Diaspora: noun

A group of people who spread from one original country to other countries.

Canada is home to many communities who over the years came here to find refuge, work, build towns and critical infrastructure, start successful businesses, seek opportunities and be part of the social fabric of the country. This has resulted in our cities, towns, and villages being cultural mosaics, a reflection of the diversity of stories that have shaped our regional and national heritage.

ICOMOS Canada is launching an initiative that aims to highlight the impact of heritage conservation on the resilience of peoples and their communities. Over time, we will discover and share those stories through the places that reflect the identity of these communities. By raising awareness, we hope to also bring attention to the conservation needs of some of these places, some exceptional and many modest but all worthy of our care. We also hope to highlight the importance of preserving these places as a human right, one that contributes to feeling safe, being included, having the right to express oneself, and the right to gather as a community.

How you can help

ICOMOS Canada as a member of an international network of heritage professionals has been at the forefront of the initiatives that aim to help Ukraine. ICOMOS has been monitoring the situation since the first day of the conflict in Ukraine, establishing contact with partners to identify needs and provide support on the ground. Together with UNESCO, the International Council on Museums (ICOM), the International Federation of Libraries Association (IFLA), the International Council on Archives (ICA), and the International Blue Shield Committee, a crisis unit has been set up that monitors the situation, maintains contact with local partners, and coordinates efforts to provide resources.

Joint Initiative with ICOMOS Ukraine

ICOMOS Canada is leading assistance efforts in Canada to provide technical materials, expertise and funds to heritage professionals in Ukraine. The committee established a relationship with the Center for the Rescue of Ukrainian Heritage, a joint initiative between ICOMOS Ukraine and heritage professionals in Lviv (Ukraine). This Center is in contact with professionals across Ukraine to deliver expertise, support strategies, and provide funds to quickly protect monuments, sacred spaces, and objects. Through that relationship, ICOMOS Canada is able to determine the needs and coordinate the delivery of materials and funds in an efficient manner under difficult circumstances.

Make a donation for immediate help: every dollar collected is sent directly to the Center who then disburses the money on a daily basis to institutions and localities to protect, shelter, and record heritage before war affects monuments, sites, and objects. This will help buy household materials to deal with immediate protection and sheltering.

Make a donation towards the transport and ongoing costs: the coordination of delivery to Lviv is ensured from Canada directly there. Funds will help cover the costs of safe and efficient transportation as well as acquiring materials that are easier to buy closer to Ukraine, such as fire extinguishing products.

Donate materials: various specialized materials are require to wrap, pack, preserve from moisture, protect from fire, stabilize, shelter, cover a range of monuments, objects, and written material. Some of it can be bought at hardware and packaging stores, others materials are much more specialized.

Share expertise: if you’re a conservation professional and you have solutions to help protect objects and monuments from moisture, fire, and other exceptional events, please share them HERE so that we can provide these to our Ukrainian colleagues. These solutions have to be simple, practical, and rely essentially on household materials.

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Join the Coalition

Want to donate materials or expand the network of supports?

Join the coalition of heritage organizations here and let us know what you can do to help.

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