Mali: FAC-AFRICA: First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis

Culture cannot wait. Be it the rescue of the ancient manuscripts in besieged Timbuktu or the careful salvage of destroyed temples in the earthquake that struck the Kathmandu Valley, affected communities always strive to protect their cultural heritage following an emergency. Yet, where does one start, and who can help affected communities in recovering their heritage? Questions such as how and when to intervene in an unfolding humanitarian crisis continue to be problematic for national agencies tasked with both the humanitarian relief and at-scale recovery of cultural heritage. First Aid for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC) emphasizes coordinated emergency preparedness and response for tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It is based on a field-tested three-step framework for providing first aid to cultural heritage, which can be adapted to any emergency context, be it the result of conflict or disaster, and is especially useful in planning at scale responses for securing and stabilizing different types of cultural heritage during complex emergency situations. Developing a culture of preparedness, ongoing risk management, collaboration as well as coordination with mainstream emergency actors forms a core component of the training.

Using the recent conflict in Mali as a central case study, this course will offer insights gained in recovering cultural heritage in tandem with humanitarian recovery. Participants will have the first-hand experience of interacting with communities engaged in recovery, reconstruction and peace building processes. The rich cultural and social context of Mali will provide participants with a unique opportunity to understand the complex and interminable links between people and heritage during crises.

In order to apply:

1) Please fill out the on-line application form and send it together with your personal statement by e-mail to: FAC-AFRICA@iccrom.org (link sends e-mail) and epr@unesco.org (link sends e-mail).

2)Personal Statement: applicants are requested to provide a text of no more than 750 words explaining:

a) Why you would like to participate in this course;

b) How you intend to apply as well as disseminate knowledge and skills gained to improve first aid for cultural heritage locally;

c) If applicable, highlighting previous experience in working in an emergency situation, and lessons learned.

FAC-AFRICA 18

Collections Unit - ICCROM

Via di San Michele, 13

00153 ROME RM, ITALY

Fax: +39 06 58553349

Email: FAC-AFRICA@iccrom.org and epr@unesco.org