text: AC’s Helena Arose, Peter Herdrich, and Abir Chorfa Discuss Digitization as a Tool to Combat Looting
  January 24, 2024
  On January 23, Helena Arose, the AC’s Director of Programs, Peter Herdrich, the AC’s Co-Founder, and Abir Chorfa, AC’s Manager of Projects in Algeria, participated in the webinar, The Himaya Project: Addressing Looting Through Digitization. The event was hosted by the Qatar National Library and moderated by Maxim Nasra, the library’s Head of Preservation and Conservation. The AC leaders highlighted the importance of digitization in protecting cultural heritage and combating the illicit trafficking of antiquities. The panelists also discussed the challenges that can occur with digitization.
  In recent years, the AC has assisted in digitizing the records of several collections, including that of the Bardo Museum in Algeria and the Syriac Heritage Museum, which have helped preserve prized cultural artifacts. During the conversation, the AC team also spotlighted the Turathi heritage project in Algeria, which is helping law enforcement identify antiquities at risk of being trafficked while also allowing the public to learn more about these pieces.
  The Antiquities Coalition thanks the Qatar National Library for organizing this webinar and Maxim Nasra, the library’s Head of Preservation and Conservation, for moderating. We look forward to continuing our work in preserving culture through digitization to help combat cultural racketeering and other threats to heritage.