Global Heritage Fund

February 2012

Across the Wire

Government Says Lamu Port Will Not Interfere with Heritage Sites

February 29, 2012

As leaders of Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia gather in Lamu this week to celebrate the beginning of the “Lapsset” project (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport and Economic Development Corridor), Kenya’s government has assured Lamu residents that heritage sites will not be affected.

SUCCESS STORIES

GHF Göbekli Tepe Receives Critical Support from Vehbi Koç Foundation and J.M. Kaplan Fund

February 24, 2012

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Göbekli Tepe, the world’s oldest known ceremonial center, will be conserved with the help of two new funding pledges: a $400,000 in-country matching fund pledge from the Vehbi Koç Foundation and a $125,000 pledged donation from the J.M. Kaplan Fund.

On the Verge

GHN Report: Urbanization, Tourism Among the Threats to Laos’ Plain of Jars

February 23, 2012

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Dotting the landscape of Xieng Khouang Plateau in Laos are thousands of megalithic jars — part of an archaeological landscape aptly named the Plain of Jars. The structures, carved mainly from sandstone, granite or limestone, have been associated with the funerary customs of ancient inhabitants who occupied the area during the Iron Age (500 BCE - 500 CE).

ACROSS THE WIRE

Thai Prime Minister Visits Ayutthaya to Assess Flood Damage and Future Prevention

February 21, 2012

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Speaking in Ayutthaya this week as part of a World Heritage Site celebration, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed confidence that this year’s flood prevention plan will guard against a repeat of the 2011 floods that shuttered hundreds of factories and damaged 158 historic monuments.

ACROSS THE WIRE

Modernization Threatens Nepal’s Historic Towns

February 17, 2012

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In 1979, seven historic monumental zones in the Kathmandu Valley were collectively designated Asia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. For scholars and tourists alike, these Hindu and Buddhist monuments are what immediately come to mind when picturing Nepal’s rich cultural heritage. But according to a German architect who has been working in Nepal for four decades, it is only a matter of time before modernization wipes out the majority of the country’s ancient architecture.

SUCCESS STORIES

New Bridge at GHF Ciudad Perdida Improves Safety of Indigenous Community and Tourists

February 15, 2012

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Santiago Giraldo, Project Director of GHF Ciudad Perdida, logged on to Global Heritage Network (GHN) this week to make an exciting announcement: A brand new suspension bridge has been built over the Buritaca River, greatly improving the safety of indigenous community members, guides and visitors.

Across the Wire

GHF Executive Director Attends Opening of Asia Society Hong Kong Center

February 10, 2012

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The brand new Asia Society Hong Kong Center opened with a bang this week, as more than 400 guests gathered to celebrate the completion of a project over a decade in the works. Among the event’s attendees was Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of GHF, which will partner with Asia Society to host another event in May.

Across the Wire

Beijing Developers Demolish Home of China’s “Father of Modern Architecture”

February 10, 2012

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In 1931, after earning his master’s degree in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, Liang Sicheng returned to China where he joined a newly formed Beijing organization called the Institute for Research in Chinese Architecture. For seven years he and his wife Lin Huiyin, one of China’s first female architects, lived in the courtyard house located at 24 Beizongbu Hutong, where together they completed their groundbreaking book, History of Chinese Architecture.

Across the Wire

Egypt’s Tourism Sector Tumbles Amid Violence

February 03, 2012

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For the millions of Egyptians whose incomes depend on tourist money, a bleak economic outlook grew even bleaker this week after a soccer riot in Port Said left as many as 74 dead. Considered the worst outbreak of violence since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown a year ago, the clashes were followed a day later by protests that resulted in injuries to nearly 400 people.

Across the Wire

Turkey Contributes $5 Million to UNESCO Emergency Fund

February 01, 2012

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Since last November’s controversial vote to introduce Palestine as its 195th member, UNESCO has been eager to recoup the funding it lost when the U.S. and Israel withdrew their support for the organization — about 22 percent of the group’s annual budget.

Heritage on the Wire

February 2012