25th Anniversary Conference!
On 14th and 15th December, Blue Shield International hosted their 25th anniversary conference, celebrating 25 years of protecting heritage in conflicts, disasters and crisis around the world, and looking forward to our aspirations for the future.
We are delighted to open our 25th Anniversary Conference with a special screening of
Over the past century, cultural destruction – the purposeful destruction of buildings, books and art in order to erase collective memory and identity – has wrought catastrophic results on every continent. But the war is by no means over. If anything, this kind of cultural warfare has been steadily increasing. Based on the acclaimed book by Robert Bevan, The Destruction of Memory looks at how and why this has happened, and how the push to protect, salvage and rebuild has moved in step with the destruction. People willingly risk their lives to protect not just other human beings, but their cultural identity – to safeguard the record of who they are. People who never thought of themselves as heroes have fought back, and it’s these people and their resistance that gives heart to the story. Heroic acts are needed more than ever. In Syria and Iraq, the ‘cradle of civilization’, millennia of culture have been destroyed. Cities like Aleppo have been ‘reduced to apocalyptic landscapes’. The tide is turning. These stories are being reported. For the first time, perpetrators are being brought to justice. Awareness is growing. The film proposes hope. We tell stories not just of protection, but of rebuilding. Increasingly, the power of modern technology is being harnessed to document, protect, and to play a role in the rebuilding process.
The film, produced by Vast Productions, will be available via Vimeo from
Sunday December 12th 12.00 CEST – Monday December 13th 24.00 CET
All those who register for the conference will receive a link to the video to watch it online, with English subtitles.
The film is based on the book ‘The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War’ by Robert Bevan, a member of UK Blue Shield, and features interviews with a number of members of US Committee of the Blue Shield.
The film is based on the book ‘The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War’ by Robert Bevan, a member of UK Blue Shield, and features interviews with a number of members of US Committee of the Blue Shield.
Download The Destruction of Memory Press Pack to find out more about the film.
The screening was arranged by the Czech Republic National Committee of the Blue Shield, with their colleagues from the National Film Archive, namely Mr. Tomas Lachman, Mr. David Havas, and Ms. Nikola Krutilova. Access to the film for our Anniversary was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. We offer them our sincere thanks for their support.
Download the Special Anniversary Newsletter from the National Committee of the Czech Republic to learn more about them and about the work of Blue Shield International!
Programme
Tuesday 14th December – Blue Shield and CPP: The Internal View
13.00CET – 16.30CET
Welcome (13.00 CET)
Peter Stone, President of the Blue Shield
Celebrating our 25th Anniversary – Emma Cunliffe, Blue Shield International Secretariat
The Blue Shield Today and Future Aspirations
- Gerald Leitner, Secretary General of IFLA
- Alberto Garlandini, President of ICOM
- Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS
- Emilie Gagnet Leumas, Board Representative of ICA
Questions and Discussion
Break
The Work of Blue Shield National Committees – Claire McGuire, IFLA
Blue Shield Working Group on Trafficking of Cultural Property – Patty Gerstenblith, Chair of the Working Group
Blue Shield Working Group on Emergency Response – Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly, Chair of the Working Group
Blue Shield International Civil-Military Cooperation and Training – Michael Delacruz and Emma Cunliffe, Blue Shield International Secretariat
Blue Shield – The next 25 years – Peter Stone, the President of the Blue Shield
Questions and Discussion
Close (16.30 CET)
Wednesday 15th December – Blue Shield and CPP: The External View
13.00CET – 16.30CET)
Welcome (13.00 CET)
Peter Stone, President of the Blue Shield
Cooperation and Collaboration with the Blue Shield – Our formal partners
- Helen Durham, Director of International Law and Policy, International Committee
of the Red Cross - Major General Stefano Del Col, UNIFIL
- Lazare Eloundou, Director of World Heritage, UNESCO
Cooperation and Collaboration with the Blue Shield
- Corrado Catesi, Coordinator, Interpol’s Works of Art Unit
- Colonel Giuseppe De Magistris, Carabinieri, Director NATO Stability Policing Centre of Excellence
- Colonel Youssef Haydar, PSC, Independent Works Regiment Commander, Lebanese Armed Forces
- Cori Wegener, Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative
Questions and Discussion
Break
- Brigadier General Roberto Riccardi, Commander of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
- Ten. Col. Luigi Spadari, the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
- Florian Krejsa,Project Assistant, OSCE
- Tess Davis, Executive Director, Antiquities Coalition
- Sanne Letschert, Head of Cultural Emergency Response Programme
Questions and Discussion
Blue Shield – Closing Remarks – Peter Stone, The President
Close (16.30 CET)
The conference will be hosted online via ZOOM, registration is free. The conference language is English.
We intend to record the conference and make it available online.
For more information or to cancel your registration, please contact Dr Emma Cunliffe
BSI Secretariat (blueshield.international@theblueshield.org)
About our Anniversary
5 years ago, four international heritage organisations recognised the need for greater cooperation to protect cultural heritage at risk from conflict and disaster. in 1996, ICA, ICOM, ICOMOS and IFLA came together in Paris and signed an agreement to create the International Committee of the Blue Shield. ICBS went on to become the Blue Shield – an organisation composed not just of these founding four organisations, but with national committees around the world coordinated by an International Board made up of representatives of the four founding institutions and members nominated by the National Committees.
