This reflection is essential for the field of conservation to mature and for it to achieve the kind of public support required to preserve the cultural heritage that benefits us all. One of the tasks the GCI has set for itself is to encourage, in a participatory way, the exploration of new ideas. Take, for example, the issue of what we will save. Because of the technological means at our disposal, our generation has ways to save so much more than previous generations. But in practical terms, we cannot afford to preserve everything.
Choices still have to be made.
The choice of what will be saved should be based on a public examination of values. We need greater public awareness so that decisions regarding conservation grow out of an active reflection on the benefits that we derive from our cultural heritage. All too often we have lost heritage through either outright destruction or neglect. If it is valued, it is frequently because it is seen as having economic worth. Ultimately, we must remember that the worth of cultural heritage cannot be measured solely in economic terms.