Dear Alissandra, Dear colleagues, ICOM Finland and its members want to express their deepest sorrow to the victims of the earth quake and the tsunami in Asia. It is impossible to imagine the consequences of this natural catastrophe. When the time comes, after some weeks or months, we must be ready to help our colleagues in the region. Except professional help and materials we need money. We need it in this situation and we have to develop a system for the future, so that museum professionals can in coming disasters, natural or man made, know that ICOM will and can give economical help. Could we concentrate fund rising to International Museum Day 18.05.2005? Then we have more information from the region and time to prepare our members and museums. Now people are helping the victims in the emergency situation and at least in Finland the donations to Red Cross, UNICEF and other organizations are bigger than ever. Governments are making their plans for help for many years to come. Preservation of the cultural heritage of the region ought to be in those programs and ICOM could work for it. We have lot of work to do. ICOM Finland Ebba Brännback Chair Senior curator Design Museum Helsinki, Finland +358 589 7002 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html