The whole publication in PDF - Culture in Development

Vandalism is frequently a sign of revenge (Hasan, 1974). This is confirmed by the report of a vandal who
slashed a Dutch O ld Master painting with a knife in the Dordrechts Museum in 1989. The hooligan was said to be
unemployed and disgruntled with the fact that foreigners are employed in Holland (Talley, 1989).
The Darwin facility of the Australian N ational Archives severely suffered from vandalism until a fence was
erected around the perimeter of the site (Ling, 1998). The area around the building should also be well lit Trees and
shrubs have the disadvantage that they can conceal people and can also be used to gain admittance to the building.
Good fencing hinders trespassers and restricts unlawful transfer of property (Baxi, 1974a; Duchein, 1988; Ling,
1998; Teuling, 1994). R andom patrols of the site in the silent hours by security personnel is advisable (Baxi, 1974a).
A survey of Indian museums from the early 1980s revealed that greater damage to objects was caused by neglect
on the part of the curator than by any other agency (Agrawal, 1982b). Through proper training and education these
problems could, at least partly, be prevented.
Most of the websites mentioned under War and Theft will have some information on neglect and vandalism.
6.5 International Cooperation
Many high-tech systems can only be realised through international cooperation. They contribute considerab ly to
disaster mitigation worldwide by integration with conventional disaster prevention systems.
6.5.1 WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been a specialised agency of the United Nations since 1951.
The purposes of the WMO are to facilitate international cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for
making meteorological, hydrological and other observations; and to promote the rapid exchange of meteorological
information, the standardisation of meteorological observation and the uniform publication of observations and
statistics. The World Weather Watch (WWW) is the backbone of the WM O’s activities. W WW offers up to date
worldwide weather information. The Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP) is grouped under the WWW umbrella.
The TCP, which contrib utes substantially to the UN International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, is designed
to assist more than 5 0 countries in areas vulnera ble to tropical cyclones in order to minimise destruction and loss
of life by improving forecasting and warning systems, and disaster preparedness measures. Part of the hydrology
and water resources programme are specialised forecasts to aid com munities and governments in flood prone areas.
The Regional Programm e, with offices for Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, provides a
regional focus for all other W MO p rogramm es and contributes to their enhancement especially in new priority areas.
6.5.2 The Hague Protocol
A new 2 nd Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict was adopted by unanimous consensus on the evening of Friday 26 March 1999 in the Hague, the
Netherlands. The new Protocol represents the greatest advance in international cultural protection for decades. The
original 1954 Hague C onvention to prevent great losses of important cultural property has failed over the past 45
years, especially in the sort of dirty armed conflicts such as civil wars that have been a constant feature of the postwar
world.
One of the major advances is that since the signing in 1954 the Protocol has now been acted upon and
implemented at last. There w ill be two-yearly meetings of the States Parties, and the States will elect a 12 member
Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Comm ittee will have a duty
to monitor and generally promote, and consider applications for both exceptional protection and financial assistance
from a fund to be established under the Protocol. The International C ommittee o f the Blue Shield (by name) and its
constituent eminent pro fessional organisations will have important advisory standing roles in relation to the
Committee and meetings of States Parties and will be consulted on proposals for e.g. exceptional protection
designation.
6.5.3 CARDIN
The Caribbean Disaster Information Network (CARDIN) was established in June 1999 to pro vide links with
Caribbean disaster organisations, to widen the scope of the collection of disaster related information and to ensure
improved access to such material. In collaboration with its partners it seeks to provide a new and dynamic approach
to accessing and disseminating disaster related information in a manner that adequately prepares for and minimises
the effect of disasters in the Caribbean Region. From January 2000 the CARD IN New sletter has been published in
English, French and Spanish. Many organisations benefit from its activities, like government agencies, planning
units, statisticians, policy makers, researchers, and students. The network covers the English, Dutch, Spanish and
French speaking Caribbean and is funded by the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). The Library
of the University of the West Indies at Mona has been selected as the focal point for disaster information in the
Caribbean.
The Joint IFLA/ICA Committee on Preservation and Conservation for Africa (JICPA) has promoted the
establishment of national committees. At least thirteen countries, including So uth Africa, Botswana, Kenya, and
Nigeria, report having preservation committees. According to G.O.Alegbeleye only the South African libraries have