INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FORCULTURAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
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Reposted from EMR-ISAC
Each year in the first full week of May, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) observes Arson Awareness Week. This year, the USFA and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) co-hosted a webinar with representatives from CISA entitled “Protecting Houses of Worship from Arson.” If you did not have the opportunity to participate in the webinar, the recording is now available within the NVFC’s Virtual Classroom. The recording can be accessed with a free NVFC Virtual Classroom account. The fire service can use the information from this year’s webinar to work with houses of worship in their communities to reduce the occurrence of arson and its devastating effects. The following is a summary of the key takeaways and links to highlighted resources that provide further guidance. Although arson is defined as a property crime, arson destroys much more than buildings. Arson can be economically devastating to communities and can result in loss of life. Additionally, the burning of property is only one way that fire can be weaponized. “Fire as a weapon” is defined as any time fire is used to cause chaos, destruction, damage to buildings and infrastructure, harm to people, or to force people to evacuate. Assailants use fire as a weapon to target public gathering events, critical infrastructure, and individuals directly. While incidents involving intentional fire setting are tracked nationally as “arson” incidents, tracking of incidents matching criteria where fire was used as a weapon is less robust. This year’s Arson Awareness webinar addressed national trends and risks associated with both arson and fire-as-a-weapon incidents and the implications of these incidents for houses of worship. Fire can be weaponized with little to no specialized skill or training. Precursors are inexpensive, legal and readily available. Unfortunately, this makes fire an appealing choice for those who wish to cause significant harm. Houses of worship are often locations for large public gatherings and are considered to be soft targets. These locations are easily accessible and often have minimal security, increasing their vulnerability to a variety of security risks. Due to their faith-based affiliations, houses of worship are also vulnerable to targeted attacks.
The webinar reviewed incidents of arson against houses of worship to illustrate the wide variety of motives and tactics of arsonists. Two of the most recent include a fire intentionally set inside the 100-year-old Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Verona, New Jersey on April 4, 2024, and an intentional fire on the grounds of the Las Olas Chabad Jewish Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 16, 2024. Whether criminal, ideological, financial, political, juvenile, or psychological, all arson has the end effect of instilling fear. The final segment of the webinar was presented by one of CISA’s Protective Security Advisors (PSAs). This presentation reviewed the role of a PSA as a mission partner with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and private sector stakeholders to protect critical infrastructure. PSAs can connect houses of worship and local emergency response agencies with CISA’s resources, technical assistance, training, and funding opportunities.
The presentation emphasized the critical role of local emergency services agencies in proactively developing relationships with leadership at every house of worship in their community. Emergency responders should be involved in the planning and risk assessment process with their local houses of worship. The presentation reviews best practices to counter arson threats, such as ensuring “no trespassing signs” are posted on the property so that police are authorized to investigate suspicious behavior and collaborating with houses of worship on their emergency operations plans. The presentation highlights several CISA resources to assist with planning and assessment.
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In last year’s May-September warm season, rates of emergency department visits for heat-related illness substantially increased across several U.S. regions compared with previous years, especially among males and adults aged 18–64 years, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Heat waves are becoming more frequent, hotter and longer lasting than in previous decades. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting above-normal temperatures across the midwestern, western and southern lower 48 states during the summer 2024 season. Heat-related illness will continue to be a significant public health concern. Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event, but heat-related illnesses are preventable. The public often lack awareness about how dangerous extreme heat can be, and effective mitigation of the risks of extreme heat requires a multi-disciplinary response, shared across multiple agencies.
On May 9, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the release of the 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA). This annual report is DEA’s comprehensive strategic assessment of illicit drug threats and trafficking trends endangering the United States.
DEA’s top priority is reducing the supply of deadly drugs in our country and defeating the two cartels responsible for the vast majority of drug trafficking in the United States. The drug poisoning crisis remains a public safety, public health, and national security issue, which requires a new approach. Drug-related deaths claimed 107,941 American lives in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths. Fentanyl is the nation’s greatest and most urgent drug threat. The advent of fentanyl mixtures to include other synthetic opioids, such as netzines, or the veterinary sedative xylazine have increased the harms associated with fentanyl. Seizures of fentanyl, in both powder and pill form, are at record levels. Over the past two years seizures of fentanyl powder nearly doubled. Last year, 30% of the fentanyl powder seized by DEA contained xylazine. Nearly all the methamphetamines sold in the United States today is manufactured in Mexico, and it is purer and more potent than in years past. The shift to Mexican-manufactured methamphetamine is evidenced by the dramatic decline in domestic clandestine lab seizures. The report provides in-depth profiles of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. These are transnational criminal organizations responsible for controlling much of the clandestine drug production, transportation routes, and smuggling corridors from Mexico into the United States.
While synthetic opioids and methamphetamines are currently the most concerning threats, the report discusses trends for a range of illicit drugs, including cannabis, psychoactive substances, and illicit use of controlled prescription drugs. The report also discusses the intersection of drug trafficking and illicit finance, and the DEA’s response to the nation’s current drug threats.
Reposted from CISA/DHS
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) appreciates your response to the Critical Infrastructure Pilot Customer Survey. The information collected from this survey will inform the selection of cybersecurity services offered by CISA to CI organizations such as yours in the future. The link will go live on June 3, 2024, and will close on July 8, 2024. Congress has directed CISA to provide scalable commercial cybersecurity shared services to the CI community to detect and prevent cybersecurity threats and mitigate vulnerabilities to improve America’s risk posture. CISA is prioritizing innovative solutions to customers but requires more feedback to determine how best to support CI organizations. This survey represents an important opportunity to make your equities and needs known.
On April 30, the White House released the National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Critical Infrastructure and Resilience. This memo builds on the important work that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and agencies across the federal government have been undertaking in partnership with America’s critical infrastructure communities for more than a decade. It also replaces Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21), which was issued more than a decade ago to establish national policy on critical infrastructure security and resilience. The threat environment has significantly changed since then, shifting from counterterrorism to strategic competition, advances in technology like Artificial Intelligence, malicious cyber activity from nation-state actors, and the need for increased international coordination. This change in the threat landscape, along with increased federal investment in U.S. critical infrastructure, prompted for the need to update PPD-21 and issue the new memo. This NSM specifically:
• Empowers the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to lead a whole-of-government effort to secure U.S. critical infrastructure, with CISA acting as the National Coordinator for the Security and Resilience of U.S. Critical Infrastructure. The Secretary of Homeland Security will be required to submit to the President a biennial National Risk Management Plan that summarizes U.S. government efforts to mitigate risk to the nation’s critical infrastructure.
• Reaffirms the designation of 16 critical infrastructure sectors and establishes a federal department or agency responsible for managing risk within each of these sectors.
• Elevates the importance of minimum security and resilience requirements within and across critical infrastructure sectors, consistent with the National Cyber Strategy, which recognizes the limits of a voluntary approach to risk management in the current threat environment.
Reposted from ICOM
May 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the first international treaty that focused exclusively on this issue. Today, at an increasing and alarming rate, many painful events have recently caused an immense loss of human life, and damage to the world’s cultural and documentary heritage. The International Council on Archives (ICA), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) express their profound concern about this escalating destruction of life and cultural heritage during armed conflict and political instability. We abhor the loss of life and reaffirm the priority of protecting all people. We also deplore attacks and destruction of museums, archives, libraries and heritage places, as they are a vital and unique part of the culture of the peoples affected by the conflict. ICA, ICOM, ICOMOS and IFLA urge all parties involved in conflict to respect and protect all libraries, archives and museums and heritage places. We recall that all cultural and documentary heritage is indispensable to the survival of our societies and that continuous international and cross-sectoral cooperation is essential for its effective protection. To this end, the four organizations formed the International Committee of the Blue Shield in 1996, through which, among other, they work together to prepare for and respond to emergencies that may affect cultural heritage. Throughout these emergency situations, our libraries, museums, archives and heritage places have demonstrated the important roles that they play in protecting and promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage and in bringing communities together. Culture is an essential element for recovery and for promoting peace.
Archives and records provide evidence of the past and the present and contribute to a more transparent society and the strengthening of democracy. They stand for memory, truth and justice and play a crucial role in documenting human rights violations. In peacetime, they are essential for rebuilding society and consolidating peace, helping people to restore their lives, setting the record straight and providing trustworthy evidence.
Museums are active players in the conservation, protection, and dissemination of cultural heritage and thus have a central role in bringing communities together both in times of crisis and in times of peace. Museums and their collections are therefore important not only for their cultural and educational missions, as well as their social and economic roles in ensuring accessibility for wide audiences and future generations and promoting local development.
Libraries are spaces that connect the past, present, and future. They are hubs for community building and their services benefit people throughout their lives, especially the most vulnerable members of society. The destruction of libraries and their collections is a direct attempt to erase identity, memory, and spaces for people to come together in the spirit of reconciliation. To uphold the human rights of access to information, freedom of expression, and participation in cultural life, libraries must be protected.
Heritage places go beyond monuments and sites, including large complex areas, landscapes, settings and their intangible dimensions. Heritage belongs to everyone: men, women, children, indigenous peoples, ethnic and minority groups. It spans ancient to modern, rural to urban, every day to elite, encompassing value-systems, beliefs, traditions and lifestyles, together with uses, customs, practices and traditional knowledge. Conserving their significance, integrity, and authenticity requires people-centered, rights-based approaches.
Our organizations thus jointly recall the importance of protecting cultural and documentary heritage as an essential component of cultural rights and express the shared position that cultural and documentary heritage professionals play an essential role in building a peaceful, sustainable, and collective future. Archivists, librarians, museum and heritage professionals use available resources to protect the materials in their custody during times of war. We therefore urge all involved in conflict to respect the work of these professionals and to protect their lives and integrity.
Reposted from AMM
Top 5 reasons to attend #TheWayForward
1. This community is for everyone. An emerging museum professional, a curator, and a vice president may sit in the same space at the same table. It's an equal learning (and playing!) field.
2. It's a chance to connect with museums of all sizes, disciplines, and budgets - and gather around a common goal. Let's work together to define The Way Forward for museums in the Heartland, where our audiences are a mix of red and blue, rural and urban, progressive and conservative, and more.
3. You'll find inspiration from experts outside of the museum field. This year’s speaker lineup includes industries like visitor studies, publishing (Highlights for Children), leadership education (Just Bloom School), and performance (A Tribe for Jazz.).
4. This is a great opportunity to experience Ohio! Visit the amazing museums in Columbus through events and tours and explore one of the recently declared Hopewell Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage sites during our Saturday Retreat. We even have an opportunity to attend the Ohio State Fair!
5. Our program is robust, but the schedule won't stress you out. We've built in plenty of time to mingle and stay connected with things back home. Plus, we provide a quiet space for attendees who need a break from the excitement.
Don’t forget…
Registration is open! Advance registration will be available online through July 15 for Virtual + In-Person registrations and through July 19 for Virtual Only registrations. Check out our form instructions and find answers to common registration questions on our FAQ page. Contact AMM for further assistance. NOTE: Sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, and other special guests will receive instructions directly from AMM on how to register and access discounts or comps.
Reposted from BBC
A 54-year-old woman has been charged with criminal damage after pink paint was thrown over a statue in St Peter Port. Police said the statue of Queen Victoria in Candie Gardens was defaced with "paint or a similar substance" on 10 or 11 April. A window on a nearby outbuilding was also damaged. The 21ft high (6.4m) statue of the former monarch was unveiled in 1900.
Reposted from ARTnews
As afternoon dimmed into evening Friday, the Brooklyn Museum became the stage of one the most fervent Gaza solidarity actions yet to descend on a New York City art institution. Starting at 4:30 p.m. inside the lobby, a group of cultural workers, artists, and New York City community members brandished banners, beat drums, and blew whistles, calling for the museum to condemn the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as disclose and divest its financial ties to Israel. Outside the museum, a hundreds-strong march that began in downtown Brooklyn ended at its glass facade. Barred from entering the museum, some protestors plastered posters to the doors; others climbed the steps to its exterior mezzanine and upward its glass ceiling, finally unfurling a banner across the museum’s neoclassical cornice that read “Free Palestine from Genocide”. Police followed the protestors to the roof, while a helicopter circled overhead. In a statement provided to press ahead of the protest by Cultural Front for Free Palestine, the newly formed advocacy coalition decried the lack of public statements from major art institutions on Israel’s seven-month long military campaign in Gaza, which has—as of publication—resulted in the death of more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry. The statement paid particular attention to Israel’s ongoing offensive of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where some one million Palestinian had been seeking refuge. (Most have since fled amid the assault, the New York Times and the UN reported earlier this week.) The statement calls for the museum to publicly recognize the war in Gaza as a genocide, citing evidence put forth by human rights entities such as the International Federation for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur. The Cultural Front said it is also demanding a full disclosure of investments linked to companies that “profit from the arming of Israel” and a subsequent divestment from corporations linked to Israel, in addition to “all arms and surveillance manufacturers.” “The Museum relies heavily on subsidies from the City of New York, along with the granting of the land it sits on, and so its financial doings should be publicly accountable. That process of accountability should also involve the disclosure of funds from donors and trustees who are heavily implicated in the Occupation,” the statement added. The Brooklyn Museum has previously been targeted by pro-Palestine demonstrations. On December 8, around 20 protestors affiliated with the activist groups Decolonize This Place and Within Our Lifetime staged a guerilla action inside the lobby, echoing the calls of similar demonstrations to “disclose and divest.” The next day, hundreds of protestors gathered at the museum as the starting point of a planned march that swept across the Brooklyn Bridge and ended at City Hall. Both protests called out the museum’s corporate partnership with Bank of New York Melllon, which has investments in Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems and has supported the Friends of Israel Defense Force Donor Advised Fund. (The Bank told FT in April that it invests in Elbit “as a result of requirements by its passive index investment strategies.”) Pro-Palestine protestors have also demonstrated at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Famous art schools, such as Cooper Union in New York and the Rhode Island School of Design, have experienced occupations and walkouts by students, faculty, and alumni dissatisfied with a presumed apathy to the war in Gaza. “People are assembling in the spirit of reparation and care for communities conquered and looted by colonialism,” the Cultural Front said. “These include far-flung places and neighborhoods just a stone’s throw from here. Land, wealth, and culture are among the historical plunder, and institutions like the Brooklyn Museum are a direct beneficiary.” On Friday at the Brooklyn Museum, police and museum security staff dispelled protestors inside the museum lobby—no protestors entered the galleries—around 5:20 p.m. By then, the floor was scattered with synthetic red poppy petals, which has been adopted as a symbol of resistance by protestors due to the flower’s indigeneity to Palestine. The protestors, holding banners that read among other slogans, “Silence = Death,” remained peaceful. Several tents had been erected in the lobby by protestors intending to transition into an overnight occupation. By 6 p.m. protestors had gradually moved away from the museum entrance — and descended from the atrium roof— though a crowd remained outside.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Yale Library Security Week 2024 presentations. We are pleased to share links to the recordings from the available presentations for those who missed a session.
Security Week Zoom links.
3/11 Monday
3/12 Tuesday
3/13 Wednesday
3/14 Thursday
3/15 Friday
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