Museums call for shared research

Historians, scholars and curators of the world's major anti-fascist museums and memorials gathered in Beijing on Wednesday, the 67th global Human Rights Day, and called for the creation of a world union to enhance exchanges and cooperation and share information for research.

The representatives made the call during the two-day International Seminar on Human Rights and Museology.

Addressing the theme "Drawing lessons from history, cherishing peace and protecting human rights", more than 100 scholars, historians and curators of various anti-fascist war museums and memorials from 15 countries and regions, including China, Russia, France, Brazil and Belgium, gave presentations at the seminar.

The event was co-sponsored by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The main debate of the seminar hinged on lessons learned from World War II, its illumination of the human rights cause and the responsibility of all countries to protect world peace.

"History is the best textbook. We must always remember history, while staying on high alert for incorrect or reactionary views of history," said Huang Mengfu, chairman of the foundation co-sponsoring the seminar.

He also hoped that the anti-fascist war museums and memorials in all countries and regions would play a particularly important role in human rights education across national borders.

Cui Yuying, deputy chief of the State Council Information Office, who also gave a presentation at the seminar, introducing the progress that China has made so far in protecting human rights.

"War is the most terrible disaster for human beings. To protect world peace and human rights, we must strongly protect the world order that was established after the World War II. We must pay close attention to changes in the direction of the postwar world order, as it is a matter that is closely bound up with human beings' peace, tranquillity and survival," Cui said.

Cui called for all countries and regions together to safeguard the results of the World War II victory over fascism.

"Next year is the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese people's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the victory of the world over fascism," Cui said. "Based on the progress we have made, I call for all countries and regions to jointly safeguard that victory."

Representatives from other countries and regions also expressed similar views.