The Injustice of Cultural Heritage Loss: The Case of Nepal

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, this panel fosters a timely dialogue among activists, artists, and scholars to address key question: How does healing begin? What could systemic reform look like?

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 Harvard’s Laksmi Mittal and Family South Asia 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 readers 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 indigenous people in Nepal through his conservation cases before the Nepalese Supreme Court and his position as Advocate of the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign.