In a seminal report called Excellence and Equity published by the American Association of Museums (1992), the educational role of museums was identified as the core to museums' service to the public.

A large number of museums have also had their infrastructure damaged as a result of being caught in the armed conflict.

The programme also includes walks around the city, trips to museums, days out and sports activities, as well as a Jahrmarkt der Kulturen, or Culture Fair.

With over 200 museums, Israel has the highest number of museums per capita in the world, with millions of visitors annually.

According to the report, ...the public dimensions of museums leads them to perform the public service of education a term that in its broadest sense includes exploration, study, observation, critical thinking, contemplation and dialogue.

A malign example is Philip Morris s donation of money to museums, symphony orchestras, and opera houses, cynically aimed at buying off artists who might otherwise work to ban cigarettes.

The San Diego Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and a member of the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

This Convention was the first international treaty aimed at protecting cultural heritage in the context of war, and which highlighted the concept of common heritage and led to the creation of the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS), whose Director General is currently Mr Julien Anfruns from the International Council of Museums (ICOM).