IRAQ CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECT: CAPACITY BUILDING

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002685 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SCUL KPAO OEXC PGOV IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECT: CAPACITY BUILDING ¶1. Summary: Capacity building is one of the main objectives of the Iraq Cultural Heritage Project (ICHP),a key program in section IV of the Strategic Framework Agreement. Six conservators working for the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) at the Iraq National Museum spent six months at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago taking part in the ICHP-funded "Conservation of Archaeological Materials" course. They learned modern methods of conserving archaeological material, including organic and non-organic preservation techniques. They will now be able to perform paper and textile conservation at the Iraq National Museum themselves. End summary. -------------- Background on ICHP -------------- ¶2. The Iraq Cultural Heritage Project (ICHP)has three main goals: providing improvements at the Iraq National Museum, establishing a conservation institute in Erbil, and providing professional development and capacity building training for the SBAH staff. Two of the participating institutions providing training are the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. They are providing three six-month courses for six students each: two on conservation of archaeological materials and a course on management of archaeological collections. The first class of six students participated in the initial course from March 24 to September 26, 2009. PAS Baghdad conducted a debriefing session with the participants on October 4. -------------- Successful Program -------------- ¶3. All six participants returned to Iraq after their training in Chicago with enthusiastic reviews. They each enjoyed different aspects of the course, but collectively found the hands-on workshops most useful. The training they received made them realize that "there is at least a 100-year gap of knowledge between Iraq and the rest of the world." The participants were honored to be part of the first wave of Iraqis stepping in to rectify the situation. They were confident they would be able not only to apply the skills they learned at their jobs at the Iraq National Museum, but also to share their knowledge with their colleagues. One subject they all kept stressing was the friendliness of all Americans they met. They were able to establish professional ties, but also made friends with students housed at the university. -------------- A few concerns -------------- ¶4. While all participants felt they gained invaluable knowledge, they expressed concern that the equipment they trained on in Chicago is not available at the Iraq National Museum. However, they hope to be able to adapt the skills they learned in the U.S. to the current situation in Iraq. They all felt six months was too long to be away from home and wondered if shorter three month courses could be offered that focused on specific topics, such as conservation of wood and leather. More than once they mentioned experiencing "culture shock," mostly because of the size of the buildings, the price of food and necessities, and the diversity of the population. ¶5. Comment: The participants appreciated ICHP making such a course possible. They are eager to apply their recently acquired skills, especially conservation of paper and textile. Prior to the course, paper and textile conservation was sub-contracted outside the SBAH offices. Thanks to this training, paper and textile conservation now can be performed at the Iraq National Museum by SBAH staff. End comment. HILL