First inscription from
Macao
on Memory of the World Register at MOWCAP 4
On
9 March 2010 the Archives and materials of the
Macao Diocese from 1550s to 1800s were added to
the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register.
This first inscription from the Macao SAR,
China, joined seven other new inscriptions on
the Register, from China, Vietnam, Mongolia, New
Zealand, Fiji and the Philippines.
The new list of inscriptions on the MOWCAP
regional register were a highlight of the 4th
general meeting of MOWCAP, the UNESCO Memory of
the World Regional Committee for the Asia
Pacific, convened in Macao and generously hosted
by the Macao Foundation. The former Portuguese
colony became a special administrative region
(SAR) of the Peoples¡¦ Republic of China in 1999.
While well known for its many spectacular
casinos,
Macao also retains its distinctive colonial
atmosphere, culture and history. It boasts an
extensive UNESCO World Heritage site, to which
it can now add a MOW listing.
The fourth MOWCAP general meeting, over 8 and 9
March, was by far the largest to date,
attracting some 58 participants from 18
countries. The Asia Pacific region extends over
half the earth¡¦s surface, from
Turkey in the west to the Pacific island
countries in the east, and from Mongolia in the
north to New Zealand in the south. Serving as
the biennial meeting point for the national MOW
committees across the region, the two day
gathering reviews the activities and strategies
of MOWCAP, which are aimed at strengthening the
work of libraries, archives and museums, raising
awareness of the documentary heritage, and
improving preservation and access skills and
capabilities.
Together with heads of institutions and chairs
of national MOW committees, the meeting was
attended by senior government representatives
including H.E. Nguyen Thanh Son (Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam), H. E. Ngo Thi
Thanh Hang (Vice chair of the Hanoi Peoples¡¦
Committee), H. E. Aliakbar Ashari (Cultural
advisor to the President of the Islamic Republic
of Iran) and Mr Cheong U (Secretary for Social
Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR).
To support the growing MOWCAP programme, an
enlarged Bureau and officers were elected to
serve MOWCAP for the next four years. All of
them serve in a personal capacity for the
benefit of the whole, not as representatives or
advocates of countries or groups. MOWCAP
maintains a newsletter and website, is a
catalyst for workshops and other activities, and
is preparing its first major publication,
¡§Memory¡¨ ¡V a coffee table book journey through
the heritage of the Asia Pacific region.
List of inscriptions on the
Asia Pacific MOW Register 2010:
China: Compendium of Materia Medica A
pharmacological text written by Li Shi-zen
(1593)
China:
The Yellow Emperor¡¦s Inner Canon
Originating in the second century BC, the
theoretical foundation for the formation and
development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Fiji:
Documentary heritage of the Indian indentured
labourers
Records of colonially-induced labour migration
from 1879 to the 1960s.
Macao SAR:
Archives and materials of the Macao Diocese from
the 1550s to 1800s
Records, correspondence, training materials and
books documenting the development of Catholicism
in the Far East, and influences on culture,
economics and education in China and Europe
Mongolia:
Lu. "Altan Tobchi¡¨
Written in 1651, covers the history of Mongolia
and neighbouring countries from the 13th
to 17th centuries, including the
reach of the Mongol empire across Asia and
Europe.
New Zealand:
The Tokyo War Crimes Trials 1946-1948
Documents of the International Military Tribunal
Far East, including the history of Japanese
ambitions in the Pacific prior to World War II.
Philippines:
The Presidential papers of Manuel Luis Quezon
Principal documentary source of Philippine
history for the American colonial period
1898-1946.
Vietnam:
Stone stele records of Royal Examinations of the
Le and Mac dynasties 1442-1779:
Records the names and related information of
doctoral laureates who passed the 82 royal
examinations over this period and formed the
core of Vietnam¡¦s civil service.
