Our initiatives and results to date include:
Training
‘Basic Tools to Protect Cultural Heritage in Syria Now’ Workshop, organized for the staff of the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) at their request to assist them in protecting and safeguarding Syrian archaeological sites, historic monuments and museums. Discussion points and presentations were: Needs Assessment, Lessons learned, Resources, Other measures, Post-conflict situation (28 April – 1 May 2013).
Damage Assessment for Cultural Heritage Training for staff of the Syrian Interim Ministry of Culture and Family Affairs, 4 day train-the-trainer training for staff of the interim ministry working inside Syria in cooperation with the interim ministry of culture (23-26 November 2014)
Crisis Management Advice and Assistance
‘Resources’, an electronic platform created with information for heritage workers operating during a violent conflict on heritage protection of all sectors (March 2013).
Providing assistance to facilitate the participation of Syrian museum workers at the conference of Arab Museums in Beirut organized by the American University of Beirut (May 2013).
Formation of a Crisis Team in Damascus to facilitate more effective communication. (June 2013).
‘Needs Assessment’, designed as an e-Survey for DGAM (Sept 2013).
‘Conflict and Heritage: Lessons to Safeguard Syrian Heritage’, an international conference to share best practice and seek ways forward, organized in Santander, Spain (23-25 April 2014), followed by the Final Santander Statement and Outcomes.
‘Task Force on Antiquities and Museums’ design, drawn up for the interim Syrian Ministry of Culture and Family (July 2014).
Damage Assessment of Sites
‘Damage Mailing List’, a bi-weekly e-newsletter which continually updates subscribers with news about the damage to Syrian heritage in the present crisis (since March 2014)
‘Towards a protection of the Syrian cultural heritage: A summary of the international responses, Volume I (March 2011 – March 2014)’, report on international actions (April 2014).
‘Towards a protection of the Syrian cultural heritage: A summary of the international responses, Volume II (April 2014 – September 2014)‘, second report on international actions (October 2014).
‘Towards a protection of the Syrian cultural heritage: A summary of the international responses, Volume III (October 2014 – September 2014)’, third report on international actions (In prep).
Survey of Archaeological Site Directors in Syria:Heritage for Peace issued an invitation to all foreign mission archaeological site directors to participate in a brief survey, of those who prior to 2011 were directing archaeological research projects in Syria (June 2014), to collate information about the condition of the sites.
Developing proposals to assist volunteers in Syria to protect their heritage in areas that currently lack heritage staff (pending funding, as of August 2015).
Other
‘No-strike list for Aleppo’, drawn up and published on the ANCBS website on July 4 2013 in cooperation with the UK Blue Shield (June 2013).
Resolution for Geneva talks on Peace in Syria Jan 2014, drawn up in agreement with the Syrian National Coalition. This Resolution was for discussion at the Geneva Peace Talks (Jan 2014), requesting all warring parties to protect the Syrian cultural heritage during the present conflict.
Development of software to assist in damage monitoring, in partnership with the Syrian Heritage Archive Project of the Museum für Islamische Kunst and the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (ongoing, August 2015)
Helping children in refugee camps connect to their Syrian heritage, in partnership with the Syrian Heritage Archive Project of the Museum für Islamische Kunst (project pending funding, as of August 2015)
To view these projects in the order they were carried out, please see our latest factsheet.
