© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Protecting Cultural Heritage In Times Of Disaster

reibai
/
Creative Commons
Palmyra.

The Syrian city of Palmyra has found itself in the midst of a cultural crisis. Last month, the city was seized by the self-proclaimed Islamic State, raising concerns about the security of its ancient temples and artifacts. 

This hour, from Syria to Iraq, we find out what’s being done to protect thousands of cultural heritage sites from the threat of ISIS.

Later, we also consider how we protect our own cultural treasures here in the United States.

GUESTS:

  • Stefan Simon - Director of the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at Yale University
  • AmrAl-Azm - Associate Professor of History and Anthropology at Shawnee State University; Chair of the Syrian Heritage Task Force
  • Patty Gerstenblith - Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Art, Museum, and Cultural Heritage Law at DePaul University
  • Richard Kurin - Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

John Dankosky and Chion Wolf contributed to this show. 

Tags

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content