The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), in partnership with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) and the U.S. Department of State, has initiated a series of regional workshops on cultural property protection. This initiative will bring together government officials and experts from the MENA region to discuss case studies, best practices, and expand their professional networks.
The conference will consist of three parts that will take place between August 2021-December 2022. The first part of the conference will be a virtual series from August 10-12, 2021. It will then be followed by two in person workshops – the first of which will take place in Cairo, Egypt in early 2022, followed by a final conference in late 2022 that will take place in Petra, Jordan.
The First Regional Conference on Cultural Property Protection (August 10-12, 2021)
Participants:
The First Regional Conference will bring together government officials, experts, and organizations from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco that are involved in cultural heritage and property preservation.
Organization and Panels of the Virtual Conference:
The virtual component of the conference will take place over three days consisting of three parts and seven sessions focusing on the following topics:
Part I: Digitization, Management, and Sustainability of Heritage Collection
Session 1: Sustainable Collection Management Strategies.
Presentation of case studies which aim to establish widespread adoption of common documentation methods, terminology, procedures, and platforms (open-source); also focus on issues of open access and data control.
Session 2: Building, Managing, and Sustaining Documentary Digitization Efforts.
Case studies and panel discussion of successful efforts to digitize and make accessible threatened manuscript, documentary, and photo collections- both public and private.
Part II: Site Management and Security
Session 3: Innovative Approaches to Site Management and Administration.
Case study presentations and discussion related to alternative site management approaches, including public-private partnerships, semi-autonomous authorities, and royal trusts/commissions.
Session 4: Enhancing Site Security through Local Collaboration.
Presentation of case study efforts to engage different local stakeholders in preventing site destruction and looting.
Session 5: Protecting Heritage Architecture and Traditions.
Case studies and panel discussion of specific challenges facing preservation of traditional architecture/buildings not covered by most antiquities’ laws; including key threats (development, climate change) and opportunities/challenges posed by adaptive reuse.
Part III: Public Engagement and Outreach
Session 6: Enhancing Heritage Protection through Public Awareness and Outreach.
Case study presentations of successful outreach/awareness efforts.
Session 7: Understanding Public Perceptions (and Values) of Heritage.
Case studies and panel discussion of diverse ways in which communities use, perceive, and value heritage, often in contrast or contradiction to values/practices of heritage professionals.
Learn more and register: https://www.arce.org/first-regional-conference-cultural-property-protection