Cultural heritage is quite important as it not only reflects our past journeys but also forms the basis of our present and future development. Thus, its protection should be an important task of our society. Sadly, the events happening in this century reveal that there is a great threat to cultural heritage worldwide from natural disasters to armed conflicts. 

Keeping in view the importance of saving our heritage, the department of lifelong learning, University of Jammu, organised an extension lecture on the theme “Protecting cultural heritage in times of disasters and conflicts” by Aparna Tandon, project specialist, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Italy, last week. Tandon who is working with ICCROM, a United Nations body based in Rome, is leading its international capacity development programme on disaster risk management and its flagship training on “First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis”. 

Speaking about the need for preserving cultural heritage and the efforts of ICCROM to educate local people on methods of preservation, Tandon informed that 42 million life years have been lost due to disasters, as per a UN study. Around 1.2 billion people live in conflict afflicted and fragile areas and the UN Refugee agency says 18.1 million refugees are registered. Disasters, she said, can result from a complete interaction of hazards, exposure and vulnerability. She said conflicts and disasters impact cultural heritage (both formally protected and unlisted). “Culture cannot wait. For communities uprooted by disasters, culture, in both its tangible and intangible forms, provides a thread of continuity and helps in overcoming the trauma of loss and displacement. Therefore, it cannot be separated from humanitarian assistance.

“Increased community awareness of its cultural heritage helps in defining and promoting cultural identity. Yet internal conflicts rooted in competing claims about identity and ownership can result in the destruction of cultural property as witnessed in the erstwhile Yugoslavia and closer home, the demolition of the 16th century Babari Masjid in Ayodhya.” She added that the preservation of heritage in areas of conflict encompasses challenges that extend far beyond technical ones. Sustainable preservation mechanisms for such sites can only be developed by building consensus among the different stakeholders, thereby ensuring their active participation.

Tandon who has worked extensively in regions like Syria, Iraq, Nepal, Philippines et al, addressed several questions including if it is possible to save cultural heritage from the intentional targeting that we are witnessing in Syria and Iraq. Or in the aftermath of large-scale natural disasters such as the Nepal earthquake or the Kashmir floods, how can cultural heritage be recovered quickly and effectively?

Tandon also discussed in detail that the “First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis” aims to equip proactive cultural “first aiders” with the necessary skills and knowledge to work with communities and other mainstream emergency actors to protect cultural heritage amid an unfolding crisis situation. She made a strong case for community involvement in preventing and responding to the destruction of the composite heritage of the region adding that to mobilise community support, the government agencies concerned, in coordination with non-governmental organisations and the armed forces, need to assert the collective and inter-generational character of heritage. 

“Workshops involving policy-makers, separatists, heritage professionals and the community need to be organised to create greater awareness of the emergency situations, which threaten cultural property and to develop mechanisms for preventing and responding to identified risks,” Tandon said. She added that heritage sites and collections of cultural heritage artifacts continue to be threatened by acts of terrorism, fire, vandalism, theft, looting and illicit trafficking. The lack of guidelines and absence of networks between different organisations responsible for emergency preparedness and response have increased the risks even further. 

Through the ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Centre at Sharjah, Tandon has led workshops for protecting cultural heritage in conflict-afflicted countries that include Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan and South Sudan. Faculty members of DLL, department of education, JU, students of Masters in rural development, research scholars from the department of education, students from the department of psychology attended the programme. Shikha Mahajan conducted it while Karan Pradhan presented the vote of thanks.