Culture Cannot Wait!
In June 2016 I participated in a joint ICCROM and Smithsonian workshop on ”First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis” (FAC). Stacy Bowe: “The core objective of FAC is to expand the capacity for disaster response among cultural heritage professionals, yet becoming one of these “cultural first-aiders” does not mean simply improving one’s practical skills in object salvage and handling. The course’s philosophy drives at the principle that being a cultural first-aider requires a humanitarian mind-set of cultural respect and impartiality - they must make sure their actions align by these humanitarian principles of neutrality and sensitivity.”
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Posted on July 29, 2016 on http://conflictculture.info
A Review of FAC 2016: Culture Cannot Wait!
By Stacy Bowe, Project Manager, First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis 2016
Members of this research network study the causes of targeted cultural heritage destruction, but one of the questions that often arises from this difficult discussion concerns the aftermath: Is it possible to protect cultural heritage in the event of a disaster? If yes, then when is the appropriate time to intervene, and who can contribute? Seeking answers to these types of questions is the premise of ICCROM’s international training called First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC). This course has been part of ICCROM’s Disaster Risk Management program for over a decade, but the recent iterations of this training are due to a partnership with the Smithsonian, along with the Prince Claus Fund, and the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO (who hosted a FAC course last year in Amsterdam). The most recent hosting of FAC took place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., from June 2-29, 2016.[...]