ICME News 40 - March 2005

ICME Ethnography - Ethnographie - Etnografia

International Committee for Museums of Ethnography - ICOM/ICME
http://icme.icom.museum

Contents:

1. WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT. BRIDGING CULTURES...
2. ICME2005. CAN ORAL HISTORY MAKE OBJECTS SPEAK?
3. MARTIN SKRYDSTRUP. THE COMING TRIENNIAL: FROM NAFPLION OVER MIAMI TO VIENNA
4. UP-COMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
5. WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

1. WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT. BRIDGING CULTURES...

Since the last issue of ICME news, we have witnessed a tsunami catastrophe in the Indian Ocean which devastated communities in a whole series of countries. The result was both massive loss of life and livelihood for several hundred thousand people, and destruction of both natural and cultural heritage. Ethnographic descriptions of many of the communities in this region have been standard works in teaching ethnography for generations, and several of our member museums have collections from these areas - or IN these areas.

As museum professionals, how should we react to help in such emergency situations? And how should we react as individuals? ICOM responded by creating a disaster relief web page describing affected heritage sites, informing about relevant ICOM activities and publications, as well as those of other related organisations. An ICOM Disaster Relief Fund has been established, and several ICOM national committees have coordinated national donation campaigns. Read more about this at http://icom.museum/disaster_relief/

With the above in mind, it is perhaps fitting that International Museum Day 2005 is entitled "Museums bridging cultures". This theme is appropriate for ICME, since much of our museum work involves cross-cultural interpretation.

Our task involves "bridging cultures" from both then-now perspectives, and regarding contemporary cultural diversity.

14 museums answered the call from SEM, culminating in each museum exhibiting in 50m2 of the new building in December 2004. I had the opportunity to attend the opening, and was impressed by the variation on both themes and analytical perspectives in the various exhibits. Some of these focused on symbolic meaning of objects over time - and their relation to various levels of 'imagined communities'. Others concentrated on the role of museum ethnography/ethnology in scientific research in their respective countries. And others yet attempted to allow their objects to speak for themselves - without contextualization through descriptions or visual media. The exhibition runs until December 2005, and is accompanied by a 56 page catalog. See www.etno-muzej.si for more information (the SEM webmaster assures me that information in English will be online soon). I believe that we should applaud and encourage initiatives of this kind. My congratulations to the Slovene Ethnographic Museum!

On another, more global front, a special session on the UNESCO draft "Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions" will be held during the June 2005 ICOM Advisory Committee meeting in Paris. This draft convention is an elaboration of the 2001 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, and is planned for submission during the October UNESCO General Conference. The current draft document is available at http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=11281&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html In June, ICOM/ICME therefore has the opportunity to present views on this matter which could influence the outcome of the final convention. Those of you having comments are welcome to email them to me. The topic of this convention is also relevant to Martin Skrydstrups workshop suggestions below, which I believe can lead to interesting discussions in both Nafplion in 2005, and Miami in 2006.

This leads us to ICME 2005. The Hellenic National Committee of ICOM and The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation have graciously invited ICME to join them in Nafplion this October. The theme of "Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?" gives us a way of bridging between the 2004 "Museums and Intangible Heritage" and the 2007 "Museums - Fundaments of Understanding". I'm looking forward to seeing MANY of you in Nafplion, and participating in discussions with you - both during the conference and the post-conference tour!

Regards from

Daniel Winfree Papuga

president@icme.icom.museum

2. ICOM-ICME 2005. CAN ORAL HISTORY MAKE OBJECTS SPEAK?

Nafplion, Greece, October 18-21, 2005

Conference in collaboration with the Hellenic National Committee of ICOM, and The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation

CALL FOR PAPERS

"Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?"

Museums are increasingly utilising Oral History as a tool in research, documentation, exhibitions and education - as well as a way of empowering people and contextualizing objects. The 2005 ICME conference asks 'Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?', and calls for papers on the ideology, methodology and practice of Oral History in museums.

ICME invites papers on the main theme, or any of the following sub-themes:

- Integrating Oral History in exhibitions ­ From concept to implementation.

- Audience research on Oral History ­ How do we assess museum visitor impact?

- Museums, Oral History and source communities ­ developing dialogical paradigms.

- Education and Oral History - How can it benefit museum outreach programmes, educational activities, multimedia and the Internet?

- Museum, Library & Archive collaboration on Oral History.

- Ethical aspects of Oral Traditions - Intellectual Property and Cultural Heritage Institutions.

Paper proposals may be submitted to ICME2005@yahoogroups.com until May 31st, 2005.

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME

Tuesday 18/10/05

15.00-17.00 Arrival and Registration

17.00- 19.00 Welcome speeches, Plenary session & Keynote speakers

19.00-20.00 Guided Tour at the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (PFF)

20.00 Welcome reception

Wednesday 19/10/05

a.m. Papers

p.m. Workshop & Event hosted by the Friends of the PFF

Thursday 20/10/05

a.m. Museum visits in Epidaurus & Mycenae

p.m. Papers & Workshop

Friday 21/10/05

a.m. Papers

p.m. Museum visit Nafplion Art Gallery & Workshop

Round Table Discussion

End of meeting

Farewell Party

Saturday 22/10/05

Departure of delegates - or participation on the ICME Post Conference Tour:

Saturday & Sunday 22-23/10/05 Post Conference Tour

The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation and Ippocampos Travel Agency plan to arrange an optional post-conference excursion of the Peloponnese on October 22-23. The tour includes travel to Dimitsana ­ Stemnitsa, Sparti, Kalamata and Olympia, and visits to the Ethnographic, Historical and Archaeological museums listed below. Hotel accomodation on Saturday night and a lunch of rural gastronomical specialities are also included. The tour ends in Athens.

• Open-Air Water Power Museum of Dimitsana

• Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa

• Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil at Sparta

• Archaeological site of Mystras

• Archaeological Museum of Olympia

If you consider participating on this tour, please register as soon as possible, as there must be at least 20 people along in order to arrange it.

OTHER RELEVANT LINKS

Hellenic National Committee of ICOM

The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation

Nafplionet

Greek National Tourism Organisation

Lonely Planet - Greece

Cultureguide - The cultural e-magazine of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture

The Athens News daily newspaper

Airport information

Oral History Society

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM

(Also available in PDF and WORD formats)

SURNAME

FIRST NAME

TITLE

ORGANIZATION

ADDRESS

CITY / TOWN

COUNTRY

POSTAL/ZIP CODE

TELEPHONE

FAX

EMAIL

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

ANY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS (dietary, disability, etc.)

CONTRIBUTION

I would like to participate with a paper: Yes/No

I would like to present of paper of (minutes): 20min / 15min / 10min

TITLE OF PAPER

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE PAPER (up to 200 words):

LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: English / French

A/V REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESENTATION (e.g.: slide projector, Overhead projector, VCR, Power-Point/PC, etc.)

REGISTRATION FEE:

The registration fee includes admission to all academic sessions, the conference pack, coffee, tea, four meals, transportation (round trips) to the conference venue, admissions to selected museums and exhibitions and participation in all social events. Please remember that all prices are in Euro (€).

The Post-conference excursion is optional and thus participation will require an extra cost. Please see the ACCOMMODATION & TOUR BOOKING FORM below.

HOW TO PAY THE REGISTRATION FEE

by Bank Transfer to:

ALPHA BANK

Account Number: 369002002002623

SWIFT: C R B A G R A A

IBAN: GR 4601403690369002002002623

NOTE that a copy of the bank transfer MUST be sent to the Organizers (e.g. by fax), or we will not be able to register your payment.

Complete this form and send it to either:

Email: ICME2005@yahoogroups.com

OR

Fax: +30 210 3239414 AND +1 7633743116 (both faxes)

OR

Hellenic National Committee of ICOM

(Attn: Dr Marlen Mouliou and Mrs Teti Hadjinikolaou)

15, Assomaton Street, 105 55 Athens, Greece

For further information, please contact

Dr Marlen Mouliou, email: mmouliou@otenet.gr

Tel/Fax: +30 210 3239414, 210 7652021, Cell phone: +30 6947804192

OR

Daniel Winfree Papuga, email: president@icme.icom.museum Tel: +47 92419946, Fax +1 7633743116

ACCOMMODATION & TOUR BOOKING FORM

"ICME 2005 – Annual Meeting" , NAFPLION 18-22 OCTOBER 2005

(Also available in PDF and WORD formats)

Please complete and return to: IPPOCAMPOS S.A. (www.Ippocampos.com) 49, M. Botsari str. 117 42 Athens, Greece. Tel: (+30210) 9002600, Fax:(+30210)9002629 email: tmamais@ippocampos.com

SURNAME…………………………………………………………………

FIRST NAME(Mr,Mrs, Miss)……………………………………………………

ADDRESS……………………………………………………………………

COUNTRY………………………………………………………………………

TEL……………………………………………FAX…………………………..

e-mail………………………………………………………………………….

HOTEL…………………………………

FROM(arrival)……………………… To(departure)………………………

Type of Room…………………….Total No of Nights………………………. No of adults…………………….

HOTEL RATES IN EURO PER ROOM PER DAY (Service, Taxes & Buffet Breakfast included)

1. Hotel REX, B' Cat, € 85,00 SINGLE / € 100,00 DOUBLE www.gtp.gr/Rex-Nafplio

2. Hotel King OTHON I, B' Cat, € 85,00 SINGLE / € 85,00 DOUBLE www.kingothon.gr

3. Hotel King OTHON II, B' Cat, € 95,00 SINGLE / € 95,00 DOUBLE www.kingothon.gr

If none of your preferences are available, alternative accommodation will be booked on your behalf

Please indicate your price:

Minimum per person per night € ……………. Maximum per person per night € …………

OPTIONAL TOUR TO SPARTA/OLYMPIA 22-23 OCTOBER 2005

Subject to minimum participation (20)

Per person € 148,00 No of persons : .......

Tour details

a) One night accommodation in B' Cat hotel

b) one lunch in a traditional style restaurant

c) Transportation by luxurious 50 seater coach.

TERMS OF PAYMENT

1. Two nights(2) deposit is due with the reservation. Full payment by 24 August 2005

2. Cancellation received before 24 August 2005, carries no cancellation fee. No refunds after this date.

CREDIT CARD PAYMENT (Important : Your credit card number is required to secure the rooms) To be completed only by participants wishing to pay by Credit Card

DINERS - MASTER/EUROCARD - VISA - AMERICAN EXPRESS

NUMBER OF CARD…………………………………………………………

EXPIRY DATE…………………………………….

Holders of AMERICAN EXPRESS only, site also the CID no of Card…………………………………………………….

AMOUNT TO BE CHARGED €…………………………………………………

DATE……………………….

CARD MEMBER SIGNATURE ………………………………………………………………….

The following Bank Account is to be used by participants who aren't Credit Card holders

ALPHA BANK

ACCOUNT NUMBER 369 002 002 002 180

SWIFT NUMBER: C R B A G R A A X X X

IPPOCAMPOS TRAVEL S.A.

3. THE COMING TRIENNIAL: FROM NAFPLION OVER MIAMI TO VIENNA

I would like to share with you the following thoughts I have about the coming three years and ICME's future role with regard to the area I hold responsibility for as Correspondent for Repatriation. Your comments for the suggested work ahead are much welcomed.

The Objective

In an excellent piece entitled "Reflections on the return of cultural property to its place of origin" (2002) the Swedish Deputy Director of Information at the National Heritage Board in Stockholm, Monika Minnhagen-Alvsen lists a number of examples of how requests for repatriation have been dealt with by national museums in Sweden. In her assessment of the current international debate she explicitly quotes ICME's position (2002:50). Regrettably, this reference to ICME's work is the exception, rather than the rule, in the current international debate on cultural property.

As Correspondent for Repatriation my ambition is to turn this around. ICME should be referenced a whole lot more in articles and debates, than what is currently the case. The theme of cultural property represents an opportunity for ICME, not a taboo. We should contribute to the international discussions and not least policy making on cultural property. Institutional bodies should request ICME's expertise, advice and input on this issue. As I wrote in ICME News 38 I would ideally like ICME to "overcome the current impasse in the debate and move the issue to the vanguard of reflective, responsible and prolific museological debate that it deserves."

The Plan

To achieve this objective I would like the coming ICME conferences in Greece 2005 and Florida 2006 to feature sub-themes addressing perspectives on cultural property. Ideally, I would like these panel discussions to build up to part II of the joint ICME-INTERCOM session on resolution modes in repatriation/illicit trafficking convened in Seoul 2004. At the general ICOM conference in Vienna 2007 I would like ICME to present and build upon the key results of our discussions in Greece and Florida. Thus, under the umbrella of the general themes suggested for Nafplion and Miami, I suggest the following sub-themes:

Nafplion sub-theme: The New Challenge - Intellectual Property and Cultural Heritage Institutions

For the ICME conference in Nafplion the title "Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?" has been chosen. Exploring this topic in the context of museum collections, I would pursue the question whether Ethnographic Museums need to care about the ongoing work in WIPO on folklore (or what is at times referred to as ETCs "expressions of traditional culture") and Traditional Knowledge (TK)? In ICME News 38, Daniel Papuga touched upon the contemporary work in WIPO regarding an international instrument for the protection of traditional cultural expressions. He assessed this work to be "immensely important to museums".

For example, an ethnographic collection of artifacts typically also consists of photographs, drawings, sound recordings and archival records on each item. Certain indigenous constituencies would like to have a say in the circulation of the knowledge represented in this material. How do existing IP regulatory frameworks accommodate this, nationally and internationally? How can we strike a balance between the legitimate interests of source communities and the notion of public domain, which is so fundamental to the museum institution.

I would suggest that we invite Wend Wendland from WIPO to present the concept paper he is working on concerning museums, traditional cultural expressions and IP law. Another option would be to invite the Greek lawyer Erica-Irene Daes and have her present her UN report "Protection of the Heritage of Indigenous People" (1997). I am sure that our co-host the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation would also like to contribute to a panel addressing these issues.

Miami Sub-theme: Connections, Communities and Collections

For the ICME conference in Miami a focus on cultural diversity and museum-community relations has been suggested. Florida is an excellent venue to explore these themes. I would like us to pursue questions such as the relation between indigenous constituencies and the public domain in light of museum experiences with community partnership. I would also like to see this conference address the issue of recognition of tribal constituencies by museums.

Vienna Sub-theme: Does Nofretete still long? Understanding Claims for the Return of Culture

A little more than two decades after the publication of Herbert Ganslmayr's Nofretete will nach Hause. Europa - Schatzhaus der dritten Welt (1984) it seems timely to take stock of what has occurred since then. Where did the Director of Bremen's Ubersee Museum, Member of ICOM's Advisory Committee and prolific Board Member of ICME leave the question of cultural property? What has been achieved since the publication of his opus magnus more than two decades ago? What have the benefits and problems of acts of repatriation been? Has the discourse, modes of conflict resolution and stakeholders changed, and if so, in what direction?

At the general ICOM conference `Museums - Fundaments of Understanding' in Vienna 2007 I would like to see the cooperation with INTERCOM and the Legal Affairs and Properties Committee continued. In the panel outlined above ICME could contribute with the results of the sub-themes discussed in Nafplion 2005 and Miami 2006.

Do let me or any ICME Board Member know what you think about what pertinent questions to pursue at the ICME conferences ahead. Thank you very much!

Martin Skrydstrup

ICME Board Member / Doctoral Student

Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, 452 Schermerhorn Extension

1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, U.S.A.

Phone: +1 212 368 8480, Fax: +1 212 854 7347, mcs2005@columbia.edu

4. UP-COMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

March 21: "From Play to Knowledge: A workshop on ethnographic methodology", Department of Social Anthropology, University of Manchester, UK. http://www.socialsciences.man.ac.uk/socialanthropology/events/fromplaytoknowledge

March 23 - 26: National Meeting of the Popular Culture / American Culture Associations, San Diego, California, USA. http://www.h-net.org/~pcaaca/2005/

March 31: "Talking Objects: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Material Culture Studies", University College Dublin, Ireland. http://www.anthropologyireland.org/mcday.htm

April 1: Proposal deadline for "Nomadic Expertises. The Circulation of Urban Models outside the Western World", a special thematic issue of the French journal Geocarrefour. http://www.geocarrefour.org/#expertises_en

April 4-7: "Creativity and cultural improvisation", ASA 2005Conference, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. http://www.theasa.org/conferences.htm

April 5-10: "Heritage, Environment and Tourism", annual conference of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Santa Fe, NewMexico, USA. http://www.sfaa.net

April 8-10: "Religion, Migration and Conversion: The Morality of Adapting Beliefs to New Contexts", Society for the Anthropology of Religion's annual conference, Vancouver, Canada. http://www.uwgb.edu/sar/2005CFP.html

April 5-10: "Heritage, Environment and Tourism", annual conference of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Santa Fe, NewMexico, USA. http://www.sfaa.net

April 16: Deadline for Submissions to "Journal of Indigenous Nations Studies" http://www.ku.edu/~insp/insjournal.html

April 20-21: "Enriching indigenous Southeast Asian collections in libraries", Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Information from chrdf@uplinkdesigns.com or virge@uplink.com.ph

April 21: "Aboriginal Oral Traditions: Theory, Practice, and Ethics", Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. http://www.stmarys.ca/administration/gorsebrook/conferences.htm

April 30: "Collections at the Core: curation, care, and controversy", Association of College and University Museums and Galleries Annual Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. http://www.acumg.org/conference05.html

May 1-5: "A Defining Moment, Museums at the Crossroad ", American Association of Museums Annual Meeting 2005, Indianapolis, USA. http://www.aam-us.org/am05

May 3-8: "Translocality: Discussing Culture And Change In The 21st Century", Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Organized by The Canadian Anthropological Society; the Society for the Anthropology of North America and the Facultad de Ciencias Antropologicas in Mexico. http://www.cas-sca.ca/meetings.htm

May 9-10 2005: Looking Backward, Looking Forward" Museum Ethnographers Group annual meeting, Manchester, UK. Deadline for paper proposals: December 9th 2004. http://www.museumethnographersgroup.org.uk/

May 13-15: "Performing Policy - Enacting Diversity: European Summer Carnivals in Comparative Perspective", International Colloquium, Department of European Ethnology, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany. Deadline for Submitting Paper Proposals: 20 February 2005. For information, contact Michi Knecht (michi.knecht@rz.hu-berlin.de) http://www2.hu-berlin.de/ethno/

May 16: "Questioning The Boundaries Of Ethnography: The Presentation And Collection Care Of Ethnographic And Folk Material", UKIC Ethnography Section Annual Seminar, Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans, Cardiff, UK. Deadline for paper proposals: March 29. Information from: Dervilla O'Dwyer dodwyer@nmm.ac.uk http://www.ukic.org.uk/ or http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/mwl/

May 18: "Museums bridging cultures", International Museum Day 2005. http://icom.museum/imd.html

May 18-20: "Museum symposium 2005", Oulu, Finland. http://www.museoliitto.fi/english/museoliitto/symposium.htm

May 19-22: Nordic Anthropological Film Association, 25th International Ethnographic Film Festival, Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm, Sweden. http://nafa.uib.no or http://www.etnografiska.se/

May 20: "Urban Life and Culture in Southeast Europe", 3rd Conference of the International Association for Southeast European Anthropology, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. http://www-gewi.kfunigraz.ac.at/inasea/conference3.html

May 25-28: "Hands on District Six: Landscapes of Postcolonial Memorialisation", Cape Town, South Africa. http://www.districtsix.co.za

May 31: Proposal deadline and earlybird registration for "Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?", ICOM/ICME Annual Conference, Nafplion, Greece. (see above - or http://icme.icom.museum )

May 30: Proposal deadline for "Dancing with memory: oral history and its audiences", XIVth International Oral History Conference Sydney, Australia. The conference itself will be held 12-16 July 2006. http://www.ioha.fgv.br/

June 1-5: "Images of Evil", 16th Annual Beeld voor Beeld Ethnographic Film Festival, KIT Tropentheater, Amsterdam, NL. http://www.beeldvoorbeeld.nl

July 1-10: "MONSOONS AND MIGRATIONS; Unleashing Dhow Synergies", 2005 ZIFF Festival of the Dhow Countries, Stone Town, Zanzibar. Deadline for paper proposals: April 15. http://www.ziff.or.tz/

July 3-24: "Memory and Methodology: Workshop on the African Diaspora", Harriet Tubman Resource Centre on the African Diaspora, Department of History, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. http://www.yorku.ca/nhp/

July 7-9: "Muslims in Europe and Elsewhere - Others in Muslim Lands", 19th AFEMAM Conference, Strasbourg, France. Deadline for paper proposals: April 30. http://www.afemam.org

July 12-14: "Indonesia in the changing global context: Building co-operation and partnership", 4th International symposium hosted by the journal "Antropologi Indonesia" and the Department of Anthropology, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia. http://www.jai.or.id/events/sympo/4th_dpk/si4thinfo.htm

July 19-23, 2005: "Pacific Arts Association Eighth International Symposium", Salem, Massachusetts, USA. http://www.pacificarts.org/

August 15 - November 4 : "7th Regional Course on the Conservation and Management of Immovable Cultural Heritage", Mombasa, Kenya. Organized by The AFRICA 2009 Programme, The Programme for Museum Development in Africa (PMDA)and The National Museums of Kenya. Deadline for applications: April 30. http://www.iccrom.org/africa2009/english/events/anncourse-e.shtm

August 24: Payment deadline for ICME2005 accomodation and post-conference tour. (see above - or http://icme.icom.museum )

September 17- 23 : "Partnering In Museum Education - Enhancing The Adventures", ICOM/CECA Annual Conference, Banská Štiavnica, Bratislava - Slovakia. http://www.ceca-icom.org

September 15-18: "Anthropology at Oxford", Centenary Conference, Oxford University School of Anthropology. http://www.isca.ox.ac.uk/

September 18-21: 9th RAI International Festival of Ethnographic Film, Oxford, UK. http://www.therai.org.uk/film/festival/ October 12-15: "(Im)permanence: Cultures in/out of Time", interdisciplinary conference at the Center for the Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Proposal deadline: February 16. http://www.hss.cmu.edu/cas

October 18-21: "Can Oral History Make Objects Speak?", ICOM/ICME Annual Conference, Nafplion, Greece. (see above - or http://icme.icom.museum )

October 22-23: ICME post-conference tour of the Peloponnesus. (see above - or http://icme.icom.museum )

November 3-5: "DIGITS FUGIT!: Preserving Knowledge into the Future", 33rd Annual Museum Computer Network Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Proposal Deadline: February 12. http://www.mcn.edu/

November 30-December 4: "Bringing the Past into the Present", 104th Annual American Anthropological Association Meeting, Washington DC, USA. http://www.aaanet.org/mtgs/mtgs.htm

5. WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Seasons Greetings from Leicester, the Heart of England, where we are excited. The first crocus, spring at last! I write gazing out from my office at the University onto a beautiful distant landscape, dreaming of ICME around the globe, but now from dreams to real news.

I have just returned from a short working trip. I spent 3 days teaching in Museion Gøteborgs Universitet and at the Museum of World Culture, for the communication and education part of their 2 year International MA in Museum Studies course. The course is an excellent model of its kind and since education in Sweden is completely free, the Universitet increases access to further training in our profession from colleagues around the world.

As for the Museum of World Culture, what a wonderful museum! It seems to me, to be sincerely and imaginatively engaged in just what Anthroplogy Museums in the 21st century should be doing. The museum displays are really addressing vital contemporary global issues of concern to all human beings and the work that supports the exhibitions, the museum processes that underpin what we see as visitors, are exemplary in the collaborative approaches that are intended to empower all the local communities that make up contemporary Swedish society, while working closely with the originating communities whose cultures are held in the collection.

First I visited a newly commissioned installation by Fred Wilson: Site Unseen: Dwellings of the Demons, which led me to contemplate the role of anthropology past and present. I thought Fred's new work was powerful and I wonder, on the theme of the next conference, how can objects speak? This great artist made objects speak to me in fresh and often challenging ways, but I found it stimulating to be started out of my complacent attitudes.

Objects displayed in the Gallery "Voices from a Global Africa", especially the sections on the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonialism, Bob Marley and a brilliant Horn of Africa series of videos also spoke loudly to me. I thought these displays, directly and honestly taking responsibility for historical injustices, without dwelling on the African Caribbean Diaspora as victim were some of the best I have ever seen. They vitally celebrate resistance to oppression and creativity through Carnival Arts as well as a wealth of newly commissioned pieces by artists working in the western tradition, including one of my favorite Brits Yinka Shonibare. Of course I am biased!

The most excellent No Name Fever HIV Aids in the Age of Globalisation Gallery, which is organized according to emotions that surround this topic: Fear, Denial, Hope, Anger, Love, Despair and Sorrow has again commissioned some outstanding pieces of contemporary art. Many of the works of art force us to challenge our unthinking prejudices and stereotypical viewpoints about this subject, but not in ways that leave us feeling helpless and worthless as visitors, rather I felt optimistic and full of fellow feeling. You may be interested to read an interesting piece on the No Name Fever HIV Aids Gallery in the Museums Journal and do look out for the next Museum Practice, which will have a longer piece on the Museum of World Cultures.

Perhaps ICME members might share their impressions on another new museum, or a forgotten old one, with the wider ICME group? I look forward to hearing from you.

Viv Golding, Editor of ICME-news

E-mail: editor@icme.icom.museum

Contact address: University of Leicester

Department of Museum Studies

105 Princess Road East

Leicester LE1 7LG. UK

Telephone: +44(0) 116 252 3975

Fax: +44(0) 116 252 3960

The deadline for the next issue is 1^st July 2005. Please send your news to any of the above contact addresses, although email is preferred.