Jan
25
Haiti Update from US/ICOMOS
January 25, 2010 | 1 Comment
Leogane Haiti, where almost all the buildings were destroyed. Image: Mirror UK
The message below from US/ICOMOS came across my screen this morning regarding the deployment of ICOMOS assistance teams to Haiti. We intend to put together a SCAD team. Please note that, at this point, we do not know when a team might be going, all that we do know is that the team will have to be able to leave Savannah on short-notice and that the conditions there will be what you would expect in a region so devastated by the recent earthquake.
There is a sign-up sheet in our office, please stop by to sign-up if you are interested in going. At this point, we do not know when a team might be going, all that we do know is that the team will have to be able to leave Savannah on short-notice and that the conditions there will be rough. Until then, there are a number of ways to help—making a financial contribution or sending supplies through one of the many agencies in Savannah that is collecting them.
“ICOMOS would like to thank the hundreds of individual members, and its national and International Scientific Committees for the overwhelming response to our 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. Your response is proof of the vast professional resources of the ICOMOS network and of our unique strength as the leading heritage organization in the world. ICOMOS is also very grateful to the response by non-members and by the many institutions that have agreed and are still agreeing to be included in the development of a coordinated joint plan of assistance to be implemented as soon as the humanitarian relief operations are concluded, and our Haitian colleagues indicate that they are ready to receive us.
Many intense and passionate exchanges over the Internet have called for the immediate deployment of ICOMOS assistance teams to Haiti. They clearly 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 our organization. Nonetheless, ICOMOS has assessed the situation and considers it impractical, perhaps even insensitive, to send team that will further tax the scarce local ability to provide food, shelter, medical attention and other basic services, especially while our Haitian colleagues and all the Haitian nation are still struggling for sheer survival while dealing with personal tragedies, loss of family and the wholesale destruction of their homes. It is natural and necessary that these basic humanitarian needs be met first by the institutions and governments that are trying to handle this awesome responsibility under extremely difficult circumstances. At this time, our efforts are focused on planning and preparing the mobilization process and all its logistics, on the field work methodology, and on the composition and training of the international and multidisciplinary volunteer teams in order that they be ready to be deployed as soon as the go-ahead to do so is given. It is important that this work be centralized in ICOMOS to ensure uniformity in the field evaluations and avoid redundancy.
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. The avalanche of volunteer data has been classified, quantified and registered; the advice received has been carefully studied; a preliminary set of tasks for ICOMOS to undertake has been drawn up. Directly by the President and indirectly through third parties, ICOMOS has contacted the Haitian authorities and local members of the heritage community to inform them of our work and availability to help, with the understanding that we must rely on them to identify and establish priorities. We have initiated exchanges to ensure coordination with UNESCO, Blue Shield and the many affinity organizations that want to help. We have also begun to identify potential funding for the proposed work.
The ICOMOS National Committees of Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UK , USA and Venezuela have indicated their readiness to organize their volunteers who will be available to help in situ or remotely. Some have gone further, such as the National Committee of Kazakhstan which has a team of about twelve volunteers ready to travel immediately.
Organizing activities of the same intensity have been taken place in many of the 28 ICOMOS International Scientific Committee. ISCARSAH, the Committee on Architectural Structural has identified from among its members 20 Structural Engineers with seismic damage assessment experience who are ready to travel to Haiti. The Committee on Documentation (ICOMOS-CIPA) has studied the data available on Haitian heritage inventories and sites, and identified the immediate documentation needs in case of catastrophes. They are also ready to mobilize when called. In this context, CyArk and the Kacyra Foundation in Palo Alto, California, have offered their laser scanning capabilities. The Committee on Vernacular Architecture has warned about the particular vulnerability of vernacular heritage structures being demolished unnecessarily during the clearing operations, and have offered their expertise by helping make in situ determinations of the rescue potential of individual structures. The Stone Committee has discussed its role in recovery at their meeting in Germany last week. The Committee on Intangible Heritage has offered assistance in identifying and rescuing the intangible traditions associated with specific sites. Since important historic urban districts in both Jacmel and Port-au-Prince have been devastated, the Historic Towns Committee will also play an important role in the reconstruction process. Likewise, a number of other Scientific Committees have expressed an ardent wish to help even in the uncertainty of what it is they could provide, such as those on Archaeological Heritage Management, Fortifications and Military Heritage, Cultural Landscapes, Rock Art and Legal/Administrative/Financial Affairs.
A number of universities in the United States, such as the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas in San Antonio[...and SCAD] have offered to organize and deploy volunteer teams of heritage conservation students and faculty to help in the assessment and recovery operations.
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 former Secretary-General and current President of ICOMOS Canada Dinu Bumbaru has kindly agreed to chair this Committee, which is composed of Rohit Jigyasu of India, Stephen J Kelley of the United Stated, Daniel Lefèvere of France, Kanefusa Masuda of Japan (conditional acceptance), Susan McIntyre-Tamwoy of Australia, Axel Mykelby of Norway, Esteban Prieto of the Dominican Republic, Samuel N Stokes of the United States, Tong Mingkang of China, and Rasool Vatandoust of Iran. The acceptance of a few additional appointees is still pending. Gustavo Araoz, President of ICOMOS, will also be part of the Steering Committee so that he may keep the ICOMSO Executivwe COmmittee and our full membership informed of our progress. 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. For now, however, ICOMOS considers it crucial that the guidance and decisions during the initial stages of our work by be entirely entrusted to the Steering Committee, and not independently by our national and international committees. Once the medium and long term needs are identified, each Committee will be able to identify the assistance projects that they would like to sponsor individually or in groups.
Given that the clearing process is already beginning wit the use of heavy equipment, the first message of the Steering Committee is directed at the National Committees of countries whose governments are actively involved in the clearing operations, Each Committee is asked to communicate at once with their pertinent relief agencies and their embassies in Port au Prince urging that all known and apparent historic areas and buildings, commemorative markers, archaeological sites, mueseums, libararies and archives be cordoned off and placed off limits from the clearing operations until the ICOMOS field assessment for each individual building’s reconstruction have been completed. This will help avoid the unnecessary loss of many cultural and historic resources. We also ask that you report your actions to the International Secretariat so that we may coordinate our actvities with those of UNESCO.
The compassion, generosity and solidarity shown by ICOMOS members is something that makes us all proud. ICOMOS has the knowledge, the human resources and the will to help our Haitian colleagues in securing their heritage for many generations to come. Our intangible riches, however, are not matched by our financial ability to launch the ambitious rescue, assessment and recovery plan that will be required. For this reason, the Executive Committee of ICOMOS will continue to work in securing the necessary funding. This, however, must also be a global effort, with all National and International Committees helping in searching and securing donations, grants and subsidies within their own countries and donor communities.”