OurWorldHeritage (OWH) was born from the belief that communities deserve greater recognition and a stronger voice within the World Heritage Convention. The idea for the initiative emerged ahead of the Convention’s 50th anniversary, and during the pandemic, when Francesco Bandarin, Prof. Mike Turner, and Ivan Blokov proposed what would become #2021debate. That initial spark quickly evolved into a global movement — strengthened and sustained by countless individuals and organizations, many of whom continue to support OWH today. Together, they launched a year-long series of webinars on critical heritage themes, with tireless support from the Global Outreach Team, who promoted the initiative in 11 languages across the world. In total, #2021debate featured 134 webinars and 600 speakers from around the globe.

The success of #2021debate reaffirmed our shared mission: amplifying the voices of communities, whose role in sustaining heritage places and spaces is indispensable. To continue this work, OurWorldHeritage Foundation was established, carrying the momentum forward through impactful initiatives such as the Conversation with Communities series and the Voices Globinar in Florence — each focussing on the importance of community perspectives in heritage discourse.

It needs to be acknowledged that these achievements were driven by the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled unprecedented digital collaboration and global engagement. As we emerge from this period, OWH is entering a new chapter — one that remains firmly rooted in our mission but is evolving to better meet the current challenges. We are reimagining how to most effectively amplify local voices and ensure they remain central to global heritage discourse.