Cultural Heritage Update: ASOR Shares Heritage Resources with Civil Society Conference

ASOR CHI was delighted to participate in this year’s Arab Network of Civil Society Organizations to Safeguard Cultural Heritage (ANSCH) Conference on May 28–29. Over the course of this two-day conference, members of civil society organizations from across the Middle East and North Africa spoke on their work and how it related to the conference theme of “Empowerment of Civil Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-conflict Areas.” ANSCH also presented the results of a regional survey of its members that assessed the needs, capacities, and priorities of CSOs engaged in heritage protection and preservation.

As part of the conference, ASOR’s Cultural Heritage Programs Manager, Dr. Darren P. Ashby, spoke on the types of free resources available through ASOR for civil society organizations in the region. This material includes tutorials for cultural heritage surveys, funding through Shepard Urgent Action Grants, and the ability of civil society organizations and conservation projects to join the ASOR community as affiliates.

ASOR CHI offers its deep appreciation to ANSCH and Isber Sabrine for the opportunity to participate, and thanks to all of the other speakers for their engaging presentations and their commitment to heritage protection and preservation across the MENA region.

ASOR works internationally and domestically with civil society members to document and protect heritage using free heritage resources. Communities in Morocco, Tunisia, and Washington, D.C., are among that have used these tools to include field documentation, mapping, and photogrammetry in their work. (Image credits: ASOR, Faten Bouchrara)