Costa Rica
Blue Shields protect cultural heritage
Authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Costa Rican Red Cross and the National Archives held an event on March 10 where a Blue Shield was unveiled, a symbol used to protect cultural property and sites in each nation. Since June 3, 1998, Costa Rica has ratified an international treaty approved by UNESCO: the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Costa Rican Red Cross has donated the vast majority of Blue Shields. On this occasion, it is participating with the distinguished visit of the delegation of the Henry Dunant Society (a private Swiss organization, independent of the Movement, which brings together people or institutions interested in the life and work of Henry Dunant and the people and institutions that participated in the birth and development of humanitarian Geneva) to place the Blue Shield in the facilities of the national archive. “We are very proud to be here today, and to have the presence of the Henry Dunant Society, this allows us to remember the memory of the founder of the International Movement, the sense of solidarity, fraternity and the principle of humanity. Part of our humanitarian mandate is the fight against violence, and we hope to continue contributing to this culture of peace,” said Glauco Ulises Quesada, President of the Costa Rican Red Cross The National Archive of Costa Rica is part of the heritage that has been decorated with this emblem in the country, the Blue Shield will be placed on its main facade. With respect to the placement of the Blue Shield, Alexander Barquero Elizondo, general director of the institution, indicated the following: “Having been chosen to receive this shield, represents for the National Archive the opportunity to become part of a very select list of institutions and public spaces of great interest for culture and memory, which are distributed throughout the world. This implies that what is safeguarded here is heritage, memory; they are documents of very high importance for societies. This is a very relevant distinction because in the event of an international conflict, a site like this would be one of the first to be protected, in the understanding that here is reflected the memory, culture and much of what has built the identity of Costa Ricans today. Recently Blue Shields have been placed in the Children’s Museum, the Fortress of Heredia, the National Museum, the Juan Santa Maria Museum, among others.
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