SAFE No More?

A reliable source indicates that Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) is effectively dead.  While SAFE's website remains online, it has not really been updated for some time.

Certainly, SAFE has not been very active in the past year or so. And despite rumors that SAFE was planning a major conference on Turkish antiquities that was to be funded by Turkey�s U.S. lawyers, nothing ever came of it.

It does appear that a related group called "Antiquity Now" is forming on Facebook. It will be interesting to see if it becomes more active as time goes by.

I for one will not mourn the demise of SAFE.   From the start, it was highly confrontational, and brought far more heat than light to cultural property issues.

What of SAFE's Turkish Repatriation Fest?

Some months ago Saving Antiquities for Everyone was working with Turkey's US lawyers (who also help fund SAFE) to produce a conference to help make the case that antiquities should be repatriated to that country. 

From what I heard about this repatriation fest, there would be no discussion of the fact that many of these antiquities left before 1970 or that many are also the products of Greek culture, when Turkey's own Greek citizens were ethnically cleansed back in the 1920's.

Yet, nothing more has been heard of this conference, which was originally scheduled for early October.  Is there to be a great Turkish showcase?   Who will participate?  And does anyone really care anyway except SAFE, Turkey's lawyers and some Turkish cultural bureaucrats?

The Aleppo Codex Mystery

The New York Times has an interesting article about the mystery how the Aleppo Codex came to Israel and how it might have lost some 200 pages along the way.  It does ask whether the Codex should belong to the Modern State of Israel or Aleppo's Jewish exiles.  It does not suggest, however, like some in the archaeological blogosphere have, that the Codex still belongs in Syria, which conducted a thorough "ethnic cleansing" of its Jewish population well before the Assad regime began its recent bombardment of Aleppo itself. Interestingly, even some associated with the hard line archaeological advocacy group Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) have begun to acknowledge that perhaps Jewish artifacts are not best off in the hands of governments that have persecuted Jews after all.  Will others in the archaeological blogosphere follow?

Division in Archaeological Community Over Immunity Bill

Rick St. Hilaire, former SAFE VP and current Lawyers� Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation Board Member, has departed from his fellows to support S. 2212, a bill meant to immunize art coming into the United States for museum exhibitions.   See http://culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com/2012/04/foreign-cultural-exchange.html.  I have critiqued the position of SAFE and the Lawyers�  Committee here.  See http://ordinarymag.blogspot.com/2012/04/lobbying-effort-against-immunity-bill.html

SAFE: Keeping its Own Secrets Safe?

Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) has relaunched its website: http://www.savingantiquities.org/

But the snazzy graphics can't hide the fact that the website tells little about who really runs the operation or how it is financed.

There is a ghostly drop down menu under "about us," but it is difficult to access.

After a few tries, I was able to access this page entitled, "Who is Safe?"

http://www.savingantiquities.org/about/who/

And though they state,

"We do not represent or advocate for any particular profession, or academic discipline. We call for open discussions that examine practices and behavior that destroy cultural heritage. We have no �special interest� at stake except for the future of our past."

I beg to differ based on their advocacy program which seems to mark SAFE as merely an adjunct of the AIA.

And who exactly funds SAFE?

Is it solely funded on small donations of individuals, or are there any direct or indirect governmental funders?

An organization that regularly demands transparency from private collectors and dealers should do a better job of providing some basic information about itself.

Egypt in Crisis: Clamp Down on Pro-Democracy NGOs Derails Clamp Down on Collectors?

The Egyptian Military Dictatorship's decision to put Americans associated with pro-Democracy NGOs on trial may have derailed efforts to orchestrate emergency import restrictions on Egyptian cultural goods at least temporarily.

The roll-out of the new State Department funded Red List has occurred without the usual hoopla, except for this one post from a lawyer and former prosecutor who formally served as SAFE's Vice President:
http://culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com/2012/02/egyptian-red-list-now-available.html

And no wonder. While the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has been funding efforts of the archaeological lobby to justify import restrictions on behalf of the Egyptian Military Dictatorship with a sole source contract to prepare this "Red List," the higher ups at State have threatened to suspend all aid to Egypt over the jailing and threatened trial of Americans associated with pro-Democracy NGOs. See
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/world/middleeast/trial-of-americans-in-egypt-shakes-nations-ties.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Egypt&st=cse

Cultural policy is a reflection of other government policies. In Greece, rational management of cultural resources has been hampered by over regulation, corruption and gross underfunding. Egypt's cultural policy suffers from the same ills along with an absolutely Pharaonic view of government control over the past. So why does the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, its Cultural Heritage Center and the archaeological lobby continue to subsidize and cheer for such corrupt and unfair systems?

SAFE Shortcuts Public Comment Procedure

Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) has begun a petition campaign in support of the Bulgarian MOU. See http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-post_27.html

But the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has already set up a procedure for public comment open to all interested in whether there should be an MOU with Bulgaria. Can't SAFE follow directions?

Petitions like SAFE has prepared are inherently unreliable:

There is no way to verify that the signatories are real people or if one person has signed the petition under different names;

It's doubtful that many of the signatories have any real knowledge of the issues involved beyond the minimal information they have received with the petition.

It is likely that some signatories have also made public comments, thereby overstating support for the proposition.

SAFE already has already asked its supporters to use the regulations.gov website to comment on the Bulgarian MOU? So, can this petition accomplish anything, but to mislead?

Journalistic Detachment?

Reporters Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino have received accolades for their LA Times coverage of the Getty and their new book, Chasing Aphrodite. Anyone under the illusion that they may be detached journalists, however, should read about their SAFE Beacon award and review their Chasing Aphrodite Blog. See http://www.savingantiquities.org/event.php?eventID=257 and http://chasingaphrodite.com/

Messrs. Felch and Frammolino are certainly entitled to their moralistic views, but one can also wonder where their journalism ends and their advocacy begins.

Ai WeiWei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Only Silence by Those Supporting the Repatriation of the Originals

Jailed Chinese dissident artist Ai WeiWei's exhibition of animal heads has finally opened in New York. See http://www.zodiacheads.com/?page_id=17

One would think that archaeological advocacy groups like Saving Antiquities for Everyone (SAFE) would publicise the exhibit, which is inspired by sculptures that were taken from the famous Yuanming Yuan (Summer Palace) in the aftermath of the Opium Wars. After all, SAFE and others have loudly supported the repatriation of the originals and other artifacts from the Summer Palace back to China. See
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/search/label/Yuanmingyuan

But nothing but silence.....

One wonders if there is a concern that publicising this exhibit by a dissident artist would be bad for archaeological business in China.

Egypt's Antiquities Safe

According to the new Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, Egypt's antiquities are now safe. See
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020102755.html

I'm sure this welcome news will leave those in the archaeological community already clamoring for "emergency import restrictions" on Egyptian cultural artifacts somewhat befuddled. See
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/2011/02/should-market-countries-stop.html

If there is no longer an emergency, I guess such restrictions are not needed after all.