Foreword

Over three days, May 8–10, 2019, Thomas G. Weiss, Presidential Professor of Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, and I convened at the Getty Center nineteen scholars and practitioners of different specialties and experience to discuss the topic “Cultural Heritage under Siege.” In one way or another, we had been discussing this topic for three years. The purpose of the convening was to begin to finalize the shape and substance of the book we decided needed to be written, Cultural Heritage and Mass Atrocities: Human and Security Costs, to be published by Getty Publications in 2022.

Although many of the participants in the convening are contributing to the book as authors, all of the participants contributed to its shape and substance in some way. Tom and I are deeply grateful to everyone who attended the convening. The presentations, discussions, and debates were inspiring, and the warmth of friendship was gratifying.

In this, the fourth publication in the J. Paul Getty Trust Occasional Papers in Cultural Heritage Policy, we are presenting an edited version of the papers and discussion at the convening, which was organized in five sections, in addition to Opening and Concluding Remarks:

Before the opening dinner, Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO (2009–17), set the stage of our convening with poignant and illuminating remarks. We thank her for her many contributions to our meetings, just as we thank all those who generously participated with their formal and informal papers and commentary.

  • James Cuno, co-convenorPresident and CEOJ. Paul Getty Trust