The significance of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program – the program that helps us and future generations remember our stories and heritage

“The world’s documentary heritage belongs to all, should be preserved and protected for all and, with the due recognition of cultural mores and practicalities, should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance,” is written on the UNESCO website about the Memory of the World Program, which focuses on protecting the world’s literary and documentary cultural heritage. In the year 2024, which is designated as the Year of Sivistys by the Ministry of Education and Culture, my attention turns ever more deeply to the importance of the programme’s work in maintaining and strengthening the footprint of human civilization and memory.

Today, with a countless amount of information and competing narratives about who we are, where we come from, and who we should be, the preservation of the memory trace of the past and the promotion of its accessibility appear increasingly important actions. Cultural heritage is tightly intertwined with identity, our perception of individuality, values, and goals as individuals, nations, and humanity as a whole. Human history is full of literary and documentary cultural heritage – letters, diaries, documents, and maps – that provide valuable information about what has happened in our past. They are at the center of learning from and remembering our history, which can be seen as cornerstones of human civilization.

The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme was launched in 1992 with the goal of protecting humanity from collective memory loss by urging its member states to preserve their valuable archive and library collections worldwide and ensuring access to them. UNESCO maintains an international Memory of the World Register, which includes archival and library heritage from ancient languages to scientific works and documents depicting political, economic, and social changes in humanity. Finland has four entries in the international register: the A.E. Nordenskiöld Collection of Ancient Maps, Archive of the Skolt Sámi Village, the Radzwill’s archives and the Gustaf Erikson Shipping Company Archives. To be selected for the international register, the object must be globally significant. In addition, many UNESCO member states – such as Finland – maintain a national Memory of the World Register, which includes nationally significant documentary and literary cultural heritage.

As a symbol of human civilization, my attention turns to the sociologist, philosopher, and anthropologist Edward Westermarck (1862–1939) and his archive, which was included in Finland’s national Memory of the World Register in 2021. Westermarck’s archive is particularly relevant today, as Finland is currently proposing it for inclusion in UNESCO’s international Memory of the World Register. Westermarck left behind a large collection of manuscripts, letters, notes, and photographs, which are stored in the Åbo Akademi University’s library archives. He served as a professor at the London School of Economics and the University of Helsinki as well as a rector and professor at Åbo Akademi University. Westermarck’s research focused particularly on the history of marriage, morality, and religious institutions. In addition, Westermarck conducted extensive fieldwork in Morocco and lived there for several years. In his international academic career, Westermarck early on reflected openness and a deep understanding of other cultures and religions. The global significance of Westermarck’s work stems from his pioneering international career and networks in both Europe and Morocco. For a small country like Finland, having the globally significant archive of Edward Westermarck included in the international register would undoubtedly bring positive visibility and would be a testament to the country’s activity in the field of literary and documentary cultural heritage, but above all, the archive would be a valuable addition to the international register in itself.

“Westermarck, for example, learned to speak Arabic so that he could interview people in Morocco in their native language. His information about Morocco was the first of its kind in Finland and in the whole international scientific community,” says Viveca Rabb, Service Manager who works with Westermarck’s archive at Åbo Akademi University. In addition to the Arabic language, Westermarck studied the local Berber language, which is also an indication of the contribution he made to his international research work. Westermarck also gave credit to his most important Moroccan coworker Shereef Sidi Abdessalam al-Baqqali and included the name of him on the title page of his publications. By transmitting information with his notes and letters from Morocco to the international scientific community and to Finland for the first time in a way that was respectful of the country’s customs and religion, Westermarck exemplified the construction of a deep cultural understanding. “What makes Westermarck’s archive special is also that he developed sociology and invented new research methods,” Rabb continues. Indeed, Edward Westermarck can be considered as an internationally recognized pioneer of social anthropology. 

Westermarck is also considered exceptionally liberal in his values for his time. “It can be said that Edward Westermarck was ahead of his time,” says Rabb. Westermarck advocated for women’s rights, supported the decriminalization of homosexuality, and spoke in favor of religious freedom. According to Rabb, among other things, defending the rights of women and respecting other cultures are aspects of Westermarck that each of us should remember. These traits – defending socially disadvantaged people and a deep desire to understand others – are especially important today, when societal polarization appears as a strong divisive force in society. It seems that Westermarck’s work for research and science not only reflected human civilization in an academic sense, but also civilization of the heart in seeking profound understanding of other people and cultures – a dimension essential to be remembered within humankind. 

The work focused on protecting literary and documentary cultural heritage can also serve as a platform for diplomacy and international cooperation, which can be considered increasingly important in our globalized and interdependent world. Every individual, community, and state has something they consider worth remembering and protecting in their cultural heritage – this desire to remember and protect cultural heritage can be seen as a universal factor and opportunity for international cooperation. On the other hand, it should be noted that the work of protecting documentary and literary cultural heritage is not always just about consensus and shared goals, as there are always different views on what is worth remembering, protecting, and preserving in cultural heritage. In my conversation about UNESCO’s work in the field of literary cultural heritage with Jussi Nuorteva, Chairman of Finland’s National Memory of the World Program Committee and member of the program’s International Advisory Committee, he emphasizes the organization’s centrality in a field that is increasingly important but at times challenging. “In protecting international documentary and literary cultural heritage, UNESCO is a key actor. UNESCO has an international mandate for conservation work and operates as an independent organization, as well as facilitates cooperation between member states,” Nuorteva describes.

UNESCO is the only organization of its kind that facilitates global cooperation in such a way between states in heritage protection. However, the work faces several challenges, from varying levels of activity among member states to dealing with controversial issues and operating in conflict environments. “Although the aim of the Memory of the World Programme can be seen as the protection of internationally significant documentary and literary cultural heritage, as well as facilitating understanding and cooperation between nations, difficult and controversial questions arise in the context of this work. The work is not easy,” Nuorteva says. For example, echoes of colonial history are visible in today’s discussion of whether archives of former colonial powers should be returned to the countries on which the archives are based and from which they tell stories, and if so, how. In addition, the importance and difficulty of protecting documentary and literary cultural heritage is highlighted in times of armed conflict. For instance, Russia, which has been an active member of UNESCO, is now actively destroying hundreds of cultural sites, museums and archives in Ukraine. “In the context of Russia’s aggressive warfare against Ukraine, it can be seen that the destruction of culture is also about wanting to erase the identity of a certain state. Unfortunately, this is often a deliberate action aimed at preventing the preservation of a memory trace, whether it be documentary, tangible, or intangible cultural heritage,” Nuorteva remarks.

Amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, UNESCO prioritizes the war’s humanitarian crisis but also expresses deep concern about the impact of the conflict on cultural heritage in the Gaza strip. UNESCO urges all parties to strictly adhere to international law and emphasizes that cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes, as it is considered civilian infrastructure. Today, we need more actors who defend every nation’s right to protect their culture under the threat of its destruction.

In a world of diverse perspectives, historical events, and both cultural and geographical differences, there is likely no single, collective human story. There are multiple stories that are reflected behind the words or images of documents, maps, diary entries, or newspaper articles. I continue to ponder the thoughts of Viveca Rabb and Jussi Nuorteva on UNESCO’s role in protecting both documentary and literary cultural heritage. “UNESCO plays a crucial role as it encourages countries to think about what valuable culture of theirs should be protected, to ask what culture worth protecting do we have,” describes Rabb. “There is indeed a lot of significant cultural heritage in the world. Through this work, one comes to appreciate the diversity of world cultures, which is a great global richness. If UNESCO didn’t do this work, no one else would,” Nuorteva states.

It’s fortunate that we have an organization like UNESCO that encourages us to question what culture of ours is worth protecting and works towards preserving our diverse heritage, stories, and memories. It’s important that we can look back and remember and learn from figures in our history — such as Edward Westermarck — who worked towards promoting human civilization, building bridges between people, and fostering understanding. Historical figures, the strides we’ve taken as a humankind, and the culture we’ve created are things we have the right to remember, be proud of, and can be building blocks of our identity. Additionally, it’s crucial that we can see and remember the painful aspects of our history and discuss them on both national and international forums, through diplomacy. In the face of global challenges, conflicts, and rapid changes, the significance of organizations promoting human civilization and facilitating diplomacy, like UNESCO, becomes even more pronounced. Similarly, the importance of safeguarding humanity’s collective memory extends from literary cultural heritage to tangible and intangible heritage — and, in the near future, increasingly to digital heritage too. “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed,” reads the preamble of UNESCO’s constitution. Safeguarding and cherishing the world’s memory is indeed an integral part of peace-building the minds of human beings, UNESCO’s core mission.

Kaarina Harkonmäki
UNESCO Youth Delegate of Finland