Speech
Presentation for Inaugural Ceremony, 12th International Conference of National Trusts
David J. Brown
Executive Vice President
National Trust for Historic Preservation
New Delhi, India
December 3, 2007
Mr. Prime Minister, we are honored by your presence at this meeting, and we eagerly anticipate your remarks to this group today. Thank you for taking the time to recognize the importance of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and the work of National Trusts and heritage conservation organizations from around the globe.
On behalf of the representatives of National Trusts from all over the world that are here today, I wish to express deep appreciation for the Indian government’s assistance in making this meeting possible and in supporting INTACH in its important work in preserving this great nation’s historic sites and works of art.
Thank you to our other honored visitors and speakers who have joined us this morning. We appreciate all you do for the work of heritage conservation here in India and look forward to your remarks as well.
And a special thank you to Mr. S.K. Misra. All of us are pleased to join you – our gifted colleague – here in India for this 12th International Conference of National Trusts. We have long known INTACH as a valued professional colleague, and now we see that the organization is also a most gracious host. On behalf of National Trust President Richard Moe, I personally thank you for your hospitality.
Mankind’s cultural heritage is amazingly diverse and incredibly rich. Its diversity identifies us as citizens of many nations. Its richness unites us as members of one human race.
Our challenge is to keep this amazingly diverse, incredibly rich heritage intact and alive so that generations to come can learn from it and be inspired by it, just as we are.
It is, of course, an enormous job.
Two years ago, we came together in Washington for the 11th International Conference of National Trusts, and we learned from each other about sustainability and partnerships – key concepts that strengthen our work in heritage conservation and historic preservation.
We also made the important decision in Washington to bring together the National Trust organizations to create an ongoing body that will – we envision – strengthen the network of non government advocates for heritage conservation, speak boldly and consistently to the leaders of the world about the threats to our collective legacy, and act effectively to help preserve and conserve the world’s heritage.
The International National Trusts Organisation – or INTO – gives us access to new resources, new energies, new insights – and that gives us new reason for celebration.
This week we come to Delhi to discuss issues of heritage and development. Together we will be tackling concerns of globalization, where the disruption of local traditions often occurs at a rapid pace that makes it difficult to comprehend the enormity of what is lost, much less plan for the preservation of our threatened heritage.
Speakers and participants will consider the natural affinity between heritage and tourism – a subject that is on the mind of Indians as well as those of us around the world who seek to find a balance between promoting our culture to others and maintaining the welfare of the local society.
And we will focus on the presentation of heritage conservation as an economic imperative in order to encourage governments and the private sector around the world to support our efforts with appropriate funding. At the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, we have discussed the link between historic preservation and economic development for almost three decades through innovative programs such as Main Street, which successfully seeks to use preservation principles to revitalize older and historic commercial districts. We know we have much to learn on this topic from the work of others.
But I believe there is one issue that requires the focus of our collective organizations, of INTO, and our many governments. That is the need for sustainable development due to the impact of climate change upon our world – its citizens and heritage. This is a subject on which organizations and governments are struggling for agreement. No one knows of this struggle better than we do in the United States.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently launched an important initiative to emphasize historic preservation’s role in addressing environmental concerns and in fostering sustainable design and development, noting that because of embodied energy the greenest building is one that is already built. Growing numbers of people are concerned about the degradation of the environment and our relentless consumption of irreplaceable energy and natural resources. Preservation and heritage conservation certainly are not the solution to these problems, but they can be – and should be – an important part of the solution. Later this month, National Trust President Richard Moe will make a major speech on sustainability upon his receipt of the prestigious Vincent J. Scully Prize from the National Building Museum in Washington.
Many of you around the globe are far out in front of us on the impact of climate change on the world’s heritage, where we have all seen impacts on open spaces and buildings alike.
In his first speech on environmental issues since taking office last July, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown asked our esteemed colleague Fiona Reynolds of the British National Trust to prepare recommendations for his government on how business and the nonprofit sector can mobilize individuals to take action to protect our environment and our heritage. In doing so, he recognized the power of the Trust’s “Small Steps, Big Change” campaign to help us think through the everyday actions that can impact rural landscapes, small towns, and urban areas alike.
So whether it be globalization, tourism, preservation-based economic development, or small steps leading to big changes to build sustainable communities, National Trusts throughout the world are working with critical issues to the future of the planet.
Many people think of heritage conservation as only focused on the past, but today we are focusing more and more on how to engage millions of supporters around the world in solutions we can all take part in to promote sustainability and contain the impacts of climate change.
Let’s spend the next few days understanding the vital work ahead of us and how we can work together to use the past to improve the lives of our citizens.
Future generations’ understanding of their heritage and its role in shaping their world depends on that work and every single one of us playing our part.