The Butrint Foundation

• The exciting results of our archaeological work, carried out in partnership with the Packard Humanities Institute and the Albanian Institute of Archaeology. The 2003 campaign was the most ambitious so far and the most productive.

• The quality and quantity of written research coming out of the Butrint Foundation – a key measure of a responsible approach to archaeology – and the wonderful material resulting from the archive project which has been funded since 1998 by the Drue Heinz Trust. This material is not only casting a fascinating light on the history and archaeology of Butrint but is increasing knowledge of the site in the academic world and beyond.

• The commitment and skill shown by young Albanian archaeology students who have participated in the practical training programme at Butrint or who have spent a year at the University of East Anglia (UEA). These programmes, which are made possible by the Packard Humanities Institute in collaboration with the UEA's Institute of World Archaeology, have involved over 70 students in field training and over 35 in the UEA's programme.

• The results of the effort we undertook (with the Butrint National Park administration and the Greek authorities) to encourage tourism from Corfu to Saranda and Butrint. This produced a significant increase in numbers to approximately 15,000 in 2002 – almost 100% more than the previous year. The numbers of Albanian visitors also increased. Revenue from ticket sales is now substantial and if it continues to grow will soon enable the Butrint National Park management to meet its normal costs from its own resources.

• The growing international interest in the archaeology and history of Butrint, its environmental importance and its potential as the motor for economic development through sustainable tourism. This interest is best exemplified by the visits of the Orthodox Patriarch at the beginning of his fourth Symposium on the Seas and the Environment which took place in the Adriatic in June 2002, and by Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy in October. The Butrint Foundation was instrumental in both visits.

• Our belief that the successive Greek and Italian presidencies of the European Union in 2003 will mean greater EU interest in the Balkans and in Albania, and more aid. Easier access to the region through improved ferry services and port facilities and new roads, will bring more visitors and demonstrate to the local community that conservation brings economic benefits.

• The encouraging start to our environmental work. This has already brought results in terms of measures to bring fresh water to Lake Butrint, where fish stocks are threatened by pollution and low oxygen levels, and the listing of Butrint by the Albanian Government as a wetland site of international importance under the Convention agreed in Ramsar (Iran).

None of this would have been possible without the moral and financial backing of so many individuals and organisations that have worked with the Butrint Foundation in 2002 or have encouraged us in our work. In particular thanks must go to the Packard Humanities Institute, which has been our partner in the Butrint project for more than 4 years.

AIMS & ACHIEVEMENTS

AIMS
The Butrint Foundation was set up by Lord Rothschild and Lord Sainsbury in 1993 as a charitable trust. Its principle objective is to restore and preserve the Butrint site in southern Albania for the benefit of the general public.

OTHER OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:

• The improvement, protection and preservation of the natural aspect, character, amenities and ecology of the Butrint site.

• The support of the Butrint National Park and the protection of the World Heritage Site from development.

• The excavation, restoration, preservation and protection of any locations or constructions within the Butrint site of national architectural, archaeological, historic or artistic interest.

• The promotion of public access to and enjoyment of the Butrint site by the creation and improvement of appropriate facilities and amenities.

• The preservation and protection of historical records concerning the Butrint site and the display of any objects discovered there or associated with it.

• The conservation of animal, bird and plant wildlife within the area of the Butrint National Park and the World Heritage Site.

• The advancement of education on matters of historic, artistic, archaeological or aesthetic interest, relating to Butrint.

• Assisting in the promotion of sustainable tourism to the Saranda/Butrint region.

ACHIEVEMENTS– 12 YEARS ON
The Butrint Foundation is 12 years old. These have been years of change in Albania: from the ruins of a recently deceased Communist system to a functioning parliamentary democracy; from an oppressive, all controlling state to an open society and a market economy. The impact has been enormous in terms, for example, of the breakdown of the old organisational structures, huge population movements within Albania and of Albanians abroad, the assertion of the rights of individuals over the collective, developmental pressures, the opening of Albania to foreigners, and a strong Albanian interest in being accepted as quickly as possible into the western community including NATO and the European Union.

All these have impinged on Butrint and on the work of the Butrint Foundation. Without the support of the Butrint Foundation, without our persistent advocacy of the cause of conservation, and without the effort to mobilise international interest in Butrint, the site might by now have been abandoned to the rampant vegetation, its monuments looted and the area built over. That Butrint today remains one of the great unspoiled sites of the Eastern Mediterranean is important for Albania and a source of pride for our foundation. The conservation battle of course continues. But we draw particular encouragement from: