Quarter day in Europa Nostra

There were many goodbyes to President HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark after 17 years of active service for Europa Nostra and a warm welcome to HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón from Spain.  Or as the outgoing President put it: “The South of Europe is succeeding the North of Europe, and a “President“ is replaced by a “Presidente”.”

There was also a farewell for long and good service to outgoing Treasurer Dineke de Koster.  She explained that the expenditures for staff and travels were on the rise due to more activities and growing professionalism, but the closer ties and collaboration with the European Union had also resulted in EU funding for specific Europa Nostra activities.  She welcomed the incoming Treasurer Roelf Rogaar, also from Holland, who in his speech said that he was recognized as a professional banker, and in the future he would also be known as a professional beggar on behalf of Europa Nostra. 

Europa Nostra Highlights
Europa Nostra is an NGO for Cultural Heritage.  It is the voice of a movement of European civil society active in the field of heritage targeting international bodies, in particular the European Union Institutions, the Council of Europe and UNESCO. Highlights of 2006 include:

• The relationship between sustainable management of cultural tourism and the conservation of the cultural heritage of the tourist destinations.
• Campaigning for endangered heritage in Israel/Lebanon and Kosovo
• European Heritage Days in close collaboration with EU

Rediscovering the European Flavour
Let the final note be from the retiring President HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark’s closing message:

“At the moment when the preparations for the 2008 celebration of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue are underway, let us recall that the prerequisite for an intercultural dialogue is ”that there is culture”.  This remark is all the more pertinent as many Europeans seem to turn their backs on their culture and roots in the name of an ephemeral modernity, instead of working towards an inventive and profitable marriage between modernity and heritage.  It is the responsibility for Europa Nostra to find suitable words and messages for Europeans to regain the taste for their cultural heritage and its necessary defence, to (re)discover the European flavour of this heritage but also its universal appeal.”