Iran’s museum curator becomes ICOM peace ambassador
The founder and curator of the museum institute, the private child mobile museum Soosan Nikzat was appointed as the peace ambassador by the president of International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM), François Mairesse and an official at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Ahmad Mohit-tabatabaei.
She received the responsibility at the 41st symposium of ICOFOM held in Tehran from October 15-19 to spread the culture of peace in the world, IFP wrote.
The agenda of the forum included promoting peace in the world, introducing international cultural heritage, supporting sustainable development culture and developing tourism culture to achieve sustainable peace, she said.
The event, whose main theme was ‘Museology and the Holiness’, was attended by 67 museologists from Iran and 37 from other countries.
Mohit-tabatabaei said based on an earlier agreement during a 2016 meeting of ICOM in Milan, Italy, it was decided to hold the annual symposium of ICOFOM in Tehran.
“The decision was finalized in a meeting in Paris in 2017 and the preparations have been underway since then,” he said.
Despite obstacles created over the past year by the US sanctions and amid the current difficult situation in Iran, the ICOM put its weight behind the Islamic Republic to hold the symposium, he added.
“The lectures chiefly dealt with the main theme of the symposium that is museum and the holiness. Iran was chosen as the host of the event not only due to its Islamic and Shia background but also its cultural diversity. Iran is also home to over 300 ancient churches,” he noted.
Elaborating on the reasons for selecting Iran’s National Museum as the host of the event, he said the museum is located along a street which is recognized as a culturally diverse street in the capital Tehran which includes holy sites such as a mosques, churches and museums.
Jebreil Nokandeh, director of the Iran’s National Museum, said the event could contribute further to our understanding of museums in Iran and expand the concept of museum across the world.
“Museums and museologists can bring people together to promote cultural dialogue across the world,” he noted.
Founded in 1977, ICOFOM aims to promote research and theoretical thinking within museums in the world. It addresses the study of theoretical foundation that guides museum activities around the world or, more generally, the analysis of the different forms that museums can take.