BSI attended the Workshop on the Empowerment of Civil Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, in Barcelona. The workshop was a collaboration between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the NGO Heritage for Peace, and the ALIPH Foundation.
The workshop brought together representatives of civil society and NGOs from Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq to discuss the mutual challenges they face in protecting cultural heritage, together with national authorities, international experts and funding bodies. The meeting was a major opportunity for exchange between the various representatives, highlight common challenges, and developing a network for support. More than 15 representatives from NGOs, CSOs and local authorities attended, either in person or via Skype to speak about their work and discuss their needs.
The event concluded with the launch of the Arab Network of Civil Society to Safeguard Cultural Heritage (website here).
The Arab Network of Civil Society Organizations to Safeguard Cultural Heritage (ANSCH) is a joint initiative of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Heritage for Peace (H4P) in coordination with several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in different Arabic countries. It has been created with the financial support of the International Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) as a heritage initiative. The initiative works with government agencies, CSOs and non-profit organizations to identify, manage, plan and conserve archaeological sites, historical monuments, museums and other cultural heritage resources. Their work is now concentrated in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
