As we enjoy the holiday season with our family and friends, I want to share with you a look back at SAFE in 2007. Through the dedication and hard work of our members, interns and volunteers this past year,

• the number of subscribers to news & updates has tripled;
  

• the number of SAFE Members has increased 50%;
  

• SAFE podcasts and Youtube videos have been downloaded and viewed 8,500 times.

We accomplished this as an all-volunteer organization with a single paid consultant who helps us with website development.

But with every bit of progress, our challenges have also grown and we can only continue our work with your support.

I hope you will be inspired to support our mission by making a tax-deductible contribution to join SAFE. As a token of our appreciation, you can sign up TWO tax-deductible memberships for the price of one from now through January, 2008 in our 2-for-1 membership offer.

I am confident that your support for SAFE will result in increased public awareness about the irreversible damage that results from looting, smuggling and trading illicit antiquities. Here are some of the highlights of our work and a preview of some of what's ahead:

Advocacy

• The year began with our call to support the inclusion of coins in the renewal of the US/Cyprus bilateral agreement as well as the bilateral agreement with Peru. The US/Peru agreement was renewed in June while the inclusion of coins in the renewal of the US/Cyprus was signed in July.

• This was followed by our efforts to support the extension of  bilateral agreements with Mali and Guatemala. Both agreements were extended and amended in September.

Outreach

• SAFE's first Global Candlelight Vigil took place in April to commemorate the looting of the Iraq Museum. A video memorial was created and presented to the Museum. Look out for our next Global Candlelight Vigil, on the 5th anniversary of the event that launched SAFE and prompted our commitment to our global mission.

• A New Hampshire event on preserving ancient sites and antiquities as discussed in The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey of Looted Antiquities From Italy's Tomb Raiders to the World's Greatest Museums, winner of the 2006 SAFE Beacon Award.

• Preservation Imperative lecture series in New York with Members Lucille Roussin and Paula Lazrus.

• Facebook became SAFE with our very own group, created by Leah Bevington who administers it with Rachel Moland and Melanie Repetski. In a few short months, we have gained nearly 400 members.

• We launched the blog SAFECORNER, with spirited discussion on issues concerning looting and the illicit antiquities trade.

• Free E-cards were introduced to help spread the word.
  

• SAFE Tours, our unique insider's look at museum collections continued to sell out at the Met with Oscar Muscarella and Senta German. The next SAFE Tours will take place at the Oriental Institute Museum on January 6 in Chicago, led by Donny George, a 2008 SAFE Beacon Award Winner. Don't miss these very special events.
  

• In a matter of days, SAFE will be an exhibitor at the Archaeology Institute of America's annual meeting in Chicago, where we will present the 2008 SAFE Beacon Awards to Neil Brodie and Donny George.

Education

• We held our third student competition to create original artwork for SAFE's ongoing public awareness campaigns. The winning entry by Nicola Kountoupes will be displayed at our booth at AIA/Chicago, and will also be included in several upcoming publications.

• Eighth grade students in New Jersey invited SAFE to participate in a presentation about cultural heritage destruction and the plight of looted antiquities. This coming February, Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, will feature SAFE in their annual Odyssey Arts Festival, arranged by Member Keli Liu, and presided over by Member Cynthia Bates.

• Toronto 5th grade students who participated in SAFE's Global Candlelight Vigil for the Iraq Museum were inspired to write a poem. We look forward to their participation in next year's Global Candlelight Vigil.

• We have been working with the Classics Department of Macalester College on a soon-to-be-announced project.
  

Website

• Four new feature articles were launched this year on the repatriation of Cypriot icons, why ancient coins matter, U.S. media coverage of antiquities issues, and an exclusive interview with the Director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus.
  

• We added a page on transnational plunder, provided by our Member Blythe Bowman.

• In our continued commitment to clarify our position, we posted our Statement of Principles on the website. 

• Throughout the year, we continued to upgrade our website and introduced archives for news items and e-newsletters.
  

• We reorganized our get involved and donate sections. Look for a much anticipated reorganization of our Resources section.

We are committed to growth and enhancing the quality of our work. As we move forward with our plans for 2008 and beyond, I hope that you will be a partner in our mission.

Happy New Year and thank you!

Cindy Ho
Founder and President