Listen: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Time of War
CBC Radio examines the toll war has taken on some of the world’s greatest cultural treasures in Mali, in Syria and during WWII with Douglas Park (Rice University), Emma Cunliffe (Durham University) and Corine Wegener (Smithsonian Institution). Protecting Cultural Heritage in Time of War - 01/31/2013
What is CCHAG?
The COCOM Cultural Heritage Action Group (CCHAG) provides global operations, planning, training and reach back support that promotes Cultural Property Protection (CPP) for Combatant Commands and Joint Force Planners and Engineers worldwide. CPP is more than a legal requirement; it serves as a force multiplier that enhances battlefield awareness and contributes to mission success. Read more →
Why Cultural Property Protection?
Cultural Property Protection (CPP) is a skill set and knowledge base that promotes strategic understanding and responsible management of the heritage landscape during military operations and functions as a force multiplier. CPP information and training are required under The 1954 Hague Convention. The protection of historical, religious and cultural property and sites is also required by nearly every host nation where DoD operates. Read more →
New Initiative: CPP Training for ROTC Programs
To instill CPP in our military leaders at an early state in their careers, CCHAG announces a new initiative to provide CPP instruction to university-based ROTC programs on campuses across the U.S. To help kick start this initiative, CCHAG offers prepackaged presentations and other materials for professors of archaeology and art history who volunteer to deliver these lectures at local university ROTC programs. Read more here and here →
“Ancient Aleppo Minaret Destroyed,” in BBC News – April 24, 2013 – The minaret of a landmark 12th-century mosque in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo was destroyed Wednesday, leaving the once-soaring stone tower a pile of rubble and twisted metal scattered in the tiled courtyard. President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and antigovernment activists traded blame for the destruction to the Umayyad Mosque, which occurred in the heart Aleppo’s walled Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. …” Read more and watch videos→
“Working with the military to protect archaeological sites and other forms of cultural property” by Dr. Laurie W. Rush (World Archaeology, vol. 44, issue 3, 2012) discusses CPP as a critical aspect of modern warfare. Educating military personnel to prevent damage to museums, archaeological sites, sacred places and other forms of cultural property is vital to effective war planning. Dr. Rush explains how archaeologists work with DOD, NATO and other international forces to assist military personnel who encounter cultural property in theater. Click to preview..
The protection of cultural property during times of armed conflict and social unrest has been an on-going challenge for military forces throughout the world, even after the ratification and implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols by participating nations. The new book Cultural Heritage in the Crosshairs (Brill Publishers), edited by Dr. Joris Kila and Dr. James Zeidler, provides a series of case studies and “lessons learned” to assess the current status of Cultural Property Protection (CPP) and the military. Click here to order.
