Statement on the Earthquake in Haïti

IFLA supports Haïtian colleagues in their struggle to recover from the earthquake:

Web version:

http://www.ifla.org/en/news/ifla-supports-haitian-colleagues-in-their-strugg
le-to-recover-from-the-earthquake


Dear colleagues

On behalf of all IFLA members and staff I extend our deepest sympathy and sorrow to our Haitian colleagues as they struggle to deal with the damage to their lives and their country. We are ready to assist in any way they consider to be of benefit to them over what will be a long recovery period.

IFLA will of course be working with the International Committee of the Blue Shield

http://www.blueshield-international.org/

which has prepared the following statement [see below] on behalf of its four member organizations. I will keep you informed of developments in IFLA’s activities and our Blue Shield participation.

Felipe Martinez, Chair of IFLA’s Latin American and the Caribbean Section has provided the following websites for information on how support may be given, and suggests you also contact the Haiti Earthquake Relief Centres in your countries:

UNICEF
Help children affected by the earthquake in Haiti

http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=10
23561

or  

Pan American Health & Education Foundation

http://www.pahef.org/donate/donate.aspx?source=Her

Haiti earthquake relief

Danielle Mincio, Secretary of the Preservation and Conservation Section, and IFLA Governing Board representative on the Preservation and Conservation (PAC)
Core Activity is taking a leading role in identifying how the Section and PAC may intervene for assistance after the life-saving interventions are well underway.

Stuart Hamilton, IFLA Senior Policy Adviser, has managed to contact a colleague from the library association, FOKAL

http://www.fokal.org/index-a.htm

, which hosted IFLA FAIFE activities recently. FOKAL staff and families are safe, as is the building. I have also heard that Françoise Beaulieu-Thybulle, director general of the national library, and family are safe. FOKAL is trying to centralize information on this blog

http://haiti-seisme.blogspot.com/

Understandably their focus at the moment is on lists of survivors but in time they will try also to identify help that is needed.

Members may donate to the Stichting IFLA Foundation

http://www.ifla.org/en/stichting-ifla-foundation

at any time. However, when we have a better idea of the assistance needed and how IFLA can contribute I will advise you of our plans and would welcome your support, either in kind or financial.

Yours sincerely,

Ellen Tise
IFLA President

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ICBS Statement on the Earthquake in Haiti

15 January 2010

The Blue Shield expresses its sorrow and solidarity with the
population of Haiti for the loss of lives and the
destruction caused by the earthquake which occurred on 12th
January.

Culture is a basic need, and cultural heritage a symbolic
necessity that gives meaning to human lives connecting past,
present and future. Cultural heritage is a reference full of
values helping to restore a sense of normality and enabling
people to move forward. Cultural Heritage is fundamental in
rebuilding the identity, the dignity and the hope of the
communities after a catastrophe.

The Blue Shield Mission is «to work to protect the world’s
cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict, natural and
man-made disasters». While it appreciates that the immediate
priority is to find the missing, and to help the injured and
homeless, it places the expertise and network of its member
organisations at the disposal of their Haitian colleagues to
support their work in assessing the damage to the cultural
heritage of their countries including libraries, archives,
museums and monuments and sites, and subsequent recovery,
restoration and repair measures.

The Blue Shield calls on the international community,
responsible authorities and local population to give the
fullest possible support to the efforts, official and
voluntary, underway to protect/rescue the rich and unique
heritage of Haiti.

The member organisations of the Blue Shield are currently
liaising with Haitian colleagues, to obtain further
information on both the situation in the area and on the
possible needs and types of help required so as to mobilise
our networks accordingly.

A more complete report on damages, needs and actions will be
published subsequently, to facilitate coordination.

The Blue Shield

The Blue Shield is the protective emblem of the 1954 Hague
Convention which is the basic international treaty
formulating rules to protect cultural heritage during armed
conflicts. The Blue Shield network consists of organisations
dealing with museums, archives, audiovisual supports,
libraries, monuments and sites.

The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS),
founded in 1996, comprises representatives of the five
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working in this field:

The International Council on Archives [http://www.ica.org/]

The International Council of Museums
[http://www.icom.museum/] 

The International Council on Monuments and Sites

[http://www.icomos.org/] 

The International Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions

[http://www.ifla.org/] 

The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations
[http://www.ccaaa.org/

National Blue Shield Committees have been founded in a
number of countries (18 established and 18 under
construction). The Association of National Committees of the
Blue Shield (ANCBS), founded in December 2008, will
coordinate and strengthen international efforts to protect
cultural property at risk of destruction in armed conflicts
or natural disasters. The ANCBS has its headquarters in The
Hague.

Contact Information:

E-mail: secretariat.ICBS@blueshield.museum

The actions of the Blue Shield can also be followed on

*our Website [http://www.blueshield-international.org]

*Facebook: «Haiti 2010 Blue Shield Solidarity» group
[http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=247281734340]

*Twitter thread # blueshieldcoop
[http://twitter.com/blueshieldcoop]