Acclaim for The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq
The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq, a book published with the support of the UK National Commission for UNESCO in 2008, has been awarded the prestigious James R. Wiseman Book Award by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). The award was presented to Professor Peter Stone, the book’s co-editor, member of the UK National Commission’s Culture Committee and Professor of Heritage Studies at Newcastle University, and his co-editor Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly at a ceremony at the AIA annual conference in San Antonio, Texas on 7 January.
The AIA citation notes that: The authors “…respond to popular perception of events that gained international attention and challenge the reader to fully comprehend the context of each episode. As a result, this book has the ability to open a wider dialogue between specialists and the general public about cultural heritage issues that resonate on a global scale”.
In the book, Stone and Farchakh Bajjaly bring together 28 authors who collectively offer a compelling account of the disastrous failure of the US/UK led Coalition to protect the cultural heritage in Iraq during the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. The book is a collaborative effort by people from a variety of disciplines and cultural perspectives, including the former director of the Iraqi Museum and members of his staff, archaeologists, academics, civilian consultants, journalists, lawyers, museum professionals, members of the military, and international law enforcement from the United States, Europe, and the Middle and Near East.
The softcover release of The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq was celebrated at the opening of the UKNC-sponsored exhibit ‘Catastrophe! The Looting and Destruction of Iraq's Past’ in June 2009.
Accepting the award on behalf of all contributors Professor Stone commented “Protection of cultural heritage is not just about protecting the remains of the past but about how society understands itself and creates the future. The issue is also much wider than just Iraq. As a British citizen I note with enormous concern that the UK continues to be the last remaining significant military power (and the only one with extensive military involvements abroad) not to have ratified the 1954 Hague Convention that provides an international legal context for the protection of cultural property in times of armed conflict.”
The UKNC’s support for the The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq is part of its work to raise awareness about the importance of protecting cultural heritage during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts. As part of this the UKNC is working with partners to encourage the UK Government to ratify and implement the Hague Convention.
Professor W. J. Morgan, Chairman of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, expressed his pleasure at the award:
This is a distinction made even more pleasing by the support that the UK National Commission gave to the book's publication. We must not, however, lose sight of the urgent need for the UK to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention and I am very pleased that the National Commission’s Culture Committee is leading a coalition of the UK’s major heritage organisations in lobbying the Government to ensure ratification at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999 is the major international convention dealing with the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. The UK is now the most significant military power not to have ratified this convention.
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) which gave the award, is North America's oldest and largest organisation devoted to the world of archaeology.
Written: 01/02/2011 , last modified: 01/02/2011
Professor Peter Stone (far right) is presented with the James R. Wiseman Book Award by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)