On the occasion of ICCROM’s upcoming Eighth International Course on First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC), to take place Rome later this year, an informal meeting was held on 29 May to celebrate the long-lasting partnership between ICCROM and its Italian partners.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Italian Civil Protection (Giovanni DE SIERVO, Gabriella PROIETTI, Cosmo MERCURI, Veronica PIACENTINI and Tiziana VICARIO), Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco, or National Fire Brigade (Stefano MARSELLA), Arma dei Carabinieri, or Military police (Cap. Eugenio BORGHESE and Tiziano COIRO), Ufficio del Soprintendente Speciale per le Aree Colpite dal Sisma 2016, or Special superintendance for areas affected by the 2016 earthquake (Paola CAMERA, Paolo IANNELLI and Anna RUTILONI), and the Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali, or School foundation for cultural heritage and activities (Marcello MINUTI and Emiliano DIAMANTI).
These representatives from the cultural heritage and emergency management sectors met at ICCROM in Rome, Italy to discuss ways for improving emergency preparedness and response for cultural heritage and its incorporation into national and local systems, by enhancing inter-sectorial coordination to protect cultural heritage in times of crisis and disasters. Furthermore, the meeting provided ICCROM with the opportunity to discuss with these institutions the potential lines of cooperation and engagement in this year’s FAC course.
First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crises is based on a field-tested three-step framework for cultural heritage first aid, which can be adapted to any emergency context, whether in conflicts or natural-induced disasters. The guiding philosophy of the course is to interlock cultural first aid with humanitarian assistance in order to promote inclusivity and respect for diversity. ICCROM hopes that, together with its partners, it will develop a culture of preparedness, ongoing risk management, collaboration and coordination in order to build disaster resilient communities.