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Global Heritage Fund and Asia Society Bring Together Leading Conservationists and International Dignitaries at "Saving Asia's Treasures" Showcasing Conservation of Endangered World Heritage Sites in Asia

May 11, 2004

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLOBAL HERITAGE FUND AND ASIA SOCIETY BRING TOGETHER LEADING CONSERVATIONISTS AND INTERNATIONAL DIGNITARIES AT “SAVING ASIA’S TREASURES” SHOWCASING CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN ASIA

Keynote Addresses by the Director of UNESCO World Heritage Asia Pacific and His Royal Highness, the Maharaja of Jodhpur

Palo Alto, CA (May 11th, 2004)—Global Heritage Fund (GHF), the leading international conservancy preserving endangered cultural heritage sites in developing countries, and The Asia Society of Northern California will jointly host over 400 philanthropists, as well as foundation and business leaders from around the world to address conservation efforts to save the last remaining endangered cultural world heritage sites in Asia.

Saving Asia’s Treasures will be held at the Chong-Moon Lee Asian Art Museum of San Francisco on Wednesday, May 19. Invited attendees will learn about the progress being made in conservation, and how people in the San Francisco and the United States can make a direct impact to save these treasures of humankind while providing economic opportunities for the developing world.

Event presenters will spotlight the advancements being made by GHF and its partners to protect 10 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Asia. These include Foguang Monestary, the oldest wooden building in China Tang Dynasty (9th century); Hampi Vijayanagara Kingdom site in Karnataka (14th-16th century), India; and My Son Sanctuary of the Champa Kingdom (BC300 – 12th century AD), the only remaining major archaeological site
in Vietnam.

The GHF Advisory Board has selected approximately 50 world heritage sites in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Nepal, Burma and Bhutan that are at risk – many in serious risk- of being lost due to neglect, uncontrolled development and outright destruction. GHF is at the forefront of securing permanent protection for a select few of these magnificent treasures.

“Today we have the experience and understanding to reverse the devastation of these sites, create new opportunities for developing countries to become financially stable, and keep these 50 important treasures from humankind’s past in our future,” said Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of the GHF. “At current rates of destruction, there are at least two major sites lost each year. Bam, Bamiyan, Bantaey Chmar and others were lost in just the first three years of this century. We can’t afford to lose one more.”

After GHF’s founding in 2001, Draper Richards Foundation awarded the Global Heritage Fund its coveted Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, a three-year Fellowship which has enabled GHF to rapidly expand its innovative ‘Adopt-A-Site program matching U.S. donors with world-class conservation projects at endangered ancient world heritage sites in Asia, the Middle East, South and Central America and Africa humankind’s Cradles of Civilization.

“GHF has developed into a major force in cultural heritage preservation since we made our early Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship two years ago,” said Bill Draper, venture capitalist, international philanthropist, former UNDP Administrator and President of the Import-Export Bank. “GHF’s conservation leadership offers a great opportunity for developing countries to create a sustainable future for their people, save their own heritage and share these amazing Cradles of Civilization with the world.”

At the very heart of GHF’s conservation efforts are the organization’s Leaders in Conservation, the Advisory Board, and Trustees for Global Heritage, a distinguished network of philanthropists committed to rebuilding and protecting these one-of-a-kind archaeological sites and ancient buildings. GHF will recognize six leaders by presenting the conservancy’s first Global Conservation Awards at the event.

Keynote addresses will include the Director of UNESCO World Heritage Asia Pacific Dr. Richard Engelhardt and His Royal Highness the Maharaja of Jodhpur. Global Heritage Fund will present Global Conservation Awards to Rand Castile, Director Emeritus of the Asian Art Museum and Global Heritage Fund Advisor; Bill Draper, former UNDP Administrator and GHF Trustee; Dr. Richard Engelhardt and Rose Nui, Director of The Nature Conservancy.

GHF works closely with leading international foundations, travel companies, associations, business leaders and governments to help developing countries without conservation resources and expertise to protect their UNESCO World Heritage sites. Together with GHF, these partners play a key role in harnessing the economic power of cultural tourism and sustainable economic development in Asia, E. Europe, Turkey and Central Asia, Central and South America and the Middle East.

Saving Asia’s Treasures- GHF Projects and 2004 Nominations

China
Foguang Temple, Shanxi (900AD)
Lijiang Ancient Town, Yunnan (1000AD)

Laos
Wat Phu Khmer Temples (1200AD)

Vietnam
My Son Sanctuary (BC300)

Cambodia
Phnom Penh Ceramics Conservation Lab (BC2000)

India
Hampi Vijayanagara Kingdom, Karnataka (1400AD)
Lothal Indus Valley, Gujarat (BC4000)
Konark Sun Temple, Orissa (1200AD)

Pakistan
Asif Khan / Jahangir Complex, Lahore (1400AD)

Turkey
Kars Heritage, Eastern Frontier (800AD)

About Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund is the leading international conservancy preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries. The conservancy’s goal is to enable successful, long-term preservation of humankind’s most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes, creating new opportunities for economic growth. The role of the Global Heritage Fund is to develop comprehensive Master Conservation Plans, provide early matching grants and training, build local institutions and promote sustainable tourism development to further permanent protection for global cultural treasures. Global Heritage Fund is a registered non-profit international conservancy based in Palo Alto, California.

About Asia Society of Northern California
The Asia Society seeks to promote Americans’ understanding of Asia and Asian American issues through increased dialogue and exposure to the people, cultures and systems of the Asia Pacific region. Founded in 1956 and headquartered in New York, the Asia Society has nine offices around the globe. Drawing on its strength as one of the nation’s pre-eminent educational and networking links between Americans and Asians, the Society strives to offer fresh perspectives on the forces and issues that are shaping Asia’s relations with California, the United States and the rest of the world.