TEHRAN – The National Library and Archives of Iran is slated to host a special event today to commemorate the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage and to raise general awareness of the need to take urgent measures and to acknowledge the importance of such documents.

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, which is globally marked on October 27, provides an occasion to raise general awareness of the need to take urgent measures and to acknowledge the importance of audiovisual documents.

Tens of Iranians scholars, literati, artists and mass communication experts have been invited to the gathering, which also be attended by the national library and archives director Ashraf Boroujerdi, and tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan, IRNA reported.

Organizes scheduled to display a collection of old are rarely seen/heard Iranian photos and radio broadcasts for the attendees. The timeline will also contains replaying of UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay’s message for the day, which says, “The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, which this year seeks to ‘Engage with the Past  through  Sound  and  Images’,  is  an  occasion  to  remember  the  importance  of  audiovisual materials for connecting with our history and understanding who we are today.  The  past  century  was  marked  by  unprecedented  human  development  and world-shaping  events.  We must ensure its lessons are transmitted to future generations.”

The occasion was designated in 1980 by the 21st UNESCO General Conference, of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images.

UNESCO reminds that audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge since they reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities.

“They help us grow and comprehend the world we all share. Conserving this heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is a vital goal for all memory institutions as well as the public at large.”

AFM/MG