Today, we are reflecting on ICCROM’s work to make heritage more resilient.
On International Disaster Risk Reduction Day 2022, we want to consolidate the global network of Cultural First Aiders by offering advanced training, tools and certification to support deployment in complex emergency situations.
If you are a Cultural First Aider and have received training from ICCROM, our partners or former participants, register your interest by completing a 5-minute survey!
We need end-to-end and people-centred systems which will stop the spiral of disaster destruction and contribute to a more sustainable, more resilient and more equitable future.
- Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR
First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC) is an ICCROM-led, multi-partner capacity-building course that enables participants to integrate cultural safeguarding with disaster risk management and humanitarian aid to promote peacebuilding in the aftermath of a disaster or conflict. Our collective aim is to improve national and local capacities for cultural heritage safeguarding in times of crisis, dovetailing this work with overall humanitarian relief, psychosocial support and recovery.
The FAC methodology has been field-tested in the aftermath of earthquakes, floods, typhoons and hurricanes in Barbados, Haiti, India, Italy, Nepal and the United States, as well as in conflict situations in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. It has also been used to develop the ISO standard for emergency response. Details of the methodology can be found in the free Handbook and Toolkit, available to download in Arabic, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Turkish.
Since its inception in 2010, multiple iterations of the First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis courses have been offered by ICCROM, its partners – such as UNESCO and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative – and even former course participants, who, as course alumni, are considered Cultural First Aiders.
Today, there are 1 000+ Cultural First Aiders in 100 countries.
Some of ICCROM’s First Aiders have gone on to establish organizations and networks, such as:
- Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation (EHRF), Egypt
- Casa K’ojom, Guatemala
- Turathuna Foundation, Syria
- Foundation for Heritage, Culture and Development (YKRB), Yemen
In parallel, ICCROM, through its FAR flagship programme, has been working with its many partners to standardize emergency response for cultural heritage and train search and rescue, as well as civil protection teams and humanitarians, to assist with protecting and rescuing heritage during crises.
Our valuable partners in this effort include: UNOCHA, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations DG ECHO, the Italian Civil Protection Department, Vigili Del Fuoco, the Estonian National Security Board, Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management, Confederation of Risk Reduction Professionals in India (CRRP), ICORP Turkey, Ministère de l’Intérieur - Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion des Crises (France), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castilla y León (Spain), the Ministry of Interior-Disaster and Emergency Management Authority - AFAD (Turkey), and the Fondazione Hallgarten – Franchetti Centro Studi Villa Montesca (VM).
#EarlyWarningForAll #DRRDay #IDDRR #CultureCannotWait #BuildBackBetter