After 30 years of armed conflicts, Afghanistan has suffered the loss and desecration of thousands of archeological objects and hundreds of ancient sites, such as the city of Ai Khanum and Bamiyan, which endured vandalism and irreparable destruction in 2001.
Archaeological sites are like open books, revealing to us the story of an era, a civilization, of trades and relationships between nations. These are the stories of our humanity and the roots of a nation's cultural identity. They must be preserved.
Let us ACT now for the Heritage of Afghanistan and protect Mess Aynak, an ancient and vast Buddhist monastic ensemble under threat from a proposed copper mine. While economical development is necessary through the mining of precious minerals, it cannot become an additional tool for cultural destruction.
Help protect Mess Aynak's treasures--please ask UNESCO to include Mess Aynak, Afghanistan on the List of Endangered Sites and the World Heritage List.
We the undersigned bring to your attention that, when one talks about the protection of world heritage one cannot help to think of
UNESCO and its commitment and responsibility to find prompt solutions for the safeguard and protection of endangered sites.
After 30 years of armed conflicts Afghanistan has suffered the loss and desecration of thousands of objects and hundreds of sites such as the city of Ai Khanum and Bamiyan, a site that would eventually be enlisted as a site to be protected but too late.
Let us NOT repeat the same mistake and ACT now for: the Heritage of Afghanistan is once again faced with violation and inpending loss, this time in the case of the immense site of
Mess Aynak.
We believe that while economical development through the mining of precious minerals, is necessary, it cannot become an additional tool or exscuse for further destruction of an already weakened Heritage.
Therefore, we the undersigned, rely on
UNESCO to be a force of disuasion and hope for countries such as Afghanistan.
We the undersigned ask of
UNESCO that the site of
Mess Aynak, Afghanistan be enlisted immediatly on the
List of Endangered Sites and the
World Heritage List thus giving UNESCO the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the protection and safeguard of the Archaeological Heritage of Afghanistan.
We thank
UNESCO for its kind attention and support.
