Observatory for Protection of Cultural Heritage in Areas of Crisis

The Observatory for Protection of Cultural Heritage in Areas of Crisis (OPCHAC) is an Italian-based organization concerned with protecting cultural heritage.

History

The “Observatory for Protection of Cultural Heritage in Areas of Crisis” was created in 1995 by Prof. Fabio Maniscalco. All activities of the OPCHAC are devoted to the safeguarding of cultural property of countries in crisis, independent of religion, race, or political ideology. OPCHAC does not receive public funds, so it is free to work and to denounce injustices, discriminations and/or violations to international rights. The address of OPCHAC is at the University L'Orientale (Scuola di Studi Islamici). Other offices are at Institute of Archaeology of Al-Quds University of Jerusalem and at the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.

Aims

The main aims of the OPCHAC are:

• To strengthen the local Authorities, as well as the various Ministries, competent social services or the Italian Armed Forces, outside of the Country, monitoring the objects of cultural heritage of the Nations in crisis.
• To monitor, on the field, the situation of the movable and immovable cultural property in war areas.
• To create a Database dealing with the situation of the cultural heritage in the examined Countries.
• To publish journals, periodicals and/or monographic collections concerning the safeguard, the conservation and the exploitation of international cultural and environmental property.
• To make the press and the public opinion more sensitive in regard to the problems of the safeguard of the cultural heritage in war countries, promoting appeals, conferences, meetings and other forums.
• To cooperate with Organizations, governmental and non-governmental, Universities and various private or public Associations at their request.
• To organize Courses on International Human Rights and on the protection of cultural heritage in critical areas.
• To conceive and to manage projects and/or activities finalized to the safeguard, the conservation and de exploitation of cultural and environmental property in war areas and/or in areas of crisis.

Database

The Observatory for Protection of Cultural Heritage in Areas of Crisis has created a database of the situation of the cultural heritage in war areas. The database is available to scholars and students, and it includes:

• More than 20.000 images about the cultural property of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Iraq, Italy, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mali, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia, Vietnam.
• Some video-reportages.
• Individual records, about movable and immovable cultural property, of war countries.
• Database about the cultural property stolen by the churches and monuments of Naples (since 1950).

Publications

Academic publications of the Observatory are the monographic series Mediterraneum. Tutela e valorizzazione dei beni culturale ed ambientali [1] and the academic on journal Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony [2].

Moreover, the Observatory has financed the following books:

• Sarajevo: itinerari artistici perduti (1997)
• Frammenti di storia venduta. I tesori di Albania (1998)
• Jus Praedae (1999)
• Furti d'Autore (2000)
• Kosovo and Methoija 1998–2000