Monuments Men: Is Art Worth Dying For?
Art / Cultural Heritage / International

Monuments Men: Is Art Worth Dying For?

Art exposes the best and most fragile qualities of man in the very moment of war. The nexus to choose between humanity and visceral destruction beyond death, ruination. Leaders and individuals have the choice to save art, steal art or simply shatter art beyond identity.

Robert Edsel, author of Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasurers from the Nazis and Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History (George Cluny film of the same name) is the clarion in the dark recognizing and honoring the men and women who served in the Allied forces during World War II to preserve and protect European cultural treasurers.
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Ingenuity: Cards to Protect Cultural Heritage in War, Conflict & Galleries
Antiquity / Art / Innovation / International / Leaders & People

Ingenuity: Cards to Protect Cultural Heritage in War, Conflict & Galleries

One of the many paradoxes of war is destruction with simultaneous protection of civilians and cultural heritage. We know the political figures and weapons of war and see photographs in the press of anonymous bloody lifeless corpses twisted in the wreckage of urban settings. How can one possibly think of cultural heritage with so much human suffering. Yet, cultural monuments are targeted, pillaged, looted, destroyed all too often.

Cultural heritage is for the survivors, the future, world knowledge and ultimately, a record of human accomplishments.

World Heritage Day is April 18th. What will you do to help protect cultural heritage? Continue reading

Afghanistan / Art / International / Leaders & People

Art as a Peacemaker in Afghanistan?

Impossible to imagine that art could possibly be a mechanism to bring peace and prosperity to the Afghan community.  However, in the midst of war, terror by local militia, food shortages, domestic violence, artisans are finding peace and hope by crafting silk scarves, jewelry and even modifying traditional tent lining felt into home interior products for … Continue reading

Afghanistan / News/Media

Note from Afghanistan: “Make Sure What You are Ridiculing is Not Your Own Beard” by Rameen Javid

Rameen Javid, founder of Afghan Communicator, recently sent this note out to the Afghan community worldwide. “Make sure what you are ridiculing is not your own beard” With the recent resurgent interest in Afghanistan and complex theories being put forward by an army of self-claimed Afghan experts, whose collective wisdoms seems to lead us into … Continue reading

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Led by Donkeys – News from Rameen Javid in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Led by donkeys Editorial The Guardian, Friday 10 July 2009 I am shocked by The Guardian Editorial [Friday July 10, 2009] “Afghanistan: Led by donkeys”! While the saying itself is Afghan, nonetheless the Editorials does not specify where they have gotten the quote from. It is not clear whether the article points to the … Continue reading