The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) is the principal global fund exclusively dedicated to the protection of heritage in conflict zones and post-conflict situations. It was created in response to the massive destruction of cultural heritage that began to escalate in recent years as a result of terrorism and war in the Middle East and the Sahel region. 
 
ALIPH selects, finances, and steers protection or rehabilitation projects of monuments, sites, museums, collections of artifacts or manuscripts, places of worship, and intangible heritage. These are led and implemented by the Foundation’s partners, including NGOs and cultural institutions. The ALIPH way can be summed up in three words: action, agility, and the field. Thus, ALIPH has already committed USD 50 million to support 160 projects in 30 countries on 4 continents. The organization is run with the mindset of a startup, making it an agile instrument, ready to respond quickly during crises, as it has demonstrated most recently in Ukraine. ALIPH's priority is to support concrete projects and to work closely with local authorities, communities, and actors. 
 
A public-private partnership, ALIPH has had seven member states since its founding – China, France, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – and three private donors – Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, the Fondation Gandur pour l’art, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation – and Switzerland, its host country. Since then, other foundations and countries have made commitments to ALIPH, including Monaco, Oman, and Romania. Recently, the European Union supported ALIPH’s work in Ukraine.
 
This photo exhibition, which is accompanied by an augmented reality experience, tells the story of how heritage has been, and continues to be, a collateral victim of conflict, and increasingly, a target or a weapon of war. It also testifies to how the protection of heritage in countries in conflict or in post-crisis situations can contribute to generating hope, initiating intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, strengthening sustainable economic and social development, and building peace. Finally, by witnessing the beauty of some of the world’s heritage, we are reminded of our common humanity.