In light of the ongoing reports of destruction of heritage in the Middle East, Heritage for Peace would like to reiterate that it is not our purpose here to verify the reports referred to in our newsletter. Whilst we acknowledge the concerns posed regarding unverified information, the collation of such information serves to aid understanding of the conflict, and the motivations and priorities of the participants (both military and civilian), potentially aiding in finding solutions. In addition, it assists those who do verify such information and conduct damage assessments by providing comprehensive data, in order to aid stabilisation, damage mitigation and, future restoration and reconstruction. We would like to stress that whilst some of our reports are received from people on the ground, they are volunteers, and their safety is our first concern. Furthermore, whilst the ethical importance, and propaganda value, of raising awareness has also been debated, all heritage destruction should not pass unremarked, either by the public or the professional heritage community. We feel that the importance of heritage is fundamental to all humanity: its loss is a tragedy, and in acknowledging this, we pave the way to develop shared strategies for its protection.
Heritage for Peace
01 June 2015
