppo_mosque_176.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/
Figure 1-6 Fathi Nezam from Tasnim News Agency / CC-BY 4.0 / 195452%29.jpgwikipedia/commons/3/33/Great_Mosque_of_Aleppo_%281395100610143169https://upload.wikimedia.org/ Figure 1-7 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Mayas.png
Figure 2-3 Edouard-Auguste Nousveaux, Le prince de Joinville assistant à une danse dans l’île de Gorée, décembre 1842, Le_prince_de_Joinville_sur_l%27%C3%AEle_de_Gor%C3%A9e_en_1842.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/ Figure 2-4 famous-prison-south-africa_160696-819.jpghttps://image.freepik.com/free-photo/aerial-view-robben-island-location-most5th floor 20, Nambusunhwan-ro 347-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South-Korea Tel.02-514-1963 Thehwpl@hwpl.krhttp://www.hwpl.krFax.02-514-1961firsteditionon18September
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