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Editor-in-Chief: Ronald F. Abler - Associate Editor: Markku Löytönen - Editors: Giuliano Bellezza, Woo-ik Yu - Managing Editor: Laura Ayo - Publisher: Home of Geography
Announcements, information, calls for participation in scientific events, programmes and projects, are welcome. Please convey them to l.ayo@homeofgeography.org Spanish version: http://www.ugi.unam.mx/newsletters.html Contents of This Issue
The IGU E-Newsletter In the IGU General Assembly held in Glasgow in August 2004, an extensive discussion took place of how the IGU could optimise its internal communications. To respond to this demand, which concerns a strategic component of the IGU's organisation and activity, the Executive Committee decided:
The next issues will be announced by e-mail and will be available on the IGU (www.igu-net.org/) and Home of Geography (www.homeofgeography.org/) web sites. We would appreciate comments and implementation proposals.
IGU Executive Committee Operational Fields Following the background decision taken by the Executive Committee in its Venice meeting (23-27 April, 2005), the vice-presidents of the IGU have assumed responsibility for individual operational fields. The following breakdown was adopted:
Ten Theses on IGU and Geography In recent months, discussions of the role of IGU have expanded. Comments and suggestions received during the Glasgow General Assembly in August 2004 with those harvested from around the world after the event (particularly from young geographers) lead me to believe that the time has come to discuss the role of the IGU not only in the scientific arena and in society, but also in terms of its organisation and strategies. Discussions are essential to determining how the IGU can enhance its participation in the scientific international arena with respect to research and education, and in particular how it can contribute to dealing with climate change, globalisation, assisting geographers at the local scale, and disseminating geographical knowledge to the public. In order to provide a basis for implementing discussions, Adalberto Vallega drafted a working paper entitled Ten Theses on IGU Strategy and Actions. It may be downloaded from these web sites: www.igu-net.org/ (Documents section); www.homeofgeography.org/; www.vallega.it/). Geographers are warmly invited to consider the document critically, and to offer comments, suggestions, and proposals. Contributions should be addressed to a.vallega@iol.it. They will be assembled into a dossier that will be circulated for further consideration, and will be used by the IGU Executive Committee as a basis for formulating initiatives. Home of Geography Progress Thanks to an intense promotional action by the Società Geografica Italiana (SGI), the Home of Geography has been received renewed funding from the Municipality of Rome. Meanwhile, the Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio di Roma (Foundation of the Savings Bank in Rome) has allocated a financial contribution for carrying out an international initiative aimed at implementing a dialogue concerning cultures and among civilizations (see Section Cultures and Civilizations in this E--Newsletter issue). As a result, in Venice, on 28 April, a Memorandum of Understanding was concluded between the IGU and the SGI with reference to the 2005-2008 period, according to which the basic roles (maintenance and organization of the IGU archives, hosting scientific meetings, editing and circulating IGU publications, assisting stagières (interns) and visitors) were confirmed, and a new operational field was outlined, namely technical co-operation with the IGU General Secretariat as regards the management of corresponding membership, the production and circulation of the IGU Bulletin and the IGU Newsletter, and other complementary activities. The new membership of the Celimontana Committee, which is responsible for managing the Home of Geography during the 2005-2008 period, includes IGU representatives Markku Löytönen (president), Ronald F. Abler, and Woo-ik Yu, and SGI representatives Cosimo Palagiano and Franco Salvatori. Giuliano Bellezza was confirmed as Director, and Laura Ayo as the Executive Secretary. Further information and materials may be found in www.homeofgeography.org. The Publications Series edited by the Home of Geography includes: Volume I Editor: Armando Montanari Title: Human Mobility in a Borderless World? Year of publication: 2002 Number of pages: 450 Volume II Editor: Armando Montanari Title: Food and Environment - Geographies of taste Year of publication: 2002 Number of pages: 144 Volume III (has not been published yet) Volume IV Editors: Yoshitaka Ishikawa; Armando Montanari Title: The New Geography of Human Mobility - Inequality trends Year of publication: 2003 Number of pages: 244 Volume V Editors: Christian Vandermotten; Gilles Van Hamme; Pablo Medina Lockhart; Benjamin Wayens Title: Migrations in Europe - The four last decades Year of publication: 2004 Number of pages: 142 Volume VI Editors: Gisella Cortesi; Flavia Cristaldi; Joos Drooglever Fortuijn Title: Gendered Cities: Identities, Activities, Networks - A life-course approach Year of publication: 2004 Number of pages: 243 Web Sites Geographers around the world are cordially invited to visit the IGU web sites and to download their materials. At the present time, two cardinal web sites are in operation: www.igu-net.org - This web site provides: i) legal materials, such as the IGU Statutes and minutes of IGU General Assemblies and the meetings of the IGU Executive Committee, ii) the organization of the whole IGU, including IGU National Committees and IGU Commissions and Task Forces; and iii) technical and scientific materials. Moreover it serves as a portal since it is provided with many links to IGU bodies, namely national committees, commissions and task forces, international geographical congresses and regional conferences, and projects and research programmes. Contact: Markku Löytönen, IGU Vice-president for information and technology (markku.loytonen@helsinki.fi). www.homeofgeography.org/ - This web site, which is closely linked with the www.igu-net.org web site, includes: i) the presentation of the facilities of the Home of Geography, ii) information about the activities of the Home of Geography, iii) scientific and technical materials. Contact: Giuliano Bellezza, Director of the Home of Geography (g.bellezza@homeofgeography.org). Cultures and Civilizations In late 2004, Jean-Robert Pitte, President of the Sorbonne, and Adalberto Vallega, President of IGU, drafted a document emphasising the need to promote an extended dialogue among cultures and among civilizations. In particular, they stated that:
The best outcome of this action - they concluded-would consist of the proclamation of an International Year of Cultures and Civilizations. The IGU Executive Committee endorsed the document at its 23-27 April meeting. As has been mentioned in the Home of Geography Progress section of this issue, the Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio di Roma (Foundation of the Savings Bank in Rome), allocated a financial contribution for carrying out the Cultures and Civilizations initiative in collaboration with of the Home of Geography. As a result, an ad hoc Action Plan has been designed and adopted by the IGU Executive Committee concerning the initial steps of this initiative to be carried out in 2005. The document Cultures and Civilizations may be downloaded from the following web sites: Details of the Cultures and Civilizations Action Plan will be circulated in the next issue of the IGU E--Newsletter (October 2005). Contact person: Adalberto Vallega (a.vallega@iol.it). 2006 Brisbane Regional Conference The Brisbane Regional Conference Organizing Committee has been meeting regularly and plans for the 2006 conference are well in hand. Conference dates are 3-7 July 2006. Conference sessions will be held at the Queensland Institute of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, which will substantially reduce costs. QUT is about 0.75 km from downtown Brisbane. The organizing committee is making every effort to keep the early bird registration fee below AUD 500 (about US $375). The registration fees will be announced in the second circular, which will be available in August 2005. The conference web site (www.igu2006.org) is active. Questions regarding the conference should be addressed via e-mail to: igu2006@eventcorp.com.au. 2008 International Geographical Congress This Congress will be held in Tunis, tentatively from 25-29 August 2008. Its theme will be Collaboratively Building our Territories (Construire ensemble nos territoires). Pre-congress excursions will take place from 18 to 23 August, and post-congress excursions from 30 August through 10 September. Some adjustment in dates may be needed to avoid having congress events overlap Ramadan. The proposed congress structure follows the traditional IGU pattern, with plenary sessions, paper sessions, technical and poster sessions, an exposition, and social programs for registrants and for accompanying persons. The organising body is the Comité National d'Organisation du Congrès de Tunis 2008 (CNOC 2008). The web site of the Congress is under construction. At the present time, information and materials may be found on the web site of the Association des Géographes Tunisiens (www.agt.org.tn). Contact persons are:
Mediterranean Renaissance Programme In order to mobilise intellectual energies and scientific contributions to the 2008 Tunis International Geographical Congress (see Section 2008 International Geographical Congress) the IGU Executive Committee has approved a Mediterranean Renaissance Programme (MRP). This initiative was designed to focus on the geographical conditions of the Mediterranean region, its perspectives for human development, the peculiarities of inter-cultural relationships among local communities, the perception of this region from the rest of the world, and the perception of the rest of the world from the region. The initiatives concerned with the MRP may have various content and formats: scientific meetings and publications, exhibitions, TV performances, and other media products. The MRP will be implemented during the 2004-2008 period, and the subsequent outcomes will be presented and discussed in Tunis, in the framework of the 31st International Geographical Congress. The MRP was lodged on the IGU web site www.igu-net.org/ (see Section Documents to Download), where subsequent materials will also be posted. At the present time, only the English version may be found. The French version is expected soon. The MRP will be implemented according to bottom up principles. Participation in the MRP is open to all the IGU Commissions and Task Forces, as well as to bodies external to the IGU. Those bodies that are interested in participating in the MRP are cordially invited to contact Adalberto Vallega (a.vallega@iol.it), and to provide some essential information:
Adalberto Vallega, Chair (a.vallega@iol.it), Ronald F. Abler, IGU Secretary General and Treasurer (igu@aag.orgigu@aag.org), Antoine Bailly, Chair of IGU Commission on Applied Geography (antoine.bailly@geo.unige.ch), Giuliano Bellezza, Director of Home of Geography (g.bellezza@homeofgeography.org, Aharon Kellerman, Chair of IGU Commission on Information Society (akeller@univ.haifa.ac.il), Maria Sala, Co-ordinator of the Mediterranean Network (sala@trivium.gh.ub.es), André-Louis Sanguin, Chair of IGU Commission on Political Geography (alsanguin@wanadoo.fr), Alì Toumi, (alitoumi2003@yahoo.fr): General Secretary of Association des Géographes Tunisiens, and General Secretary of the Comité National d'Organisation de Congrès 2008. The role of Secretary of the MRP Steering Committee was assumed by Maria Paradiso, Executive Secretary of the IGU Commission on Information Society (paradiso@unisannio.it) International Year of Planet Earth The idea of an International Year of Planet Earth was launched in 2000 at an International Union o f Geological Sciences (IUGS) Council meeting. Proclamation of an International Year was seen as a potentially powerful means of demonstrating how society could profit from the accumulated knowledge of the solid Earth as part of System Earth. This idea was discussed further at the 48th IUGS Executive Committee meeting in February 2001, and a feasibility study was launched. UNESCO's Earth Science Division provided immediate support, making it a joint initiative by IUGS and UNESCO. Proclamation of the International Year of Planet Earth by the UN is planned for the earliest possible date, probably in 2007 or 2008. Realisation of its ambitious science and outreach programmes demands a period of at least three years centred on the UN Year. A Science Programme Committee (SPC) developed its Terms of Reference in 2002, and these were approved by the initiators soon afterwards. At the present time, the following range of themes is in operation:
A main role was assigned to the outreach programme . The Outreach Programme Committee has developed a web site (www.esfs.org/), produced flyers, and distributed 10,000 general information brochures and leaflets. As with the science programme, the outreach programme will essentially operate in a bottom-up mode. Individuals and organisations will be invited to submit proposals for realization through the International Year. Implementation of the outreach programme will be undertaken largely at regional and local levels. Countries and regions will be encouraged to develop their own outreach programmes, as was successfully achieved by Germany in 2002. Components in the outreach programme may include:
By mid 2003, three ICSU sister Unions (IUGG, IGU and IUSS) had agreed to become partners in the IYPE initiative, a move soon followed by ICSU's International Lithosphere Programme. Partners share moral and financial responsibilities in this endeavour. Other such partners are the Geological Society of London and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (TNO-NITG). A consortium of three geo-scientific associations/societies, affiliated to IUGS (IAEG, ISRM and ISSMGE) joined these partners in mid-March 2005. At the present time the IGU participation in the IYPE consists of a financial contribution and the co-ordination of the Megacities Project (Prof. Frauke Kraas). At its 23-27 April meeting, the IGU Executive Committee decided:
Contact: International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) iugs.secretariat@ngu.no www.esfs.or/ The IGU MegaCities Task Force Since its inception in 2000 the IGU MegaCities Task Force has focused on applying geographic expertise to megacity issues of continental and global scale, with particular reference to global change in environmental systems and the globalisation of economy, politics, and society. The primary focus of the task force is its scientific orientation in aiming at the development, promulgation, and dissemination of new research topics on megacities with relevance for society from a geographic perspective. Moreover, it is aiming at improving the competitiveness of geography in relation to neighbouring disciplines, strengthening the perspective of undividable connectivity between natural forces and the human dimension in the earth system in research and education, and improving geography's public relations and visibility. The special character of the task force is expressed by the following principles: a) strategic external networking by enhancing the role of geography in international organisations and institutions as well as in interdisciplinary cooperation, b) internal networking by promotion of worldwide cooperation among geographers with respect to scientific research, applications, and education, c) enhancing visibility of geographic expertise in public and the media by quick, flexible reaction on questions, information demands, statements. The Steering Committee consists of 20 members from 16 countries (Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USA). More than 280 researchers are connected by a mailing list. The major achievements of the last years are: establishment of an international research network (web site platform: www.megacities.uni-koeln.de), conferences and round tables, conference sessions, papers and presentations, newsletters, participation in the IHDP urbanisation core project, publications, and poster exhibitions. Any feedback and collaboration is highly appreciated (details about activities, new projects, recent publications, material on individual megacities, and items for the task force web page). Please contact either Frauke Kraas (f.kraas@uni-koeln.de) or Ursula Dörken (u.doerken@uni-koeln.de), who is responsible for the secretariat in Cologne. The IGU Geopark Task Force At the end of 2004, the IGU Executive Committee decided to launch a new task force on Geoparks, an initiative that could bring a geographical perspective to a recently developed UNESCO program for the management and protection of the natural and cultural heritage. According to UNESCO, a Geopark: Initially developed by geologists, the concept and its criteria were taken seriously enough by UNESCO to develop and disseminate the International Network on Geoparks. Today, 29 Geoparks, located in China (12) and Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and UK) constitute the UNESCO network, whereas Africa and the Americas are not yet represented. Bridging nature with culture, management with protection, and geo-conservation with local sustainable development are the most outstanding characteristics of this new international effort, but its main feature may be the active local participation for the establishment and administration of Geoparks, linking education, participatory research, sustainable development (i.e. geo-tourism) with geo-conservation as their main goals. Geoparks may also bridge geosciences, ecology, and the social sciences for protecting our world's heritage. Since 2000, geographers and geologists have met on several occasions to discuss the pertinence of an interdisciplinary perspective on Geoparks, linking geo-conservation with endogenous local development. The latter has been one of the topics seriously undertaken by geographers during the last decades. The geographical perspective on Geoparks includes integrating landscape as its main concept; requires a holistic approach and trans-disciplinary research to promote multicultural participatory bridges, and links local knowledge and practice into the research-development agenda. It encourages solid scientific inter-union linkages and focuses on establishing Geoparks in Africa and the Americas. It also promotes South-South research relations and North-South exchanges. The Geoparks' task force main activities during the last six months are the:
For more information, please contact: Oceans 21 In November 2004 the programme Oceans 21, jointly convened by IGU and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, re-started with the partnership of:
The Steering Committee includes the following members from IGU:
The Technical Secretariat may be contacted at: oceans21@iccops.it Oceans 21 now focuses on using and promoting GIS technology and geospatial data, as the practical linkage among ocean, near-shore, coastal, inland environmental, as well as cultural heritage research and management. Details may be found at www.iccops.it/oceans21. Network on Latin American Studies In recent years the IGU Executive Committee has recognised the need for regionally-based research collaboration particularly on matters of environmental concern. Intra-regional scholarly communication, however, is often impeded by divides of language, nationality, and cultural tradition. And many countries, particularly in the so-called "developing" world, do not participate in IGU programmes and projects. In addition to the scientific rationale for a research focus on biophysically defined regions, it was suggested that intra-regional cooperation could enable the better endowed countries to assist the less well-endowed in addressing regional challenges and becoming more involved in IGU. The IGU Executive Committee approved a specific proposal from Latin America during the 30th International Geographical Congress in Glasgow in order to promote a Network on Latin American Studies (LAS). The objective of the LAS network is to establish an instrument to catalyze the participation of geographers within a region characterized by a common background, cultural affinities, and mutual academic interests, regardless of language, religion, race, and other potential barriers. The main goal is to incorporate regional and local knowledge of geographers in the international geographical work of the IGU. Participants are not exclusively from Latin America, but include Latin Americanist geographers from various regions of the world. Some recent activities of the LAS network include academic events ("Latin America beyond the Nineties," Cordoba Argentina) and the publication of the book Geografía(s) de America Latina, together with the Latin American Geographical Association, among others. The network is chaired by Ana María Liberalli , Buenos Aires, Argentina (humboldt@velocom.com.ar) IGU Commission on Landscape Analysis This newly established Commission, chaired by Niko Beruchashvili (Georgia) convened its first international conference in Tbilisi from 4-6 May 2005, to discuss Critical Areas in a Landscape: From Theory and Mapping to Management. Eminent specialists and practitioners in land and ecosystem conservation and management from 12 countries of North America, Europe, and Asia attended the meeting. A conference statement was approved, that stated in part: The landscape approach is a fertile crossroads for scientists, practitioners, and policy-makers for devising spatial-temporal tools, integrating physical/natural, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions, promoting and for communicating land/ecosystem and natural hazard management solutions for sustainable development at a ground level. Proposed next steps include:
Contact person: Nicolas Beroutchavhvili (nlberou@yahoo.com), 27 Mnatobis str, Tbilisi 0132, Georgia Teacher's Sustainable Development Guide A workshop has been organized in the Home of Geography in Rome, from 13th through 24th June. The purpose was to gather teachers from several countries of the world, to discuss how to teach in the most profitable way the important issue of the Sustainable Development. In the first workshop (2002) three participants gathered in Rome: Niko Beroutchachvili (Georgia), Morris Chauke (South Africa) and Alvaro Sanchez Crispin (Mexico). This time six more teachers joined them: Shyam Asolekar (India), Gabriel Bautista (Argentina), Manuela Ferrira (Portugal), Hugo Romero (Chile), Chanchai Thanawood (Thailand) and Shaohong Wu (China), under the direction of Margaret Robertson, Executive Secretary of the Commission on Geographical Education. Each of the nine participants exposed three field practicals that they will do in the next months, in order to publish a second Teacher's Guide at the end of 2005. In the opening days the team enjoied the presence of Ron Abler, Ashley Kent and Stuart Brooks, while Anne Buttimer joined the group in the last days. During all the time a strong sustain was received by the Director of the Home, Giuliano Bellezza, and the two assistents, Laura Ayo and Anna Cossiga. International Geographical Olympiads The first International Geography Olympiad was held in the Netherlands (1996), followed by similar events in Portugal, South Korea, South Africa, and Poland. Sixteen countries participated to the last Olympiad. Olympiads aim first to stimulate active interest in geographical and environmental studies among young people, second to debate the importance of geography as a senior secondary school subject by drawing attention to the quality of geographical skills and interests among young people, and third to facilitate friendly contacts between young people from different countries and by so doing, to contribute to understanding among nations. The Olympiad incorporates teams of four 15-19 year old students in secondary education from individual countries, though it is primarily a competition among individual students. Olympiads focus on a geographical competition with three parts: a written test, a multimedia test and a substantial field project. Geography provides excellent opportunities for activities focusing on cultural exchange, and these cultural activities are part of a social programme of each Olympiad. The official language of the Olympiad is English. The next Olympiad is planned in association with the IGU Regional Conference in Brisbane in 2006. The IGU has established a Task-Force for the Olympiad to assist the local organizers, and each national committee that wishes to send delegates to this event. Though financial support is limited for the Olympiad itself as well as for the task force, the IGU Executive Committee will ask the national committees of all member countries to support the young students who participate. Questions about the International Geography Olympiad should be addressed to the co-chairs of the Task-Force: Joop van der Schee (j.vanderschee@ond.vu.nl) Henk Ankoné, (h.ankone@slo.nl) Standardisation Guidelines The Standardisation Guidelines is a document prepared following a decision taken by the IGU Executive Committee at its 28 September-2 October 2004 meeting. It provides criteria and instructions for:
The Standardisation Guidelines may be downloaded from the IGU (www.igu-net.org/) and the Home of Geography (www.homeofgeography.org/) web sites. IGU bodies and individual geographers operating in the framework of IGU are cordially invited:
IGU Handbook The IGU Handbook is meant to serve as instructions for the use of the IGU. It includes information on how to contact various individuals and how to work in the framework of the IGU Statutes. It consists of the following sections:
Each Section was designed with the aim of responding to the following basic queries:
This initial edition will be periodically updated. In this respect, the IGU bodies and individuals are cordially invited to contribute by conveying comments, suggestions, and proposals to Professor Ronald F. Abler, IGU Secretary General and Treasurer, who is responsible for this tool. The Handbook may be downloaded from the IGU (www.igu-net.org/ ) and the Home of Geography (http://www.homeofgeography.org/) web sites. Download e_Newsletter #1 in PDF format
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