Sunday 16 March 2014

The Antiquities Coalition


The Antiquities Coalition
Deborah Lehr
unites professionals from a diverse background joined in the fight against cultural racketeering – a global problem. Our history dates back to the Egyptian Revolution of January 2011. In the weeks following the start of the protests, reports of rampant looting lit up the archaeological hotlines. Major archaeological sites, museums, storerooms and religious sites were being robbed and pillaged. Images of brave Egyptians linking hands to form a human chain around the Cairo museum were an inspiration. There was no single organization able to help Egypt protect its antiquities in its time of need, so we decided to create our own. A diverse group of archaeologists, technology experts, writers and scholars came together around our common interest in protecting cultural heritage. The International Coalition to Protect Egyptian Antiquities (ICPEA) – an initiative of the Antiquities Coalition – was launched. Invited by the Egyptian government to discuss ways to best support them, the ICPEA and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities developed a public private partnership. The Partnership covers three main categories – training, education, and social entrepreneurship. Our hope to is expand into other countries suffering from the same challenges faced by Egypt during its time of transition. Our mission is to safeguard global heritage while inspiring people to appreciate our shared culture and empower local communities to steward and protect it.

The Team: Deborah M. Lehr (Chairman), Dr. Eric H. Cline (Vice Chairman), Peter Herdrich (Vice Chairman), Katie A. Paul (Research Analyst).

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