What is the importance of cultural emergency response for cultural heritage? On 19 January 2012 Bijzondere Collecties (Unique Collections) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), in cooperation with the Prince Claus Fund and NAi Publishers, organised a panel discussion revolving around the book Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster. This groundbreaking handbook for cultural emergency is published in the framework of the Prince Claus Fund’s Cultural Emergency Response (CER) programme.

‘All that we’re wrecking is stones’ was the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar’s description of the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan in March 2001, the largest standing statues of Buddha in the world. The Taliban’s aim was not to smash stones, but to break the soul of a culture, the spirit of the people who venerated other gods. The guiding principle of this publication, Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster, is that culture is a basic need. Combining theoretical approaches and case studies, this collectively authored publication draws upon the experience of academics, practitioners and international experts in the field.

Panel Discussion

The guests in the panel of 19 January all had a different approach. Deborah Stolk, Programme Coordinator CER, shared her day to day experiences within the CER programme, Irma Boom, who designed the book Cultural Emergency in Conflict and Disaster, explained the role of a designer. Els van der Plas spoke as the editor of the book. Steph Scholten, director Uva Erfgoed, moderatored the event. 

Cultural Emergency Response

Cultural Emergency Response (CER) is the Prince Claus Fund’s aid programme for cultural heritage that has been damaged or destroyed in man-made or natural disaster. By providing rapid and effective support, CER aims to stabilize the situation and implement basic repairs. Launched in 2003 in shocked reaction to the looting of the National Museum of Iraq, the Prince Claus Fund is convinced that cultural heritage can play a positive role in the reconstruction of communities affected by conflict and disaster.