Bethlehem Palestine: A World Heritage in Danger

I've been writing a lot lately about endangered species.  Have you ever thought about other things that may be endangered in the world? Languages, artifacts, art, music and more can all become "extinct" or lost if there is no special care taken.  Just within the last week, music from Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkle, and John Travolta were added to the Library of Congress to preserve them.  They also added the first recording from outer space.  You may be thinking you'd be fine without John Travolta's "Staying Alive," but these are things that have made up our culture.  It could only take a few generations for some of these memories to be gone forever if there is no care given.  

Picture from Atlastours.net

Just as there are animals and music that need to be saved, there are also world heritage sites in danger.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO was created to help preserve some of the most important sites in the world.  These are places that make our world what it is today.  If they are lost, a part of the world's culture is lost with them. One example is Bethlehem, Palestine.  Many people consider this to be the place where Jesus Christ was born.  Whether you are Christian or not, Christ plays an important role in culture around the world.  The Church of the Nativity specifically was recently granted protection by UNESCO.  This is thought to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ.  

Usually when a site needs help from UNESCO it is because they are not sustaining themselves in the right way.  Those who have managed the site have not collaborated well with corporations around to keep the site thriving.  They have also had a hard time finding a fit between the community and tourism.  Some have complained about the cost of going, or rude security in the church.  This leads me to believe that they have had a hard time finding a balance between their community and tourism.  It is hard for those who live there to find any time to worship while it constantly has tourists there.  

I can't go a blog without writing about the animals.  There is one place that doesn't need any help being preserved, because it is following all the principles of a sustainable program, and that is the Georgia Aquarium.  This aquarium, located in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world, and helps people stay informed about all sorts of animals underwater that they otherwise may not know about.  These are the principles that really keep them sustainable.

Beluga Wale-Photo from Georgia Aquarium

1. Collaboration-The aquarium makes sure it works with local companies to advertise and get the word out about their amazing experience.  They also work with others for discounts and special deals.

2. They find the fit between community and tourism-The aquarium is a big enough attraction that people from all over the world will visit.  However, they make it easier for people in the community to come by offering season passes at a much cheaper rate than those who only come one time.

3. They make the site come alive-The site is filled with activities that are not only educational, but entertaining.  They include a dolphin show/musical and one gigantic display that holds over a million gallons of water, where you can go in a tunnel surrounded by sharks, whales and dozens of other sea animals.

4. Focus on quality-People want to have a good time when they are learning, and the quality of the experience here is shown by reviews.  People love taking their whole family to see the animals.

5.  Preserve and protect resources-Not all, but some of the animals featured are endangered and being protected.  Their studying of the animals and protection helps save and grow them for the future.