Iraq in Focus
U.S. Embassy and Ministry of Culture Launch Iraq Cultural Heritage Project
On October 20, 2008 Iraq’s Minister of Culture Dr. Mahier Dahli Ibrahim Al-Hadithi and Minister of State for Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Qahtan Abbas Nu’man Al-Jibori joined the Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Goli Ameri and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker to launch the Iraq Cultural Heritage Project (ICHP) at the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad. First Lady Laura Bush and the Iraqi Ambassador to Washington, Samir Sumaidaie, announced the project in Washington on October 16.
The Iraq Cultural Heritage Project is funded by the U.S. government and will provide American resources and expertise to assist in rebuilding professional capabilities in Iraq’s museums and archaeological organizations. The Embassy has awarded a grant of nearly $13 million to the International Relief and Development Fund (IRD), a non-governmental organization for this project. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State will provide an additional $1 million to fund the project and is leading efforts to secure additional funding through private sector contributions. The project will begin immediately and will take place over a two year period.
The ICHP will consist of three key program areas and will be implemented with the guidance and cooperation of the Iraq Ministry of Culture and State Board of Antiquities and Heritage.
• It will establish a conservation and historic preservation institute with technical guidance provided by the Walters Art Museum, the Winterthur Conservation Program and the U.S. National Park Service to serve preservation and training needs throughout Iraq;
• It will help refurbish the Iraq National Museum including the design and implementation of collections storage facilities, and enhancements in exhibition galleries and conservation facilities to further the core mission of the museum to support its objectives of preservation and the promotion of scholarship; and
• It will enhance the professional development of Iraq’s archeology and museum professionals by providing professional training in collections management, conservation, education, and management in consultation with the Field Museum of Natural History and the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago; the publication of scholarly reports of archaeological research in Iraq by Iraqi archaeologists in collaboration with The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq; and, development of research library collections in Baghdad and Mosul, a collaboration between the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and the Iraqi National Museum.
The Embassy is pleased to work with the government of Iraq to address the challenge of preserving the rich cultural legacy of Iraq. We are committed to supporting the Iraqi government and people as they rebuild their country and work to restore its heritage for future generations.