“I say to my sons from future generations, heritage is your identity and symbol of your unity, so be up to its responsibility to give you the best of the first civilisation, to spread peace among you, and to prepare for your security and advancement, I call on the institutions responsible for heritage care to be aware of their role and importance in facing darkness and devastation by making the heritage alive and interacting in the present and the future.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, said during the opening of “Unit for Heritage”2017.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, during the opening ceremony of the “United for Heritage” campaign, sent a set of direct messages, including parental advices and official calls that chart the way for future generations, and a map that brings the time and place with an identity and past with a bright future for today’s children and tomorrow's men, along with the future of the society and the nation.
In this speech, from a scholar and an analyst of history, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah presents a summary of experiences of nations, human relations and the development of events. The discourse of identity does not take a lot of controversy and discussions, as the matter is clear as the sun (heritage is your identity), and the symbol of unity between new generations, as it unites them on identity, It is an insightful vision that reflects great and long follow-ups and efforts in the study of civilisations, reviews, approaches and comparisons in the lives of peoples and nations, how events took place, and how to come out with wisdom that we offer to our future generations, to live in unity and peace, know their identity and preserve it as it is the origin, present and future.
In His Highness’s speech, we find that heritage represents the supreme value of nations and adhering to it is a major responsibility, and future generations must know and appreciate it, and commit themselves to carrying it to draw them to their authentic and original identity, so that generations can enjoy what the heritage offers of belonging to the roots, pride in it, by preserving the values on which fathers and grandfathers were raised on, and formed the nucleus of the society to which they opened their eyeson, lived and enjoyed its benefits, and what the civilisation of the fathers and grandfathers offered in terms of goodness, security and peace, and stable foundations and introductions to the growth, advancement and development of the community of generations.
This adherence and sense of responsibility towards heritage, preserves for the new generations their right to life through belonging, identity and adherence to original values, and the fulfillment of the life that new generations aspire for, and the fulfillment of what parents and grandparents have made in terms of wishes and savings for the future of their children after them.
His Highness’s speech, which draws a clear map for the good of society and the continuation of civilisations, included the important call for heritage-based institutions to be fully aware of their place and role in the welfare of society, and it is also a major responsibility since awareness of the importance role will work to provide all the required and necessary awareness programmes and various cultural events and activities, for the new generations, so that the heritage is alive in the hearts of the young people of today, and interacting as a bridge between the past, the present and the future.
This important role of heritage care institutions provides a service in defeating ignorance, the darkness of minds and hearts, and devastation through the alienation of generations from their identity, belonging, pride, and the civilisation of their people, and their distance from their history, which is a point of society's crossing into a prosperous future and the civilisation of those who preceded them continues with all dignity, true affiliation and authentic identity with full specifications of customs, traditions, language and various meaning of life.