The Prince Claus Fund stimulates and supports activities in the field of culture and development by granting awards, funding and producing publications and by financing and promoting networks and innovative cultural activities. Support is given both to persons and to organizations in African, Asian, Latin American and Caribbean countries.
The Cultural Emergency Response (CER) program of the Fund provides ‘first aid’ to cultural heritage that has been damaged or destroyed by man-made or natural disaster. The Prince Claus Fund considers culture to be a basic need and therefore essential for the psychological survival of people in emergency situations. CER’s emergency relief concentrates on stabilizing the situation, preventing further damage and implementing basic repairs. Since its inauguration in 2003, CER has offered emergency relief to cultural heritage in need in Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Palestine, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Mozambique and Yemen.
Responding to the recent earthquake in China PCF asks Arthub to recommend projects and referees in the area that can assess the cultural heritage situation. CER can then of assistance in rescuing objects of cultural heritage - contemporary or historical, formal or informal - that have been affected by this disaster.
So far the PCF is briefed on:
· Taoist monasteries in the surroundings of Qingcheng mountain. The monasteries as seen on the website (http://www.khamaid.org/programs/culture/pusarong/index.htm) are damaged by the earthquake.
· historic sites in the region of Kham, among remarkable wall paintings in Trupa Lhakhang Temple.
· The Sichuan earthquake disaster area including Chengdu, Mianyang, Aba, Deyang four area altogether 39 counties, the city, involves world culture inheritance 1, National key Cultural relic preservation organ 49 (Chengdu 25, Mianyang 7, pa 12, Deyang 5), provincial level Cultural relic preservation organ 225 (Chengdu 108, Mianyang 38, pa 56, Deyang 23), county level Cultural relic preservation organ 684 (Chengdu 266, Mianyang 195, pa 144, Deyang 79).
· The Sichuan Cultural Relic Archaeology Research Institute office block suffers injury seriously, 40 cracks, the part the cultural relic specimen which reorganizes (mainly for earthenware) is suffering injury.
· The Sanxingdui workstation house fence suffers injury.
· Chengdu cultural relic Institute of archeology reorganizes the base to have the few earthenware to suffer injury.
· Nearby an ancient Sichuan ship coffin ruins’ building is repaired in a rush, not yet threatens the cultural relic security
· The Jinsha ruins museum becomes nearby several thousand residents to seek asylum the place provides the basic life demand for the populace, in the hall the important cultural relic has removed the exhibition urgently, moves puts the storehouse preservation.
· Chongqing cultural relic Institute of Archeology turnover storehouse fence collapsing
- Tenzin Jinba, PhD candiate at Anthropology Department of Boston University, will travel to Gyarong Tibetan Regions (Sichuan) to see the impact of the earthquake on the area to help with the reconstruction of Tibetan cultural, historical and religious objects that were destroyed.
Referrals are the Daoist Association and Kham Aid Fund together with the Cultural Relics Bureau.
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