Cultural Security (contact: erik.nemeth@culturalsecurity.org)   Visit the AWI blog to comment on Cultural Security.

Cultural Security develops the role of cultural property in diplomacy and international security. By examining the significance of antiquities, artworks, religious monuments, and historic structures to hard and soft power in foreign policy, Cultural Security provides intelligence that informs cultural diplomacy. ("The Art of Cultural Intelligence" Archaeology in Conflict, April 2010)

Cultural Diplomacy - "alternative power" of artworks

Over the past ten years, Erik Nemeth has researched the progressive interrelation of the art market, diplomacy, and regional security. The research defines a framework to assess the "alternative power" of antiquities, works of fine art, and cultural heritage sites in political and armed conflict and economic development.

Analyses of trends--in the value of artworks and countermeasures to exploitation of cultural patrimony--have led to a cross-disciplinary framework for collection of intelligence. Cultural Security develops methods for "cultural intelligence" to assess the political economy of art and to inform the strategic role of cultural property in foreign policy.

Cultural Intelligence - political economy of art and culture

Models suggest the increasing importance of cultural security in foreign policy and motivate the development of cultural intelligence as a means to mitigate risk, and potentially forestall threats, to cultural property in international conflict. In the evolving spectrum of cultural power, Cultural Security leverages the historical significance of artworks in cultural diplomacy.

News on Cultural Security (more)

Recent Publications: (see also talks and conference papers)

February 2013, "A Gap in Cultural Intelligence"
The Providence Journal

February 2013, "Alternative Power: Political economy of cultural property"
Journal of International Affairs

November 2012, "The Diplomatic Case for Repatriating Art and Antiquities"
U.S. News & World Report

June 2012, "Repatriating part of Saddam statue could promote democracy"
Chicago Tribune