Secretary General of Europa Nostra delivers a keynote address at INTO Conference in Amman, Jordan

Between 2 and 5 December, INTO – the International National Trusts Organisation  hosted its 2024 Conference in Amman, Jordan, in partnership with the British Council Cultural Protection Fund and Petra National Trust. Influenced by the rapid socio-political developments, digital and environmental challenges of our times, the title of the conference was “Facing Change”. 

It was a great honour to deliver a keynote address at the launch of #INTO conference in Jordan, alongside 3 amazing heritage champions: @DanaFiras1, President of @PNTJordan & incoming Chair of INTO, @fionacreynolds, outgoing Chair of INTO & Dan Snow @thehistoryguy! @europanostra https://t.co/KZIqa4ntvt

— Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović (@SneskaEN) December 4, 2024

Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra and Project Leader of the European Heritage Hub, was invited as a keynote speaker to discuss the commitment of European cultural heritage stakeholders in promoting heritage as a vehicle for stability and dialogue. Alongside other main speakers, such as HRH Princess Dana of Jordan, President of the Board of Directors of Petra National Trust, Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Dan Snow, BAFTA winning history broadcaster and best-selling writer, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović stressed the importance of international cooperation for the protection and valorisation of cultural heritage. 

 

Among the diverse contributions of both Europa Nostra and European Heritage Hub to the field of cultural heritage, the Global Call to Action to put culture and cultural heritage at the heart of climate action stood out. Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović made special mention to the joint effort of the Climate Heritage Network, for which HRH Princess Dana Firas acts a Special Envoy, and Europa Nostra to advance the call for Culture-based Climate Action.

“If we want to accelerate Climate Action we urgently need to bridge the alarming Culture Gap! In other words, we need to unleash the potential of culture and heritage to withstand change by helping people and their communities to imagine, embrace and realise a decarbonised world,” stated the Secretary General of Europa Nostra and Project Leader of the European Heritage Hub.

Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović also mentioned the EU-funded projects that Europa Nostra coordinates, namely the  European Heritage Hub pilot project, the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, and the European Cultural Heritage Agora network project. At the moment, the European Heritage Hub is the key vector of change towards a more social, digital and green future for cultural heritage in the wider Europe. 

 

She also mentioned numerous award-winning projects showcased over the years through the EuropeanHeritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, among them the Gideon Tapestries at Hardwick Hall, United Kingdom, an exemplary conservation project led by the UK National Trust. 

Finally, the Secretary General of Europa Nostra spoke about the unifying power of heritage and praised the inclusive approach of INTO in supporting local heritage stakeholders through networking and capacity building. 

During the conference, HRH Princess Dana Firas was appointed new Chair of INTO. Europa Nostra expresses its warmest congratulations and looks forward to further strengthening its collaboration with INTO and the Petra National Trust in the near future.