Published on : Tuesday, April 28, 2020
COVID-19 has forced the closure of museums, libraries and other cultural and heritage sites. and have brought important rehabilitation work to a stop. These sites are important sources of employment for local operators, cultural institutions or associations, as well as experts, engineers, builders, and artisans.
ALIPH’s partners have had to put on hold a recently launched project to rehabilitate the Tomb of Askia in Gao, Mali. While in Afghanistan, work had only just begun to restore the Buddhist Stupa of Shewak when workers were required to stop.
The foundation has allocated an initial envelope of 1 MUSD for local operators to defray their operations, health, and staff costs. Information technology acquisition and online learning programs will be covered in order to bridge the digital divide and build resilience for the future. Emergency heritage preventive protection and income generation projects will also be supported.
Valéry Freland, ALIPH Executive Director said that working on cultural heritage protection in conflict areas means working with and for local communities. Behind every monument, every site, there are men and women who are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. This exceptional fund aims to help them overcome this difficult period and prepare for the relaunch, when the time comes, of our common work to protect heritage to promote development and reconciliation.
Tags: ALIPH