Join the Harvard Human Rights Journal and the Mittal Institute for a discussion about the theft, trafficking, and trade of precious artifacts from Nepal and countries around the world, and the ways in which students and advocates in the United States can advance the right to culture, identity, and property. In light of cultural heritage destruction in Palestine and Ukraine and the return of allegedly stolen artifacts from well-known museums, including the MET, the MFA, and the Rubin Museum, this panel fosters a timely dialogue among activists, artists, and scholars to address two key questions: How does healing begin? What could systemic reform look like?
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
12:20–1:20 pm EST / 10:50–11:50 pm IST / 11:05 pm – 12:05 am NPT
Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall, Room 2012, and online via Zoom
Lunch will be served for those participating in person.
Panelists
Three panelists will lead our conversation about how the U.S. can create a better framework for protection and enforcement of cultural heritage as a human right.
Sneha Shrestha is a Nepalese artist who has raised awareness of the authentic use of Nepalese ritual objects through her extraordinary artworks exhibited at the MFA and the Rubin Museum and through the events she facilitates as Arts Program Manager for the Mittal Institute.
Erin Thompson has published critically-acclaimed books analyzing the history of cultural heritage destruction in the U.S. and abroad, including “Smashing Statues” and ”Possession,” which bring us to reassess traditional conceptions of art and cultural expression.
Sanjay Adhikari has dedicated his career to seeking and returning temple shrines, gods, goddesses, and jewels to Nepal through his conservation cases before the Nepalese Supreme Court and his position as Advocate of the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign.
The discussion will be moderated by Grace Shrestha, a current Harvard Law School student, who worked with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Antiquities Trafficking Unit and currently leads the Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights project, “Protecting Nepalese Cultural Heritage as a Human Right.”
Registration
No registration is needed to participate in person. To join via Zoom, click here. Password: 2024
