MANILA, Philippines — In 2005, the UNESCO General Assembly approved October 27 as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage to raise awareness of the importance of audiovisual documents as an integral part of national identities and draw attention to the urgent need to protect them.

The 2011 theme “Audiovisual Heritage: See, Hear, and Learn,” highlights how audiovisual media has the highest potential for cultural expression, new methods of creating and accessing knowledge, and conveying ideas and creativity that are at the very foundation of modern civilization.

Our memory is our main link to the past and has greatly influenced the progress of mankind. Since the beginning of humanity, we have sought to preserve memories through the creation of artifacts that are expected to go beyond our lifetime, a form of posterity will be left to succeeding generations.

Writing has been one of the means of preserving our past – it records our actions, beliefs, and emotions. Other forms such as drawings, paintings, music, sculpture, and architecture try to capture the spirit of the moment.

At the end of the 19th century, new forms of external memory appeared, such as photography, sound transmission and recording, followed by moving images. These gave birth to radio, cinema, television, and by the 20th and 21st century the Internet, mobile phones, and digital information.

Our audiovisual heritage has transformed society, becoming a permanent complement to traditional written records. Because of its fragility, much has been lost and will continue to be lost if no action is taken. With major European archives leading the way, many nations have initiated plans for inventory, documentation, and preservation to conserve their rich heritage for future generations.

Safeguarding audiovisual heritage can be an overwhelming challenge considering financial, technical, human, and political costs. Not taking action, however, is not an option. Let us, therefore, commit to redoubling our efforts to preserve this unique and universal testimony of recent decades for future generations.