The Iraq National Museum supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO-Paris) has launched an initiative to automate their collections for documentation, research, preservation and the sharing of information. Through this project, the Iraq Museum will ensure that the important and unique antiquities of the Iraqi People will be available in electronic format to promote and protect the culture and heritage of Iraq. The project is funded by a generous contribution to UNESCO from the Swiss Government.
Immediately after the looting of the museum in Baghdad in April 2003, the Swiss Government responded to an appeal from UNESCO to fight the illicit exporting of cultural artifacts in and outside the country. As a result, a computerized inventory of the archaeological collections in the museum has been undertaken in order to easily identify the missing objects and alert INTERPOL (a UNESCO partner) in their rescue. The UNESCO Cultural Heritage Division (Unit for Arab States) operates the project in Paris, France with training and implementation assistance provided by the regional office in Amman, Jordan. MINISIS Inc, a Canadian-based Software Company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, was selected as the private partner. MINISIS Inc is currently implementing its MINISIS M3 technology to ensure the cataloguing, protection and tracking of these rare objects.
On April 30th, 2005 an introductory meeting between the central parties UNESCO, MINISIS Inc and the Iraq Museum was held at the UNESCO offices in Amman, Jordan. The three parties have engaged in subsequent meetings to review the software and requirements for the new system. The project is under the direction of Dr. Anna Paolini, supervised by Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi (both from UNESCO-Paris), Dr. Donny George, the Executive Director of the Iraq Museum, Philippe DeLanghe, Programme Specialist for Culture of UNESCO's Iraq Office and Christopher Burcsik, CEO/Directeur Général of MINISIS Inc.
Additional staff from Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia have and will be utilized to see the system operational by September 2005. Dr. Donny George, the Executive Director of the Iraq Museum, says, "The Iraq Museum is very honoured for the first time in its history to start its electronic data base with the help of UNESCO (the international community) and MINISIS Inc. For the first time, we will not be afraid of losing our data and information about the artifacts of the Iraq Museum. For the first time, we will be able to share information with our brothers and colleagues in the international community. I believe it is a historical moment."
"MINISIS Inc is overjoyed to be considered for this prestigious opportunity to assist the Iraq Museum with the automation of their collections. We have accepted this challenge with commitment and excitement," says Christopher Burcsik of MINISIS Inc. "Our staff in Tunis and Vancouver are committed to ensuring the successful implementation of M3 to assist the Iraq Museum in its ambitious effort to catalogue hundreds of thousands of objects and artifacts. In this time of reconstruction, the people of Iraq must have state-of-the-art technology to ensure the preservation of their heritage and culture. As a result of this process, not only the people of Iraq but also the world will be able to have a virtual glimpse of the wondrous collections of the museum. As well, through modern technological innovation, this ancient cornerstone of our global civilization will be preserved for years to come." He adds, "I wish to thank the Swiss Government and UNESCO for boldly supporting the Iraq Museum project.
Their generosity and commitment demonstrate strong leadership in cultural protection and awareness. Both the Iraq Museum and MINISIS Inc are thankful
to UNESCO for bringing us together to make this automation a reality. This initial project is only one of many to come and with additional funding the Iraq Museum will come out of the recent turmoil as a leader in technological innovation for cultural assets management."
The target for the implementation of MINISIS in Baghdad is September 2005, at which time the Iraq Museum will begin the laborious task of transcribing detailed written ledgers dating from the early 1900s until today, into the new application. Once the entry of the data in Arabic and English has begun, a web interface will be implemented that will allow reporting and access to the collections via the Internet.
The automation of the central Iraq Museum in Baghdad is only the first phase of this initiative. Additional funds are currently being sought by UNESCO to commence Phase II, which would provide the regional museums in Iraq with equipment and hardware necessary to run the system and to train regional museum staff in its use. All participants involved are hopeful that other governments will take notice of this important initiative and provide funding to support Phase II. Documentation on cultural property is an essential tool to combat illicit traffic of Iraqi cultural property and ensure that Iraq's history and identity are preserved for future generations.
