The hopes for 2020 expressed by the president of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, Mario Tonina, imply a particular way forward: that working together does not always involve being in agreement, but having a common goal in mind. And that goal is clear: to ensure that the Dolomites continue to remain a unique environment, both for those who come to visit and for those who live here.
Strengthening management policies
“2019 involved many initiatives and activities, enabling us to create new relationships and to consolidate existing ones. Now we can review the work we have done over the past ten years, but above all look towards the future and ways to enhance our management policies and improve the instruments we use for caring for this wonderful territory”. One basic instrument is the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation itself: “Everyone knows by now what it is intended to do. It is a way to bring together the areas covered by UNESCO recognition, but the responsibility for operations will always remain with the relevant bodies, including the Autonomous Provinces and the Regions.” Our efforts in the coming years, starting with a 2020 that already promises many important challenges, will therefore mainly focus on strengthening our management policies. The Foundation itself does not have the task of governing the territory, but given its many years’ experience in this field, it will need to be increasingly regarded as a focal point for dialogue.
Looking to the future with belief and determination
So, the hopes for 2020 expressed by the president of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, Mario Tonina, imply a particular way forward: that working together does not always involve being in agreement, but having a common goal in mind. And that goal is clear: to ensure that the Dolomites continue to remain a unique environment, both for those who come to visit and for those who live here. “We must move forward with belief and determination, in the assurance that dialogue is not only the best way to reach decisions, but also valuable in itself, in that it creates greater awareness in those who take part.”