Welcome aboard to this journey across the mesmerising legacy of human civilisation, where both teachers and students can explore the breathtaking realms of human creative power in an adventure that offers to educate and entertain at the same time.
From the times when our ancestors discovered a way to put fire into use to the invention of the Internet, this journey of ours as human beings has been a step-by-step process, where each generation leaves behind a trail for the next one to follow and continue the experience of human evolution, leaving a mark of our intertwined existence as species, which is our common identity. Thus, every single human experience counts, every single achievement or failure is a sign on the road for the next generation to follow in the attempt to attain the biggest dream of humanity - that of immortality!
"Limited in his nature, infinite in his desire, man is a fallen god who remembers heaven." - Alphonse de Lamartine
The only way to achieve immortality is by understanding the true nature of our human experience, which is not solely an individual, but a collective attainment. If we are able to see the bigger picture and take the whole of humanity's cultural heritage as the stuff that we are made of today, then we can achieve that sense of presence that transcends time and the limits of our nature!
Cultural Heritage Global Initiatives
But what exactly is Cultural Heritage, and what significance does it bear for us today or for the generations to come?
The following video produced by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department summarises the main points that highlight the importance of honouring and preserving Cultural Heritage for the future generations.
Moreover, the Council of the EU has opened The 2018 Year of Cultural Heritage initiative to highlight the importance of European culture. You can explore the resources available at this initiative official website, or simply watch the following video to get a better idea of what it aims to promote.
Cultural Heritage is our global playground where the human child in all of us discovers the true nature of who we really are.
Cultural Heritage is not only the things we build or make. From the first words we learn from our parents, and the secret grandma's recipes, to the games we play in the backyard, the rituals we do on special occasions, all the customs and traditions, including all the natural beauties that surround us, as well as the digital reality we are creating today is the heritage from those that walked the path before us and the legacy we will leave for the next generations to come.
All of that makes up the human story - the story of us!
You must have a favourite place that you dream of visiting one day because of a story that you have heard about it! Or a favourite historical figure that you look up to because of the things they achieved for humanity! But you also have favourite holidays in the year, because of the little things you do together with your family and friends that mean a lot to you, or the special food you associate with that holiday only!
All of this is our Cultural Heritage and it is our duty to honour it and preserve it for future generations because that is who we are, that is how we can achieve immortality - if we weave a mark of our presence into the grand tapestry of human existence!
I, therefore, invite you to embark on this journey in discovering the immeasurable riches of our world's cultural diversity, and share with us some of your most precious cultural heritage sites, people, and events, in attempt to weave our mark together into the grand tapestry of human existence, at a point where DIGITAL meets HERITAGE!
Enjoy it!