ICME NEWS 54 - September 2009

It appears that the efforts of ICME presently are being put into meetings – annual gatherings to share ideas and updates, see new museums and forge personal networks. The most immediate conference on the ICME horizon is the annual meeting which will be taking place in Seoul in October (see elsewhere in this newsletter). To repeat myself, the staff at the National Folk Museum of Korea has put together a great effort to organize what promises to be one of ICME’s largest gatherings in the recent
future. It’s rewarding to me to see the number of members who attended last year’s Jerusalem meeting who will again be in attendance in Seoul. There will also be a goodly number of participants new to ICME.
Next year, we will be entering the ICOM triennial cycle. The 2010 meeting during which ICME will also hold its annual conference will take place in Shanghai, China. While the overall theme for the ICOM has been chosen – Museums for Social Harmony –the ICME board will be discussing an approach to this theme that is more in keeping with museum ethnography. We are seeking ideas for paper sessions and collaborations with other international committees. If you have any suggestions, please contact
me. We are also working with the local organizers to put together a special post-conference tour in the style of our history of tours – seeking out local life off the beaten path.

Looking even further ahead, with a long leap forward, at last June’s annual meeting of the ICOM Advisory Committee it was decided that the 2013 ICOM triennial meeting will be held in Rio de Janiero. I think we’ll have to get our dancing shoes ready and all learn the bosa nova for that conflab!
As you all may know, an adhoc committee of ICME, chaired by Ralf Ceplak of Slovenia, has been hard at work with past year revising long out-of-date ICME Statutes. One revision was already circulated. The final version is included in this newsletter for any additional comments or changes. If there are none, they will be submitted to the ICOM Executive as Rules by which the committee will function. Heartfelt thanks go to Ralf, who recognized the need for this document and took leadership of the
work, and to Barbara Woroncow, who steadfastly assisted in the process. One reason why this document is so important is that ICME Board Elections will be held in Shanghai next year. A nominating committee will be created in Seoul. If any of you have aspirations of holding a board position in ICME look forward to hearing from the nominating committee and joining in.
With best wishes to all. I look forward to seeing many of you in Seoul.

Annette B. Fromm

2. ICME/2009/SEOUL, October 29-21, 2009

After months of hard work by our colleagues at the National Folk Museum in Seoul, a larger than usual ICME annual conference is taking shape. With dual themes of Museums for Reconciliation and Peace and the Roles of Ethnographic Museums in the World, a large number of individuals responded with some interesting papers.
Generous funding from the National Folk Museum and ICOM is making this year's conference possible at a different scale. We were able to invite museum ethnographers from developing nations in the region to participate. Also the Museum is supporting several young curators working in their collections through an on-going training program.
Paper topics range from direct discussions of the topics based on work in the speakers' museums. Other papers address educational programming, memory and community outreach.
No more papers are being accepted, however, registrations for participants are still being accepted. (see http://museumsnett.no/icme/icme2009/index.html#form)
ICME members who participated in the ICOM triennial in Seoul in 2004 will remember the scale of hospitality offered by our Korean hosts. I know we can look forward to similar displays of hospitality. If you can get away from the usual busy work schedule, please attend this year's annual meeting in Seoul.

Annette

3. THE ICME 2009 SEOUL CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
Yang Jongsung, Ph.D. (Senior Curator and Folklorist, the National Folk Museum of Korea)

Dr. Richard Baumann (Indiana University), Dr. Beverly Stoeltje (Indiana University), Dr. Per Rekdal (Former President of ICME), Dr. Koichi Igarashi (Vice-chairperson of Japanese National Committee for ICOM), Dr Roger Janelli (Indiana University), and Dr. Kim In-Hoe (former professor at Yonsei University) will be addressing the keynote speeches for the upcoming ICME 2009 Seoul Conference. Research papers and National Reports will be presented. In detail, the research papers written by outstanding
scholars having specialties on anthropology, folklore, museology and intangible heritage will be presented in the conference. Also, the scholars from the 20 countries designated by the ICME Board Committees will be sharing their National Report at the Round Table in the conference. Finally the ICME 2009 Seoul conference will make a declaration of the Seoul conference on “Museums for Reconciliation and Peace”.
After having the academic seminars from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21, participants will be going on the post conference tour from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24. Participants will be having an extraordinary enchantment of Korean culture in the city of Andong and Geongju, the home of Korean Confucianism and Buddhism. We are hoping that the post-conference tour will be giving a memorable opportunity for participants to experience dynamic Korean culture.

Opportunity to introduce Korean Folk Culture through the international conference

The National Folk Museum of Korea has been a wonderful channel for the academic and cultural exchange at the international level. The ICOM 2004 General Conference was held under the joint sponsorship of the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul and the annual meeting of ICME.
In succession to the main theme of the ICOM 2004 General Conference “Museums and Intangible Heritage”, since the year of 2006, the International Journal of Intangible Heritage (http://www.ijih.org/) has been published annually for researching, protecting, and transmitting intangible heritage and for being a channel for academic exchange among the outstanding scholars in the field.
Under the sponsorship of the National Folk Museum of Korea, the IJIH has been serving two important roles. Firstly, it has been contributing to the dynamic academic exchange among the scholars from Korea and abroad at the international level. Secondly, it is making for passing on the lamp in the field of intangible heritage.
The high quality of accommodations including a residential hotel and indigenous, local food and international food, and gifts you can remember stay in Korea by will be provided for making the stay of participants in Korea more convenient, memorable and enjoyable under the joint sponsorship of ICME and the National Folk Museum of Korea.

4. REVISED ICME RULES

Dear ICME Members,

Under the leadership of Ralf Ceplak, and ad hoc committee of the ICME Board reviewed and revised the much outdated Rules by which this International Committee of ICOM should be operating. A number of you commented on the changes. Thank you for our input! Before presenting the new ICME Rules to the ICOM Executive, I respectfully request any comment, correction, input you see needed to make these a real working document. Please send our commentary to me: annettefromm@hotmail.com by September 15.
Thanks again to the committee and those ICME members who have already provided input -

Proposal for revised International Committee for Museums of Ethnography Rules
Note: Various other terms are also currently in use as alternatives to ‘ethnography’. These include ethnology, anthropology, folk museums. A museum of ethnography can focus on local, regional, national and/or global cultures and societies.
Introduction
To promote and protect the interests of ICME and the international museum community, these Rules are designed to ensure that ICME provides maximum benefits to all parties. Unless stated otherwise, these rules are intended as minimum requirements.

Section 1: Name and Address

The name of the ICOM International Committee is: International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography, Comité International pour les musées et collections d'ethnographie, Comité Internacional por los Museos y Colleciones d'ethnographia, hereafter referred to as ICME.The Committee address is the address of the Chairperson in charge.

Section 2: Role and Responsibility
1. International Committees (among them ICME) are principal instruments for the work of ICOM and for the realisation of its programmes of activity. ICME is a channel of communication between its members with similar professional interests. It is responsible for the development and implementation of its programmes and activities. Furthermore, it provides valuable advice to ICOM’s Executive Council, the Advisory Committee, and the Director-General on matters relevant to ICME’s mission and
programmes.
2. ICME is a component of ICOM and subject to the ICOM Statutes and Policies, Code of Ethics, Rules for International Committees, and relevant decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Council.
3. ICME is represented at the ICOM Advisory Committee by its Chairperson or representative, and at the ICOM General Assembly as determined by ICOM Policies.
4. ICME may establish Rules, based on the Rules for International Committees. Said Rules are subject to approval by the ICOM Executive Council. Proposed amendments to these Rules must be sent to ICME members at least four months before voting and must receive a majority of the cast votes to be adopted.
5. ICME represents ICOM and must operate within the generally accepted framework of the organization with respect to the International Committee's specific theme.
6. The Chairperson of ICME shall ensure that its activities do not compromise ICOM.

Section 3: Aims and Objectives
7. The aims and objectives of ICME shall be to:
- contribute to the development and implementation of ICOM's programme;
- formulate and carry out a programme of activities related to Museums of Ethnography;
- provide a forum for communication, co-operation and information exchange, between museums, professional museum workers and others concerned with Museums of Ethnography;
- provide advice to ICOM on Museums of Ethnography and be a source of professional expertise to assist in the implementation of ICOM's programme;
- represent the interests of Museums of Ethnography within ICOM;
- co-operate with National Committees and Regional Organizations of ICOM and with other International Committees and Affiliated Organisations in matters related to the Committee's specific mandate and to the broader interests of ICOM;
- create and disseminate publications relating to matters connected with the Committee’s aims and areas of interest;
- contribute to research in fields relevant to Museums of Ethnography and publicise the results as widely as possible.

Section 4: Membership
8. The membership of the International Committee shall comprise those persons being Individual Members or designated representatives of Institutional Members of ICOM who request membership of the Committee.
Members of the Committee shall be:
- Members of ICOM who have nominated ICME as the Committee of which they wish to be a voting member
Members of ICOM wishing to join the Committee, shall inform ICOM headquarters, which will forthwith transmit details of the Member's application to the Chairperson and the Secretary of the Committee, together with advice as to whether the member is a voting member of any other International Committee.
9. Membership of the Committee shall cease if the member:- resigns from the Committee
- is no longer a member of ICOM, or
- acts against ICOM's Statutes or Code of Ethics.
10. ICME must maintain a membership of at least 50 individual and/or institutional members.

Section 5: Rights of Members
11. Members shall have the right to participate in the activities and programme of the Committee, and to participate in all its meetings.
12. Voting Members shall have the right to vote in meetings of the Committee, to stand for election to the Executive Board, to vote in the Board Elections and to be designated as a representative to vote at the General Assembly of ICOM and in the election of the Executive Council.
13. Other members of ICOM as well as non-members may be included in ICME's communication network and participate at its meetings.

Section 6: Management of the International Committee
14. The Committee shall be managed by an Executive Board consisting of a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a webmaster, a newsletter editor and no more than nine Members, elected by the Committee’s voting members. The immediate past-Chairperson shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Board for one term. Members of the Executive Board shall be elected for a period of three years and may be re-elected only once.
15. No more than two members from any one country may be elected to the Executive Board.
16. If a member of the Executive Board ceases their office for any reason during the period between the triennial plenary meetings, the position may be filled by co-option of another voting member of the Committee until the next triennial plenary meeting is held.
17. A member of the Executive Board shall cease to hold office if the member resigns from the Committee or from ICOM; or is no longer a voting member of the Committee.
18. The Executive Board shall meet at least once in each year.
19. ICME shall determine the venue and arrangements for its meetings. One of these meetings shall be part of each ICOM Triennial Conference.
20. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Board shall be one third of the number of Board members in person.

Section 7: Role and Responsibilities of the Executive Board
22. The Executive Board is responsible for managing the affairs of the Committee and for ensuring that the requirements of the Statutes of ICOM, and of these Rules, are met.
23. The Chairperson and Treasurer shall prepare each year a report on the Activities and Finances of the Committee during the preceding year, which shall be transmitted to the Director-General for submission to the Executive Council and Advisory Committee of ICOM.
24. The ICME board shall communicate with members at least once a year. General information shall be distributed to members on a regular basis as a membership service, while an optional fee may be charged for non-members to receive equivalent information.
25. ICME may create working groups for specific purposes depending on the needs of a programme or on request by members.
26. ICME shall inform the National ICOM Committee in the host country of a forthcoming meeting.
28. The Executive Board shall commit itself to prevent, by all reasonable means, any impediment which may be placed in the way of any member of the Committee attending the meeting by the Government of the host State.

Section 8: Finances of the Committee
27. The Committee is entitled to raise such funds for its operation as it considers necessary, including sponsorship, donations, grants and profits from the publications and other activities produced by the Committee itself.
28. The Committee is entitled to request contributions from members for specific additional services and activities. It may not impose a further annual membership subscription for ICOM members.
29. The Committee will, like other International Committees, receive an annual contribution from the ICOM Executive Board in relation to the number of voting members of the Committee.
30. The Committee shall not enter into any contract or any legally binding agreement involving expenditure by ICOM without the approval of the Executive Council first being obtained (other than contracts and agreements that relate to its own activities and which can be paid for from its own funds). The Committee shall fulfil its financial obligations and the Chairperson shall ensure that its financial accountability does not compromise ICOM.
31. All monies received by the Committee shall be deposited in a separate bank account established for the purpose, and all payments made on behalf of the Committee shall be made from that bank account. The Board shall inform the Treasurer of ICOM of the account name and number and the name of the bank at which the account is established. The ICME Treasurer shall be entitled to manage that bank account.
32. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of all monies received and expended on an annual basis, and shall present to the members a report on the finances of the Committee at each plenary meeting. The Committee shall transmit a copy of the above mentioned report to the Director-General of ICOM for presentation to the Executive Council.

Section 9: Elections
33. Elections shall be held every third year, normally during the ICOM Triennial Conference. A call for candidates (Chairperson and board members) shall be sent to all members at least four months in advance. Members (as identified in Section 4, para. 8) are eligible to stand for election. Two months before the election a list of candidates with their short biographies should be sent to all ICME members.
34. All members not able to attend the General Meeting shall have the right to vote by mail or e-mail.
35. The Chairperson shall be elected prior to the other members of the Board. The Chairperson and the other members of the Board shall be elected for three years, and their mandate can be renewed once. A member of the Board may subsequently be elected Chairperson. However, no one may remain on the Board for more than twelve consecutive years.
36. The newly elected Chairperson and the new members of the Board shall choose among themselves specific functions such as Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster.
37. The Chairperson or Board members of ICME may not serve in another elected or appointed position in ICOM unless authorized by the Executive Council.

Section 10: Meetings of the Committee
38. The Committee shall hold such meetings as it considers necessary for the attainment of its objectives and the carrying out of its programme, and shall meet each year if possible, and always in conjunction with the General Assembly of ICOM. The dates and place of annual meetings shall be communicated at least six months in advance. The agenda of the triennial plenary meeting held in conjunction with the General Assembly of ICOM shall include the following items:
- a report on the work of the Committee during the preceding triennium,
- a report on the finances of the Committee for the preceding triennium,
- a review of the draft triennial programme of ICOM, and adoption of the work programme of the Committee for the forthcoming triennium,
- adoption of the budget for the following triennium,
- election of the Executive Board.
39. The quorum of the triennial plenary meeting in all other matters than elections shall be 10% of the voting membership of the Committee either present in person or by proxy.
40. Each voting member shall be entitled to represent by proxy a maximum of one other voting member. An institutional member may designate another member of the same institution who is a voting member of ICME to vote on their behalf.
41. The Committee may establish working groups which should include a voting member of the Committee, who shall be responsible for the working group activities and shall report back to the Committee at the annual plenary meetings.
42. The Chairperson of the Committee shall arrange the date, place and subject of the ICME meetings, in consultation with the Executive Board.

Section 11: Amendments to the Rules
43. The present Rules of the Committee, adopted October 2009, may be amended at any subsequent annual plenary meeting of the Committee.
44. Any suggested amendment to the Rules must be proposed and seconded by voting members of the Committee. The text of any proposed amendment, together with any explanatory material, shall be sent to the voting members of the Committee at least one month prior to the annual plenary meeting at which they are to be considered.
The present Rules have been adopted by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the members present at a General Meeting of the Committee and those votes sent in by members unable to attend, by e-mail or mailing in specially marked envelopes.

Section 12: Webpage
45. ICME’s webpage should be regularly maintained to provide a good information service for ICME’s membership and the interested public.

Section 13: Dissolution
46. In the event of dissolution being declared either by a majority of the members attending the annual meeting of ICME or by the Executive Council (in accordance with the Statutes, Article 17, paragraph 12.), the latter shall appoint liquidators. Any remaining assets should be transferred to ICOM’s General Secretariat. Revised Rules adopted in Seoul, October 2009
*Based on ICME Rules -1977 and Rules for ICOM International Committees, 1992

5. INITIAL DRAFT REPORT FROM WIPO

The draft report of the fourteenth session of the Intergovernmental committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore can now be found on the WIPO website, at the following url: http://www.wipo.int/portal/index.html.en

6. CONFERENCES AND CALLS FOR PAPERS

August 26-29, “Making History a 21st Century Enterprise”, annual conference of American Association for State and Local History, Indianapolis, Indiana.
http://www.aaslh.org/2009-annual-meeting.htm

September 24-29, “What to Do with Folklore?”, An International Interdisciplinary Symposium, Ljublnana, Slovenia. http://gni.zrc-sazu.si/

October 8-11, The Seventh Annual International Festival of Visual Culture, Joensuu, Finland http://www.pkey.fi/viscult/2009/

October 8-10, “All Thing Culinary Around the World in 1849 and Their Convergence Upon California”, IACP Food History Symposium, Lodi, California http://www.iacp.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=699

October 20–22, “Aesthetic Dimension of Visual Culture”, Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Republic http://estetika.ff.cuni.cz/conference/

October 21-25,annual conference of American Folklore Society, Boise, Idaho, http://www.afsnet.org/annualmeet/index.cfm

November 19-22, Society for Ethnomusicology, Mexico City.
http://webdb.iu.edu/sem/scripts/home.cfm

November 26-27, “Museum Curators and Communities:Embedded Approaches to Participation, Collaboration, Inclusion”, The Horniman Museum and the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, contact: wmodest@horniman.ac.uk or vmg4@leicester.ac.uk

December 13-15, “Re-thinking community in contemporary anthropology”, Picton, New Zealand http://www.otago.ac.nz/asaanz/

February 25-27 2010, 4th Cultural Geography, Anthropology and Cultural Studies' International Conference, Languedoc-Roussillon, France,
http://recherche.univ-montp3.fr/artdev/

May 23-26 2010, “Where Ideas Live”, annual meeting of the American Association of Museums, Los Angeles. http://www.aam-us.org/

August 24th-27th 2010, “Crisis and imagination”, 11th EASA Biennial Conference: Maynooth, Ireland http://www.easaonline.org/conferences/easa10/index.htm

June 3-4 2010, “World Heritage and Tourism: Managing for the global and the local”, Quebec City, Canada. http://www.tourism-culture.com/

November 7-13 2010, “Museums for Social Harmony”, 22nd general conference of ICOM, Shanghai, China.

7. WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Being the last newsletter before the annual conference in Seoul, this issue of ICME News is primarily concerned with the revised ICME rules, which will be one of the topics to be discussed in Seoul. I advise everybody to check the ICME website for the ongoing discussion on the revised rules.
Hopefully, this issue will also be the last ICME News to be distributed in the present low tech format. For the next issue we hope to be ready to present a more appealing pdf-version. At the time we are considering the future format. If any of you have suggestions for features to be included, please let me know.

The deadline for the next ICME News is December 16 2009. Please send news and contributions to: editor@icme.icom.museum

Peter Bjerregaard
Editor, ICME News

Moesgård Museum/
Dept. of Anthropology and Ethnography
University of Aarhus
Moesgård
DK-8270 Højbjerg
Denmark

Phone: +45 89424642
Fax: +45 89424655

Peter Bjerregaard
PhD candidate

Moesgård Museum/
Dept. of Anthropology and Ethnography
University of Aarhus
Moesgård
DK-8270 Højbjerg
Denmark

Phone: +45 89424642
Fax: +45 89424655

ICME - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography
Updated by webmaster, 09/11/02
http://icme.icom.museum