Conference Alert: The Future of the Past

From H-Museum:

The Future of the Past: Ethical Implications of Collecting Antiquities in the 21st Century
Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
October 18-19, 2007
http://smu.edu/ethics_center/Entersite.htm

Please join us for a unique conference that explores the controversial world of antiquities collecting, with a focus on the ethical dilemmas that abound in this complex realm. This exciting two-day conference will bring together the many differing voices and opinions that surround this timely debate. Keynote speaker is Dr. Donny George Youkhanna, Ph.D., who served as Director General of the Iraqi Museums from 2003 to 2006 and was central to the recovery of some of humanity's most important antiquities following the looting of the Baghdad Museum. Youkhanna is Visiting Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook University in New York. Other speakers will include art dealers, collectors, museum directors and curators, representatives of source cultures, archaeologists, art historians, legal scholars and ethicists.


Ownership of "the past" - a concept invoking age-old struggles to posses and
control ancient objects - is an essential theme in understanding our global
cultural heritage. Beyond ownership, however, lies the need for stewardship:
the responsibility of owners and possessors of ancient objects to serve as
custodians for the benefit of present and future generations. In fresh
dialog and new understandings relevant in the 21st century will lead to
solutions that are acceptable to all who care about the fate of our world's
antiquities. Moving toward new solutions is the goal of this significant
conference.

Schedule

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Framing the Issues
Key Interests, Values and Priorities Affecting the Collection and
Preservation of Antiquities

Existing Parameters
Legal Frameworks and Ethical Codes Shaping the Antiquities Trade

Hot Topics
Key Controversies Affecting the Collection of Antiquities

Public and Private Collecting
The Complexities of Museum/ Private Collector Relationships

Reception
Thursday, October 18, 2007 from 5:30 to 6:30 to be held in The Greer Garson
Theatre

Keynote Address
Thursday, October 18, 2007, at 8:15 p.m. to be held in the O'Donnell Lecture
and Recital Hall of the Owen Arts Center
Keynote Speaker:
Donny George Youkhanna, Ph.D


Friday, October 19, 2007

National Patrimony
The Impact of Collective Ownership Claims on the Antiquities Trade

Indigenous Heritage
Objects of Sacred or Cultural Importance to Descendant Communities

"Tainted Objects"
The Fate of Antiquities Having Problematic or Unknown Provenance

Moving Forward
The Search for Integrative Approaches to Establishing a Future for Objects
of the Past


Location
Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas USA
http://smu.edu/ethics_center/Entersite.htm


Contact Info:
SMU Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility
maguire_ethics@smu.edu
214-768-4255


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