Guangzhen Zhou, the former IAC Council Member-Representative of China made a proposal at the UNESCO Beijing Forum for the World Ceramic Culture Day five years ago. He wrote the article on the fifth anniversary of the proposal.
Patrick Gallaud, Vice President of UNESCO-NGO Guangzen Zhou, TSD Board Members Mutlu Başkaya
Liaison Committee and Guangzhen Zhou visited and Fatma Batukan Belge visited Ai Weiwei’s exhibition
Summer Palace together in the morning of July 29, at SSM.
2015.
GUANGZHEN ZHOU, the former IAC Council Member-Representative of China (2014-2020)
On July 28, 2015, I was sent to attend the UNESCO-NGO Beijing Forum by the former International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) President Jacques Kaufmann, and UNESCO-NGO IAC liaison and Vice Present Stephanie Hadida. Encouraged by Mr. Patrick Gallaud, Vice President of UNESCO-NGO Liaison Committee, I first proposed the World Ceramic Culture Day (WCCD) initiative to more than 300 representatives from different countries at the Beijing forum, which received warm applause. Since then, WCCD's proposal was approved by the Council of IAC twice in 2016 and 2019, and has received the support of the ceramic culture community in many countries. Through UNESCO's Paris headquarters, we understand that projects like "World Ceramic Culture Day" need to be co-signed by several states and the application material submitted to the Cultural Departments of UNESCO. WCCD should not be a project organized by a few groups or celebrated by a few countries. WCCD does not need a complete "activity guide". WCCD belongs to every nation, every region; regardless of nationality, race, skin color, language or religious beliefs, every ceramic related professional or enthusiast has the right to celebrate this festival and share their own culture in their own way from historical ceramic production cities to remote villages where without internet signals, from traditional potters to contemporary ceramic artists, and so on so false. We hope that World Ceramic Culture Day project can overcome all kinds of difficulties, obtain the endorsement of UNESCO as early as possible, and become a festival for tens of millions of people in the world ceramic community and handed down from generation to generation. Note: World Ceramic Culture Day (WCCD) belongs to the global ceramic culture community. It will always be an ongoing project, and there will never be a complete version. No matter who you are and where you are, we are looking forward to your participation, sharing and contribution. Please contact: zguangzhen@gmail.com
