Five Nobel prize winners recently called for urgent action to
protect World Heritage sites from destruction and havoc wreaked by extremist
groups and conflicts.
The laureates pointed to damage done to treasured ancient sites in
Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Mali.
“Part of our history has been lost forever, with the
goal of fanaticism being to undermine our hope for the future,” they said.
“Urgent action must be taken — the time for powerless expressions of
indignation is over.”
Signatories of the appeal included Myanmar’s de facto leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, Liberian President Helen Johnson Sirleaf and former UN Chief
Kofi Annan, as well as Nobel literature laureates Orhan Pamuk of Turkey and
Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru.
