International Museum Day 18th May 2022 “The Power of Museums”

The power of achieving sustainability: Museums are strategic partners in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Museums have the power to transform the world around us. As incomparable places of discovery, they teach us about our past and open our minds to new ideas — two essential steps in building a better future. 

On International Museum Day 2022, which will take place on May 18th, we want to explore the potential of museums to bring about positive change in their communities through three lenses: 

The power of achieving sustainability: Museums are strategic partners in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. As key actors in their local communities, they contribute to a wide variety of Goals, which include fostering short-circuit and social economy and disseminating scientific information on environmental challenges.

The power of innovating on digitalisation and accessibility: Museums have become innovative playing-grounds where new technologies can be developed and applied to everyday life. Digital innovation can make museums more accessible and engaging, helping audiences understand complex and nuanced concepts.

The power of community building through education: Through its collections and programmes, museums thread a social fabric that is essential in community building. By upholding democratic values and providing life-long learning opportunities to all, they contribute to shaping an informed and engaged civil society.

(Millennium Development Goals and International Year of Power of Museums)

In India, the power of museums is diminishing. Grants and support for museums are not worked on well at most places unless it has a tourist attraction. Rajasthan has numerous museums yet there are many that are neglected. Unlike the U.S. where people frequent museums a lot to get inspiration or just relax, India lacks the attitude to pull in the crowds. Educational tours which included a trip to a museum at least once a year, now never 

happens. 

Here’s how you can introduce your child to museum visits:

• Pick up a holiday to go and visit the museum
• If your city has a big museum, break the visits into smaller and focused visits. Picking up each floor or specified room or era one at a time. It helps the child understand better
• If the museum offers activities with the visits, it is the best thing. If not, think of activities for your child to think beyond just viewing
• Get your child to ask questions or perhaps you can question your child so that they think and relate to the objects with history and culture
• Get realistic and orient your child before a museum visit. A lot of times they expect something exciting and might feel let down if they think that museum is about ancient objects with no appeal.
• The connection between a child’s art, history and geography syllabus with the museum can work wonders. It is like an application of theory into real life.

Go! Visit your city’s museum! Feel the power of the past and how it determines the present and future.