SAFE and LCCHP CoSponsor a Public Panel Discussion Preserving Our Past Looting and the Black Market in Art Artifacts and Antiquities



April 8, 2005 -- Every day, more and more ancient sites are destroyed by looters to feed the underground market in antiquities. From the deserts of Iraq to the jungles of Peru, from ancient tombs in China to Native American sites on federal lands in the US, pillage-for-profit is demolishing an ever-increasing part of humanity's shared heritage.

This important topic will be explored in depth by five international experts in a panel discussion titled "Preserving our Past:  Looting and the Black Market in Art, Artifacts, and Antiquities" being held on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the The College of William & Mary's Washington, DC Office located at 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036. Hosted by the College of William and Mary's Washington office, the event is sponsored by SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone) and the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation (LCCHP).

Panel discussion participants include:
- Roger Atwood, author of Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World and a contributing editor at Archaeology magazine

- Dr. Magnus Fiskesjo, an anthropologist and director of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm since 2000

- Dr. Patty Gerstenblith, professor at DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, author of Art, Cultural Heritage and the Law and president of the Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation

- Dr. Ellen Herscher, an archaeologist who has worked extensively in Cyprus and Turkey and chair of the Archaeological Institute of America's Cultural Property Legislation and Policy Committee

- Dr. Lucille Roussin (moderator), professor at the Cardozo School of Law, New York, director of its Holocaust Claims Restitution Practicum and adviser to the non-profit public advocacy group Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE).

A reception precedes the discussion.
"Preserving Our Past: Looting and the Black Market in Art, Artifacts, and Antiquities" Wednesday, April 13, 2005, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Carnegie Endowment for International Peace / College of William & Mary's Washington Office 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW (at 18th Street) Washington, DC 20036

Directions to the event are available at:
http://fsweb.wm.edu/dcoffice/temp/directions.html

The reception and panel discussion are free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
RSVP: e-mail protected from spam bots or (202) 939-4000

About SAFE
Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) www.savingantiquities.org) creates educational programs and media campaigns to raise public awareness regarding the importance of preserving cultural heritage worldwide. SAFE is a coalition of professionals in communications, media, and advertising working alongside experts in the academic, legal and law enforcement communities. SAFE has no political affiliations and is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), a 501(c)(3) corporation.

About the Lawyers Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation
The Lawyers' Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation (LCCHP) (www.culturalheritagelaw.org/) is an organization of lawyers who have joined together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage resources in the United States and internationally through education and advocacy. Founded in 1005, the group's activities include legal education and advocacy in the legislative, judicial and policy arenas.

Contact:
Cindy Ho
President and Founder
SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone)
Tel: 1 (201) 626-3460
e-mail protected from spam bots





SAFE and LCCHP CoSponsor a Public Panel Discussion Preserving Our Past Looting and the Black Market in Art Artifacts and Antiquities