The international community has responded in many ways to the humanitarian disaster on Haiti caused by the earthquake of January 12, 2010. Instantly various international organisations came into action to prepare assistance and help for the rescue and restoration of cultural heritage.

This page offers information and links of initiatives of ICOMOS International and related organisations.

ICOMOS International

ICOMOS’ call to participate in a global action of solidarity to assess, rescue and recover the cultural heritage of Haiti in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake that devastated the country was met with overwhelming response.

Many intense and passionate exchanges over the Internet have called for the immediate deployment of ICOMOS assistance teams to Haiti. They manifest the generous determination of ICOMOS to help the Haitian people at this time of dire need. This solidarity has always been at the very soul of ICOMOS.

During the first week of this crisis, ICOMOS has been crafting a coordinated global response so that the right assistance will be provided in the right places, in the right way and at the right time, avoiding redundancy and waste. 

To coordinate this massive volunteer effort and manage the complex next stages in the most professional and effective manner, the President of ICOMOS has appointed an ICOMOS Haiti Heritage Recovery Steering Committee composed of eminent international experts in the field of heritage rescue and recovery and on Haitian heritage. The Steering Committee is identifying a number of key task forces where the active leadership contribution of the International and National Committees and our affinity organizations will be imperative.

Click here for full message from ICOMOS International.

L’Institut pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National (ISPAN)

The Director General of the Institute for the Protection of the National Heritage of the Republic of Haiti requests all institutions, international organizations, foundations and private initiatives coming from overseas and related to the protection of the immovable cultural heritage of Haiti to send their proposals for support and their offers for volunteer assistance to the International Council on Monuments and Sites' (ICOMOS) Steering Committee for the Recovery of the Cultural Heritage of Haiti.

Click here for the full announcement in French from the director of the Institut pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National (Institute for the Protection of the National Heritage) (ISPAN) of the Republic of Haiti, and/or here for the English translation of this announcement.

Click here for ISPAN’s illustrated newsletter (February 2010) with images of the ruined monuments.

International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS)

The Blue Shield Mission is ‘to work to protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict, natural and man made disasters’. While Blue Shield appreciates that the immediate priority is to find the missing, and to help the injured and homeless, it places the expertise and network of its member organisations at the disposal of their Haitian colleagues to support their work in assessing the damage to the cultural heritage of their countries including libraries, archives, museums and monuments and sites, and subsequent recovery, restoration and repair measures.

The Blue Shield calls on the international community, responsible authorities and local population to give the fullest possible support to the efforts, official and voluntary, underway to protect/rescue the rich and unique heritage of Haiti.

Click here for the full statement of the International Committee of the Blue Shield.

Blue Shield can be followed via Facebook and Twitter.

Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS)

The Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS) wants to help to enable experts from all over the world to support their Haitian colleagues in assessing the damage to the cultural heritage and therefore to the identity of their country.

ANCBS wants to bring experts in contact with those organizations that will send missions to Haiti, and make sure that volunteers will be informed about the situation in Haiti.

Therefore ANCBS needs to know who and where the experts are. ANCBS thus calls upon archivists, restorers, curators, librarians, architects and other experts to register online to volunteer.

Also see ANCBS’ statement on the Haitian earthquake and Blue Shield’s actions via Facebook and Twitter.

Prince Claus Fund (PCF)

The Prince Claus Fund is shocked by the disaster that struck Haiti. Directly after the heavy earthquake on 12 January the Fund contacted its partners in Haiti. The Fund is currently collaborating with one of these local partners, Fondation AfricAmerica, and with the international Blue Shield network, to identify the damages to cultural heritage and conservation needs and priorities as soon as the situation will allow it. Restoration of the places that give meaning to the lives of Haitians can provide hope and consolation and contribute to restoring human dignity.

The Prince Claus Fund believes that culture and therefore cultural heritage, apart from food, shelter and medical care is a basic need.

Click here for information on the activities of the PCF.

 

 

 

Many intense and passionate exchanges over the Internet have called for the immediate deployment of ICOMOS assistance teams to Haiti. This solidarity has always been at the very soul of ICOMOS.