Heritage preservation

UNESCO, NCA join hands

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the National College of Arts (NCA) department of archaeology launched a campaign, ‘Save our Heritage’ on Monday for the conservation of Shalamar Gardens in Lahore.

The campaign also includes the launching of Urdu version of the kit, “World Heritage in Young Hands”. UNESCO’s national expert, Farhat Gul said, the aim of the campaign is to develop tourism potential in the cultural heritage sites of Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens and also in the Walled City of Peshawar within the framework of a tripartite project, “Cultural Tourism - Lahore and Peshawar”.

She said, the campaign aims at making the community near the Shalamar Gardens more sensitive to civic concerns and the value and importance of their cultural heritage. She added that the heaps of garbage around sites and environmental pollution have marred the beauty of these cultural heritage locations.

She said the campaign includes students and teachers walking around sites carrying banners with thought-provoking slogans. Talking about the kit, she said, “It would generate awareness about the preservation of the heritage sites among youth”.

The project includes creating “buffer zones” for protecting the monuments and the world heritage sites, which is funded by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and UNESCO whereas the federal and provincial administrations of the Punjab and the NWFP are cooperating with studies and research. —APP

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