Dear readers, you may have seen ICCROM's recent updates on social media regarding our team's participation in this year's international children's and young adult book fair in Bologna. Our purpose was to actively engage with the national representatives of ICCROM's Member States present and with international publishers, totalling around 1500 participants from over 100 countries.
Our primary goal was to gain as much support as possible for our special Collection, our Heritage Education Library project, as part of the Library's participation in the EUROPE CHALLENGE programme to foster a love for cultural heritage in the next generation. As in our main Collection - dedicated entirely to the Conservation and safeguarding of cultural property - our aim with this side project is to represent the cultural heritage of all humanity in all its forms and languages, raising awareness for the recognition of its diversity and the need for its protection and preservation.
This year's fair saw the United Nations' increased presence, with various panels and activities dedicated to sustainability, climate protection and human rights. One highlight was the Sustainable Development Book Club, a project organized by the United Nations in collaboration with other international actors, bringing the SDGs closer to children and young people. Another special moment was the public reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in different languages by authors, illustrators, and editors worldwide.
In this international context, the ICCROM Library's project was well received, and some countries' representations and publishers made donations to the Library, while others pledged their support in future. We returned to Rome with many beautiful new books and are now adding them to our Collection. Each of these books is beautiful and special in its own way, but I was particularly impressed by one, "Origen" by Nat Cardozo. I was lucky enough to be present in Bologna at a panel entitled "Origins: Indigenous voices in children's literature," where the author, together with other representatives of indigenous literature for children and young people, discussed their initiatives and efforts to better represent the voices of indigenous peoples in young adult literature.
The book "Origen" was written in Spanish and issued in 2023 by the Argentinian publishing house Libros del Zorro Rojo. It explores the interconnectedness of all living beings to other life forms and the entire universe "Origen" is a personal journey undertaken by the author over the last decade, reflecting on the relationship with the planet and drawing insights from indigenous peoples, referred to as "those from the origin." The beautifully illustrated book explores the lives of 22 indigenous communities from among more than 5000 worldwide, living in diverse ecosystems across all continents. These communities, varying greatly in population, share a common approach to life based on respect, coherence, and gratitude towards nature. They perceive the natural world as a living entity and maintain a life of reciprocity, mutual aid, and minimal excess. Examples include the Moken children, who use silence as a form of respect and communication with animals; the Inuit, whose fate is tied to the Arctic ice; and various peoples who have fought for decades to protect their sacred sites like rivers, mountains, and forests.
The book celebrates the wisdom of indigenous peoples, emphasizing that understanding and preserving these traditions are crucial in recognizing that all life on Earth is connected and that we are fundamentally ONE.