Annually, 30 million people visit Smithsonian museums in Washington and New York and a robust digital presence reaches an additional 135 million people. However, promoting recognition is more than bringing people together to meet. It is also about increasing and diffusing knowledge. SCRI maximizes the Smithsonian reach across the nation and around the world, fostering global awareness about cultural heritage and disaster risk management.
A significant challenge for cultural heritage sites is that they have generally been excluded from formal disaster preparedness and planning efforts. Learn about the Smithsonian’s role in elevating consideration of cultural heritage as an integral component in disaster planning.
This informational exhibit made of ten panels was displayed in the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Read the panels and learn about data regarding the threatened and destroyed cultural heritage within Iraq and Syria.
In the crossfire of war, one of the most difficult challenges is how to protect cultural heritage. The Protect and Preserve Cultural Property Act, which includes the Smithsonian and other U.S. government agencies, is a recent effort to provide legislative guidance to help preserve cultural legacies for future generations.
