More About the Signatories
The Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation
The Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation (LCCHP) is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the stewardship of the objects, places, and traditions that define us as societies, nations, civilizations, and even human beings. We are lawyers, legal scholars, and law enforcement agents --- but also anthropologists, archaeologists, architects, art historians, students, and others --- who champion preservation through the justice system. Through our educational programs and resources, we are also working to prepare a new generation of advocates, as well as educate the public.
Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies at Rutgers University
Rutgers' Program in Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies (CHAPS) based in the School of Arts and Sciences provides a unique opportunity to study heritage preservation issues within local, national, and global contexts. Based in the Department of Art History, CHAPS offers a MA in Cultural Heritage Preservation, as well as a Certificate in Historic Preservation, (15 credits), open to undergraduates and graduate students.
Penn Cultural Heritage Center
The Penn Cultural Heritage Center contributes to current heritage debates by developing a two-pronged approach: combining intellectual research with an outreach agenda. This dual focus draws upon Penn’s longstanding tradition of applying expert knowledge to pressing contemporary problems. Noting that many of the basic questions surrounding cultural heritage have yet to receive proper theoretical attention, the Penn CHC aims to address such questions as what constitutes cultural heritage, cultural properties, communities, and sacred objects; why have cultural heritage and human rights become intertwined; what responsibilities do academics and museums have toward their indigenous, scholarly, and public constituencies; and what is the future of heritage policy and museums more broadly.
The Penn CHC links these intellectual themes to an outreach program that intervenes directly in the stream of the antiquities trade, the development of museum best practices, the development of international heritage programs, and cooperative programs with governments and local communities throughout the world.
Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE)
SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving cultural heritage worldwide. Its mission is to raise awareness about the irreversible damage that results from looting, smuggling and trading illicit antiquities. Learn more at www.savingantiquities.org.
