Cultural Emergency Response

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Cultural Emergency Response

CER provides fast, flexible support to locally-led protection of heritage under threat. Cultural Emergency Response (CER) protects culture in crisis.

Acting as a ‘cultural ambulance’, CER provides quick financial support and expertise to stabilize and prevent further damage to cultural heritage under threat in crisis situations, in direct collaboration with local actors. We strive to make the field of heritage rescue more inclusive by strengthening local response capacities, leadership and networks. We support urgent emergency projects and prov

ide training and mentorship opportunities. We decentralize cultural emergency response through a network of regional CER Hubs and advocate for cultural heritage a basic human need everywhere we go. Cultural heritage protection is part of humanitarian aid.

Donate to help protect people’s culture in crisis: https://www.culturalemergency.org/support-us
Is your culture in crisis? Apply for emergency support now: https://www.culturalemergency.org/programs/first-aid-to-cultural-heritage

09/06/2026

On , we reflect on the importance of protecting documentary heritage through a story from CER’s Impact Report 2025.

After a major fire at the National Archives of Barbados in July 2024, the CER Regional Hub in the Caribbean helped mobilise rapid regional support.

With CER support, the National Archives of Barbados & ROAD Conservation worked to stabilise fire- and water-damaged records, document salvaged materials, and prepare them for digitisation.

By November 2025, thousands of pages had been stabilised and made ready for the next stage of recovery.

This response shows the value of regionally-led expertise, local capacity strengthening, and rapid action when cultural heritage is under threat.

This response was made possible with the support of the Whiting Foundation.

Read more in our Impact Report 2025. Link in bio!

Report

03/06/2026

Every year, the Network of CER Regional Hubs gathers in person at one of its regional locations to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and advance locally-led approaches to cultural emergency response.

This year’s gathering in Sint Maarten brought together Regional Hub coordinators from across the world to share experiences, develop new collaborations, and explore how the network can continue to strengthen cultural emergency response globally.

Hosted by the CER Regional Hub in the Caribbean, the programme focused on the region’s experiences with hurricanes, climate-related disasters, and long-term recovery.

The meeting was a powerful reminder that, despite our different contexts, we have much to learn from one another. Decentralisation is the future of heritage rescue.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this year’s gathering in Sint Maarten. We are especially grateful to the , whose support made this important moment of exchange and collaboration possible.

28/05/2026

We are proud to launch Supporting Heritage at Risk: A Manual and Workshop Script for Heritage Proposal Writing.

Developed by CER and the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute / Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, the manual offers practical guidance to help heritage professionals strengthen project proposals and improve access to funding.

Developed with and for the Leadership Network, the manual was shaped through peer exchange, co-created with alumni, and tested through a train-the-trainer approach. These methods are already being used and adapted in practice in Nepal, Pakistan, and Syria.

The manual was supported by the ’s Cultural Protection Fund and is currently being translated into Arabic, with additional translations planned in the future.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Laura Alexander, as well as our Leadership Network and all partners and funders who made this work possible.

Download the manual via link in bio!

19/05/2026

We welcomed librarians, archivists, conservators, museum professionals, and other cultural heritage practitioners to .culture for ‘Heritage in Action: Learning from Practices in Palestine’.

Together with Akram from , the programme reflected on locally-led emergency interventions in Palestine, sharing testimonies of the cultural ‘first aid’ work being carried out under crisis conditions.

The day concluded with a workshop by the , who shared practical lessons from the museum’s digitisation lab and their support for mobile emergency digitisation units across Palestine. Together, we reflected on questions such as: what cultural objects should be prioritised in emergencies? How can archives be protected from cyber and physical threats? And what does preparedness look like in active crisis contexts?

This event was part of the , an annual initiative by CER, , and Blue Shield Netherlands, highlighting the importance of preparedness for culture in times of crisis.

Thank you to everyone who joined. Will you join us again next year?

Photos |

18/05/2026

Throughout 2025, growing global instability continued to underline the importance of protecting culture. Alongside the impact of armed conflict, disasters, and climate crises, quieter shifts, including shrinking civic space and increasing polarisation, also placed cultural heritage and the communities caring for it under pressure.

Across the world, people continued to safeguard heritage despite these challenges.

Our latest Impact Report highlights these locally-led efforts to protect culture under threat. Inside, you’ll find stories from partners, reflections on our collective impact, and the ambitions and opportunities shaping the work ahead.

Explore our Impact Report via link in bio!

14/05/2026

The 1954 Hague Convention marks a crucial milestone in global efforts to protect cultural heritage. Seventy-two years on, its relevance endures—ratified by 135 countries and more vital than ever as crises grow in frequency and unpredictability.

Today also marks the closing of the second edition of the : a call for awareness, collaboration, and concrete action.

Thank you to everyone who participated, contributed, shared knowledge, and helped strengthen this growing network of care, preparedness, and resilience.

Will you join us again next year?

is organised by , Blue Shield Netherlands, and Cultural Emergency Response.

11/05/2026

Today, together with the and Blue Shield Netherlands, we officially kicked off the !

The livestream was hosted by CER Director Sanne Letschert. During the broadcast, Harald Bergmann of the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO and Youssef Louakili of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science highlighted the importance of cooperation and knowledge exchange in strengthening the protection of cultural heritage.

Looking ahead to the programme for the week of 14 May, a panel discussion moderated by Marielies Schelhaas brought together Vera Carasso on behalf of the Museumvereniging, Ted Anthony Zandvliet of the Ministerie van Defensie, and Susan Lammers, Director of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. Together, they reflected on how cultural organisations are working to strengthen the resilience and protection of heritage.

With this, the Action Days have officially begun!

Participating in the Action Days this week? Tag or mention us in your posts and help spread the word.

Photos | Beeldstudio KB: Ruben Vlijm & Jeremy Meek

23/04/2026

Join us on 12 May at .culture for Heritage in Action: Learning from Practices in Palestine, part of the .

Together with and the , this programme brings a conversation and hands-on workshop on emergency action for cultural heritage. Grounded in locally-led interventions across Gaza, the West Bank, and wider Palestine, it shares experiences of cultural ‘first aid’ alongside practical insights into digitisation of heritage in crisis contexts.

The programme includes a conversation with Akram M. Lilja (CCHP) and Nimalka Passanha (CER), and a workshop led by Baha Jubeh (Palestinian Museum).

We welcome librarians, archivists, conservators, museum professionals, and cultural heritage practitioners across the Netherlands to join this exchange.

RSVP for the conversation and/or the workshop here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heritage-in-action-learning-from-practices-in-palestine-tickets-1987812285055?aff=oddtdtcreator

This event includes contributions from and the ’s Cultural Protection Fund, supported by the UK Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

18/04/2026

Today is International World Heritage Day. We ask: who would you be without your cultural heritage?

It shapes who we are, where we come from, and how we connect to one another. When culture is under threat, identity is at risk. To protect culture is to protect who we are.

Yet these threats are not static, they are escalating. Conflict is intensifying, disasters are increasing, and cultural heritage is being damaged and lost at a growing scale.

On days like today, we highlight the urgent need to safeguard cultural heritage under pressure.

Share this message. Stand with us in protecting heritage under threat.

13/04/2026

We are delighted to announce that Loes is joining the CER board as Treasurer!

Loes Ansems is an operations and impact professional with over eight years of experience across humanitarian and social impact organisations. She specialises in financial oversight, governance, and project management. Having worked in the WANA region, she brings a strong understanding of culture’s role in community resilience. Loes is currently Head of Operations at WOMEN Inc.

Here’s what Loes shared about her new role:

“I believe cultural heritage is not a luxury in times of crisis — it’s essential to resilience, identity, and recovery. I am honoured to join the CER Board at a time when protecting cultural heritage feels more urgent than ever.”

We are proud to have Loes join the CER board. Her experience in financial stewardship, governance, and impact-driven operations will support and strengthen our work in cultural heritage protection.

Adres

Nieuwe Herengracht 14
Amsterdam
1018DP

Telefoon

+31203449160

Website

http://www.culturalemergency.org/

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