Saving Our Vanishing Heritage
Pingyao Ancient City, Courtyard.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the difference between UNESCO and Global Heritage
Fund? - What is the difference between a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and a global heritage site, according to Saving Our Vanishing
Heritage? - Why does GHF focus exclusively on global heritage sites in
developing and emerging countries and regions? - How did GHF estimate the $100 billion opportunity for global
heritage sites? What are the assumptions? - How were the twelve “On the Verge” sites chosen?
- Who would be the primary donors to the Global Fund for
Heritage? How would it be administered? - What is the Global Heritage Network?
- What is Preservation by Design?
- Can I speak with anyone on the Editorial Committee?
- What are the next steps for GHF?
- Going forward, GHF will continue with its following goals:
- What can I do to support GHF? How can I get involved?
What is the difference between UNESCO and Global Heritage Fund?
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), established in 1945, is a specialized agency whose stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights along with fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.
Global Heritage Fund, founded in 2002, is a non-profit organization and international conservancy whose stated mission is to save the earth’s most significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in developing countries and regions through scientific excellence and community development.
What is the difference between a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a global heritage site, according to Saving Our Vanishing Heritage?
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of 911 worldwide properties (including cities, buildings, monuments, forests, mountains, lakes, deserts, etc.) officially recognized by UNESCO as having special cultural or physical significance to the world. Nearly half of all UNESCO-inscribed sites can be found in North America or Europe.
A global heritage site, as defined by GHF in Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, is one of 500 major archaeological and cultural heritage sites in developing and emerging countries and regions that are national treasures and of universal significance to mankind. Today, more than 200 of these sites are endangered and facing irreversible loss and damage, while fewer than 80 have been UNESCO-inscribed.
Why does GHF focus exclusively on global heritage sites in developing and emerging countries and regions?
GHF sees the unfavorable imbalance in the UNESCO World Heritage List against the developing world as a key reason for lack of corresponding funding and assistance to enable preservation and protection of sites in these countries. For example, while Italy and Spain have 44 and 41 cultural UNESCO designations, respectively, Peru—with 4,000 years of history and hundreds of important cultural sites—has only nine. Guatemala, the cradle of Maya civilization, has just three.
Furthermore, GHF believes that by focusing on sites in low-income countries—places where the per capita income is less than $3 to $5 a day—it can help alleviate poverty by creating long-term jobs, income, and recurring investment. In Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, this is called the “$100 billion opportunity.”
How did GHF estimate the $100 billion opportunity for global heritage sites? What are the assumptions?
A GHF-sponsored analysis of 500 global heritage sites by a team of Stanford University economics graduates estimates that global heritage sites in the developing world are expected to generate over $100 billion a year by 2025, up from $24.6 billion today.
The analysis found that more than 50 global heritage sites today each have annual revenues of over $100 million, up from a fraction of that number twenty years ago. Worldwide tourism to global heritage sites is also increasing on average at 8 to 12 percent per year, according to United National World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with many sites doubling or tripling in visitation and revenues every ten years.
The $100 billion opportunity assumes a worldwide effort will be made for the preservation and responsible development of global heritage sites.
How were the twelve “On the Verge” sites chosen?
While hundreds of global heritage sites are under threat or are at risk, the twelve “On the Verge” sites were identified by GHF and the Vanishing report’s Editorial Committee as: 1.) in the most danger due to the five man-made threats; and 2.) having great potential to become economic engines for their respective regions and local communities if protected and preserved.
Who would be the primary donors to the Global Fund for Heritage? How would it be administered?
The Global Fund for Heritage would target philanthropic, government, and business investments to support global heritage. It would be managed by a joint executive board of government and private-sector leaders and donors, including archaeologists and heritage law and policy experts. It would support international experts, provide emergency assistance and technical and financial resources, and secure matching in-country funding.
What is the Global Heritage Network?
Global Heritage Network (GHN) is an early warning and threats monitoring system that uses state-of-the-art satellite imaging technology, combined with online community software, to enable collaboration between international experts and local conservation leaders to identify and mitigate man-made threats to global heritage sites. Click here to learn more.
What is Preservation by Design?
Preservation by Design is GHF’s integrated conservation and development methodology—a living framework that combines long-range planning, conservation science, community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. It incorporates the latest methods and technologies, combined with a partner-driven conservation strategy, to increase the prospects for long-term successful and sustainable conservation efforts. Click here to learn more.
Can I speak with anyone on the Editorial Committee?
Absolutely. Please contact Mike Smith at Fenton Communications for more information.
What are the next steps for GHF?
With the release of Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, GHF hopes to alert the international community to the need for greater investment in global heritage conservation, a strategy that has proven to be one of the most effective and targeted ways to help alleviate poverty by creating long-term jobs, income, and recurring investment in developing countries.
Going forward, GHF will continue with its following goals:
• Work with local communities on world-class conservation projects
• Promote internationally GHF’s Preservation by Design methodology as a recognizable and replicable approach to project design, management, monitoring and evaluation
• Develop Global Heritage Network, an internet database and technology platform for use by all GHF projects, international experts and the public
• Engage the world’s leading archaeological conservation and community development experts in planning, projects and programs
• Develop a strong, stable and growing global network to support GHF through guidance and advice to management, generous and sustained funding and advocacy, leadership and best practices in governance
• Continue to build a committed and effective Board of Trustees and Senior Advisory Board with diverse expertise
• Advocate on behalf of significant and endangered cultural heritage sites in developing countries
What can I do to support GHF? How can I get involved?
There are a number of ways to support GHF and become involved. Please have a look at our Support GHF page to learn how to make a donation, become a member, join the conservation society, join the leadership council, and more.
You can also join the Global Heritage Network to participate in discussions about global heritage, and to learn more about GHF’s mission.
