UNESCO: Experts to assess damage in Haiti museums

“The UN cultural agency UNESCO is sending a team of experts to quake-hit Haiti on Wednesday to assess damage in the Caribbean nation’s museums and monuments, its director general said.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also wants to help the University of Haiti in Port-au-Prince return to normal.
“I am sending experts tomorrow (Wednesday) to look at the situation in the museums, to see the state of various cultural objects, because the information that we have is that there has been a lot of destruction,” Irina Bokova told AFP.
Many of Haiti’s 19th-century buildings such as the Sans Souci palace and its citadel, located in the north, have been listed as UNESCO world heritage sites since 1982.
“We are not exactly doing humanitarian relief, giving food and medicine, but we are helping Haiti recover its social fabric,” Bukova said on Tuesday.
Haiti has a national museum in Port-au-Prince along with a Museum of the Haitian People, a national library and a museum of Haitian art. …..” (1)
“Two weeks after the earthquake, Haiti comes back to life, thanks to two crucial resources: international aid and the resilience of its popular culture. UNESCO stands ready to (salvage and) rebuild schools, museums, monuments, according to the priorities of the reconstruction effort. It is closely monitoring the strength that Haitians draw from their culture, their history and their relation to the world. The intact intangible heritage of the Haitian people is itself a resource. Help may come from outside, but the rebirth arises from within. They are indispensable sides of the same coin. UNESCO is looking after both.
# Haitian heritage: Finding strength in the Haitian identity to overcome material loss
# The Slave Route: A programme of dialogue initiated by Haiti
# Salvaging museums and collections: Prevention of looting and trafficking “ (2)

Sources:
(1) AFP
(2) UNESCO

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