President's message

Dear Members,
This is the first time that I am writing to you as new CECA president. I am honoured to play this role for the next three years, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your support and our former president, Colette Dufresne-Tassé, for her valuable work to enhance CECA’s image.
With 1105 members scattered in 85 countries, CECA is ICOM’s second largest international committee. Furthermore, as an intersectorial committee, we can help all the other committees in their approach to communication, education and cultural action.
As such, we are involved – directly or indirectly – in a large number of the resolutions voted by the General Assembly in Shanghai. Since, the complete text of the resolutions will be soon published in the ICOM website, , I would like to briefly mention their topics:
Resolution 1: Shanghai declaration on museums for harmonious social development;
Resolution 2: ICOM’s cultural diversity charter;
Resolution3: Inclusive museum knowledge communities;
Resolution 5: Museums and cultural tourism;
Resolution 6: heritage and legacy;
Resolution 9: Continuous professional development for museum personnel;
Resolution 14: Role and impact of international committees;
Resolution 17: Creation of an international centre for museum studies in China;
Resolution 18.3: Fostering of strategic regional alliances with organizations and institutions
in regions where ICOM is underrepresented such Africa and Brazil.
During the first board meeting after the elections, responsibilities were distributed among elected and co-opted members in the following way:
Emma Nardi (Italy), President
Josée Duhaime (Canada), Secretary
Pino Monaco (USA), Regional Coordinator for North America
Daniel Castro Uribe (Colombia), Regional Coordinator for South America and the Caribbean
Umebe Onyejekwe (Nigeria), Regional Coordinator for Africa
Marie-Clarté O’Neill (France), Regional Coordinator for Europe
Stella Cryssoulaki (Greece), ICOM Education publications
Jenni Fuchs (United Kingdom), Website
Colette Dufresne-Tassé (Canada), Co-opted Member delegated for the research
Arja van Veldhuizen (The Netherlands), Co-opted Member delegated for the professional
development
Sonia Guarita do Amaral (Brazil), Co-opted Member delegated for the relationship among continents and for the organisation of CECA conference in 2013
Nicole Gesche-Göring (Belgium), Co-opted Member delegated for the relationship among international committee
Silvia Ciriello (Italy), Co-opted Member delegated for the publication of CECA-Europe Newsletter and World Newsletter.
Francine Lelièvre (Canada), Co-opted Member delegated as Treasurer
Within ICOM, CECA is a very active committee. In the strive to better know and serve our members, a survey was organised in 2010, in collaboration with Cultuurnetwerk – The Netherlands. The results will soon be published in the upcoming issue of ICOM Education by the end of 2011. In the meantime, it is already possible to reflect on a few important findings.
First of all, members want CECA to improve internal communication. This prompted immediate decisions. Firstly, a re-design of the website with the possibility to webcast and store some of the annual conference sessions. This will allow a broader spreading of information and participation. In fact, the survey showed that half the members never
attended the annual conference.
Members also crave to know more about best practices in museum education all over the world. This is why the new board co-opted a very experienced member, Sonia Guarita do Amaral, to organise intercontinental projects about good practice.
A third important decision is related to professional development. CECA represents a wide range of expertise in museum education and cultural action. It is important that all this richness is widely known and shared. Therefore, the board will launch a new project, under Arja van Velduizen’ s responsibility, CECA members introduce themselves. The initial goal is to create an archive of expertise housed in our web site. A form to describe your specific expertise will be designed and sent to all of you. Museums who want to organise a training course on specific topics will thus have the opportunity to contact high profile experts.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome. I am sure that with your support the CECA board will succeed in organising new and challenging activities.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
All the best
Emma Nardi

January 2011