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Chief Editor: Ronald F. Abler - Associate Editor: Markku Löytönen - Editors: Giuliano Bellezza, Woo-ik Yu Managing Editors: Dawn Bissell, Laura Ayo - Publisher: Home of Geography Announcements, information, calls for participation in scientific events, programmes and projects, are welcome. Please convey them to d.bissell@homeofgeography.org Spanish version: http://www.ugi.unam.mx/newsletters.html Contents of this Issue Message: Participating to the IGU efforts and improvement, by Adalberto Vallega
A message by Adalberto Vallega: Participating to the IGU efforts and improvement Last months have been marked by some IGU events, which will be presented in the E-Newsletter # 3, January 2005. They are not only important in themselves but also because of the role that they may play in the evolving strategy and operational fields of the Union. The International Workshop on Cultures and Civilizations for Human Development (Rome, December 2005) has shown how geography may help dealt with crucial concerns of the today's world, catalyse attention from extra-geographical milieus, and design long term, and socially-relevant strategies. The collaboration with the Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Festival International de Géographie and with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization has shown how ample could become the IGU role in promoting geography in the international arena and visibility of the world's scientific community. The Collaboration memorandum, agreed with the Chinese Geographical Society, representing the Chinese geographical bodies as a whole, has followed a similar agreement, established in 2004 with China-Taiwan. These initiatives show that collaboration between the Union's Executive Committee and the local geographical bodies may go beyond the ritual discussions of the General Assemblies. Finally, the unprecedented implementation and qualitative improvement of the initiatives carried out in the educational framework, together with the geographical participation in the Tunis UN Conference on Information Society, show that the frontiers of the social involvement of geography are widening remarkably. To support these pathways IGU is triggered to improve its strategy and its organisation uninterruptedly in order to tailor its mission to a changing world. The more this process follows inputs from the local geographical bodies and individuals, therefore benefiting from effective bottom-up approaches, the more it will be successful. Please help the IGU by filling in the opinion pool Then Theses, that was included in the E-Newsletter # 2 and lodged in the Home of Geography website (www.homeofgeography@org), and return it. Essentially, this collaboration would be very useful to IGU for meeting the needs and prospects that have arisen from the Strategic Plan 2006-2011 adopted by the General Assembly of ICSO and which will be widely presented in this issue of IGU E-Newsletter. I thank all the colleagues that, around the word, are collaborating with IGU and send them my friendly greetings. Adalberto Vallega
Obituaries for Prof. Roser Majoral and Prof. Nikita Glazowsky. Two important losses stroke in the last November 2005 the world community of geographers. On 7th in Barcelona died Roser Majoral: her friends were aware that, after a years long fight, a deadly cancer was overcoming her resistence. On 20th the new of Glazovsky's sudden death was a really unexpected shock, particularly for the friends of the IGU and of the Home of Geography that less than three weeks earlier were spending nice days with him and his beloved wife in Shanghai.
Roser Majoral Moliné, Professor of Regional Geography at the University of Barcelona, died on 7 November 2005 in the city of Barcelona, finally succumbing to her battle with cancer, an illness she had fought bravely for more than three years. Roser's death leaves an enormous vacuum among her family and close friends and within the wider university community, above all within Catalan and Spanish Geography. Over a period of more than thirty years, in which she dedicated herself to geography and her work as a university professor specialising in the study of mountain and rural environments, she enjoyed the undisputed respect of her friends, colleagues and students on the five continents. Independently of Roser's intellectual and academic prowess, three qualities defined our colleague and friend: her strength of character, the firmness of her convictions and her honesty and moral rectitude. These virtues meant that Roser was a person of enormous moral authority, being recognised as such by both her colleagues and her numerous students, who could always count on her support, given without any hint of self-interest. For all who knew her, Roser was a highly-valued friend and colleague, who in turn was always loyal to her friends. Her early years were spent in Seu d'Urgell, the place of her birth. After spending some time in England during her youth, she returned to Catalonia and to Barcelona, where she was to graduate in History and Geography at the University of Barcelona in 1971. Roser's work as a teacher at the University of Barcelona began in that same year, 1971, when she was offered a post as assistant lecturer in the recently founded Department of Geography. From the outset she was to play a role in organising the teaching activity of this department. She was awarded a PhD in 1977 with a pioneering study, both in terms of its methodology and subject matter, that examined the evolution in agricultural land use in Catalonia. Having obtained full tenure in 1984, she was appointed Professor in 1989. For Roser, her profession was her life, and she dedicated herself to her teaching and to her research. Her work was truly innovative, both as regards her adoption and use of the most advanced methods and techniques of geographical analysis from around the world, and as regards her contribution to the participation of Catalan and Spanish Geography in international meetings and within international research bodies. From her earliest steps taken in teaching and conducting research, Roser Majoral showed a keen interest in examining subjects directly related to upland areas and the rural environment. Not only was her thesis dedicated to an examination of these questions, but so were numerous studies, articles and books in this first stage of her career. Mention should be made of the articles she wrote for the journal El Campo, and her contributions to the Atlas Socio-econòmic de Catalunya, and to the prestigious collection Catalunya Comarcal, in the shape of various monographic studies about the mountain districts (Val d'Aran, Alt Urgell, Cerdanya), which were published during the eighties. Similarly, she was asked by the Sub-commission for Rural Development in Highlands and High-Latitude Zones in 1983 to organise the Symposium on Rural Life and the Exploitation of Natural Resources in Highlands and High-Latitude Zones. At the end of the eighties, she broadened her field of research, which now extended from Agrarian Geography to the study of development issues in marginal regions. These interests were also reflected in her teaching. For many years she was this University's specialist in Agrarian Geography and, with the introduction of the new university curricula, she began teaching the subject of the Geography of World Agriculture and other related subjects on the doctorate programme. Her teaching also drew heavily on her interest for, and knowledge of, the Indian subcontinent, an area with which she had an almost constant relationship, thanks to the many journeys she undertook and the contacts she made in many of its universities, including Tribhuvan University of Kathmandu, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, Calcutta University and Aligarth Muslim University. In keeping with her character, ideals and dedication to university life, Roser never sought to avoid the essential tasks of academic management. Between 1990 and 1994, she was the head of the Department of Physical Geography and Regional Geography. She was always keen to promote the department's research, encouraging the establishment of research teams that developed numerous projects of which she was the head researcher. Her leadership skills were also very much in evidence in her role as the promoter and coordinator of the Research Group of Territorial Analysis and Regional Development, which formed part of the Catalan Government's Research Plan from 1998 onwards. Her efforts are reflected in the number of published works both at home and abroad, with more than a hundred titles, among her many articles, chapters in books and books that she either wrote or edited. Her commitment to Catalan society and its academic life was manifest in her close participation in the work and organisation of the Catalan Geography Society, affiliated to the Catalan Studies Institute, of which she was Vice-president from 1988 to 1993. We should also mention her continued collaboration with the Association of Spanish Geographers, on whose Management Board she sat from 1986 to 1990. She was also a founder member, and president, of the Rural Geography Working Group (1984-1988), a field in which she undertook a good part of her research as a geographer. Her interest for her profession and her untiring vocation for travel led her abroad, where over more than three decades she was to participate in numerous international congresses. The years Roser spent collaborating with various Working Groups and Commissions in the International Geographical Union proved highly rewarding for her discipline, and helped put Spanish geography on the world map and, above all, allowed her to establish a network of friends in every corner of the globe. The contribution and work of Roser Majoral in the International Geographical Union were highly regarded. She occupied several posts in this institution: from 1984 to 1988 she was a Full Member of the IGU Working Group on Development in Highlands and High-Latitude Zones. Between 1988 and 1992 she was a Full Member of the IGU Commission dedicated to the study of the Dynamics of Rural Systems. Between 1992 and 1996 she was President of an IGU Working Group on Development Issues in Marginal Regions and later, between 1996 and 2000, she presided over the Commission on Dynamics of Marginal and Critical Regions within the same international body. In 1993 she was elected Full Member of the International Environmental Monitoring Society, of the University of Delhi (India). Finally, she was joint-secretary of the Spanish Committee of the IGU between 1998 and 2000. Roser's studies and research constituted a permanent invitation to travel, to discover other countries and their cultures. She was a tireless traveller and she explored virtually all the planet, form Europe, Africa, America and Australia to the hidden reaches of Asia, from Yemen to the Hindu Kush and into the Himalayas, from Kashmir to Bhutan. She allowed herself to be seduced by the Indian people, its culture and civilization, which she grew to understand more deeply than perhaps even she recognised. Undoubtedly, her enthusiasm and her desire to learn more about the world are a legacy that her friends, colleagues and students will seek to preserve. The final months of her life were extremely challenging for Roser because her illness was advancing inexorably. Despite everything, Roser tried to overcome the pain and to lead as normal a life as possible: visiting the University at least once a week, planning new tasks, with a diary full of ideas, bursting with travel plans. Roser fought on to the end and now she has left us, but the strength of her character will not be erased so easily. Roser, our colleague, teacher and friend, who will remain forever in our memories. Her colleagues in the Department of Regional Geography, University of Barcelona
Our dear friend and colleague, well-known Russian scientist-geographer and ecologist, Deputy Director of the Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Izvestia RAS. Ser. Geographica,l, Head of the Department of Physical Geography and Use of Natural Resources, Vice-President of the International Geographical Union, Director of the Regional International Program "Leaders in the Sphere of the Environment and Development," Chairman of World Wildlife Federation Council of Russia, Corresponding member, Professor Nikita Fedorovich Glazovsky died suddenly in the 60th year of his life after short disease. He succeeded in many realms-heading many kinds of scientific investigations in the sphere of physical geography and geochemistry of landscape, maintaining his leadership in investigations on sustainable development and geoecology, fulfilling pedagogical work, and, at the same time, dealing with many-sided scientific-organizational and nature-protection tasks. The heart of a real fighter, one of the non-formal leaders and ideologists of the ecological movement in Russia, a passionate protector of its nature, has stopped beating. Glazovsky was instrumental in saving the Aral Sea and in bringing about the adherence of Russia to the United Nations Convention on Desertification, took an irreconcilable stand against transfer of Siberian rivers to Central Asia, and was inflexible with regard to protecting the unique environment of the Altai from encroachments by builders of hydro-electric stations. There is practically no aspect of nature protection that escaped Glazovsky's attention. As an expert scientist and a public figure, Glazovsky was highly appreciated in the Russian ecological movement. Nikita F. Glazovsky was born in Alma-Ata on 17 August 1946. His mother--Maria Alfredovna Glazovskaya-is a well-known geographer and soil scientist who works as professor-consultant at the Geographical Department of the Moscow State University. In 1964 Glazovsky graduated from the Geological Department of the Moscow State University, where after graduation he worked as an engineer in the problem laboratory on investigations of interactions between surface and underground water. In 1970-1973 he was a post-graduate student of the Geological Department, and after defending his thesis he was transferred to the Institute of Pedology and Photosynthesis of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he worked at first as a junior, and then as a senior researcher. Even in these early years he proved to be a talented organizer. In 1979 he became a scientific head of the UNEP-GKNT International courses "Melioration of Saline Irrigated Lands." In 1985 Glazovsky defended his dissertation. He was then transferred to the Geographical Department of the Moscow State University to be Head of the Department of Soils Erosion of the Problem Laboratory on Soils Erosion and River Bed Processes. In 1987 he was appointed the Head of the Laboratory of Natural Resources and Technogenic Changes of Environment of the Geographical Department of the Moscow State University. In 1988 Glazovsky started work at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences as Deputy Director, where he worked till his death. In 1996 he was awarded the rank of "Honored Ecologist of the Russian Federation." In 1997 Glazovsky was elected a Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of Sciences. He received numerous awards and honors from the governments of the USSR and Russia. He took part in the work of large-scale governmental and parliament commissions on the elaboration of legislation and of state programs. He was a member of HAC, the High Ecological Council of the Gosduma, the Council of State Ecological Expertise, etc. He was a widely recognized authority at the international level. For many years he was a member of the Council of the Institute of World Resources of the World Bank of Reconstruction and Development (Washington). He was a vice-president of the International Geographical Union, a member of sseveral UNO commissions and councils on problems of desertification and land degradation. Due to a considerable extent to his efforts and authority, in 2003 Russia agreed to adhere to the UNO Convention on tackling desertification. Glazovsky heads the World Wildlife Federation Council of Russia, its largest international nature-protection organization. We will miss not only the appreciation of a famous ecologist and geographer, but recognition of his indubitable deserts as one of leaders of nature-protection movement in Russia. Nikita F.Glazovsky is the author of many monographs and articles on problems of landscape geochemistry, the ecology of arid territories, and geoecology and sustainable development. He elaborated a concept of conjugate analysis of matter migration, methods of compilation of maps on landscape geochemical migration, methods of calculation of technogenic chemical impact upon the biosphere, estimation of the efficiency of use of natural resources in the world, and addressing the Aral Sea Crisis. Expeditions led by Nikita Fedorovich embraced all our country and many foreign countries, but he preferred deserts of Central Asia, where he conducting unique investigations on landscape geochemistry and analysis of crisis ecological situations. It impossible to overestimate Nikita Fedorovich's contributions to the protection of nature and society, and his contributions to the formation of the ecological movement in our country, first the Social-Ecological Union and the Russian World Wildlife representation. His radiant kindness and energetic wisdom gave rise to love, trust, and respect among all who worked with Glazovsky. His untimely death is a hard loss for all those who stand for protection of Russian nature. In life he was a reliable, well-wishing, and sociable man. All people loved him - those with whom he sometimes entered into a sharp controversy, and those whom he helped in a hard minute. We shall miss very much a profound scientist, a strong organizer and a remarkable friend and colleague. Life stopped suddenly in flight… He hurried to do as much as he could . . . . Academician V. M. Kotlyakov, Russian Academy of Sciences
The 2006-2011 Strategic Plan of the International Council for Science (ICSU) Part I - STRATEGIC ORIENTATIONS (Part II, focused on the content of the ICSU Strategic Plan, will be included in the next issue of the IGU E-Newsletter). In its 2005 General Assembly in Shanghai and based on preparatory work and consultations with its member unions, the International Council for Science adopted a Strategic Plan 2006-2011. This extensive document, available on the ICSU website (www.icsu.org/), consists of three parts: 1) A Strong Foundation in a Changing World, discussing the role of science in society; 2) Building for the Future, outlining goals, content and methods to advance science; and 3) Strengthening the Structures, on the evolution of scientific organisation. This Strategic Plan has direct relevance to IGU and the role of geography in the international arena. To disseminate information and to trigger discussions within the IGU family, this issue of the IGU E-Newsletter summarizes the parts pertaining to the organisation of science concerned with the IGU's roles. The next issue will focus on the content of research. The Home of Geography has established a web page devoted to Science in 2006-2011. All geographers and geographical bodies, particularly IGU National Committees, Commissions, Task Forces, and special programmes are cordially invited to send comments, discuss issues and prospects, and offer proposals concerning the role of geography in the ICSU Strategic Plan 2006-2011. These contributions will help the IGU improve its organisation and approaches. Global Change Programmes - At the present time, ICSU's approach to climate change and subsequent impacts is based on four programmes: 1) the1980 World Climate Research Programme; 2) the1986 International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme; 3) the 1991 Diversitas, an international Programme of Biodiversity Science; and 4)the 1996 Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. "These Global Environmental Change research programmes are increasingly working together under the banner of the Earth System Science Partnership to promote international and interdisciplinary research in cross-cutting focal areas (carbon, food, water, and human health). These programmes, together with the global observing systems, provide much of the scientific underpinning of the integrated assessments conducted by bodies such as the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change." (ICSU, 2.13) As far as IGU is concerned, the role and relevance of research and educational bodies and projects concerned with the subject areas of these programmes, will be unchanged, at least in the mid-term. ICSU's Mission ICSU's mission is to strengthen international science for the benefit of society. To achieve this, the ICSU Council mobilizes the knowledge and resources of the international science community to: 1) identify and address major issues of importance to science and society; 2) facilitate interaction amongst scientists across all disciplines and from all countries; 3) promote the participation of all scientists -regardless of race, citizenship, language, political stance or gender - in the international scientific endeavour; and 4) provide independent, authoritative advice to stimulate constructive dialogue between the scientific community and governments, civil society and the private sector. In fulfilling this mission, ICSU will combine the actions of three categories of bodies: the Scientific Unions, which will provide an international disciplinary perspective; National Members, which provide an interdisciplinary perspective from individual countries; and the Interdisciplinary Bodies, which will focus on specific areas of international science. (ICSU, 3.2) This approach encourages IGU to strengthen co-operation between its research bodies (Commissions, Task Forces and special projects) and its National Committees. The role of geography, as a bridging science between human and physical fields, would benefit from increased collaboration. Focusing on a regional scale "The General Assembly recommended that four ICSU Regional Offices to be established in Africa, the Arab Region, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. This marks a fundamental change in ICSU structure, the aim of which is two-fold. Firstly, it should enhance participation of scientists and regional organizations from developing countries in the programmes and activities of the ICSU community. Secondly it will allow ICSU to play a more active role in strengthening science within the context of regional priorities, particularly in countries where science is less well developed. In addition to the four Regional Offices, special efforts will be necessary over the next six years to increase the involvement of countries from the former 'Eastern Block', including the Commonwealth of Independent States and West Balkan countries". (ICSU, 5.1) As is well known, three regional networks were established under IGU auspices, for Latin America, the Mediterranean, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. A fourth network, concerning the Pacific region, may be established as a conclusion of the discussions held at the 2006 Brisbane Regional Conference. The ICSU approach encourages IGU to strengthen and optimise the establishment of regional bodies. Disciplinary co-operation "One of the most significant changes that has taken place in science over the past decade has been the increased emphasis on interdisciplinarity. It is at the borders between disciplines that many of the most exciting scientific advances are taking place. At the same time, the major challenges that society is facing, from global change and sustainable development through to emerging disease epidemics, can only be fully addressed by a combining approaches and knowledge from different scientific disciplines." As a result, ICSU will seek " to ensure that the necessary disciplinary perspectives are considered in developing and implementing ICSU's overall strategy and that effective mechanisms are in place to facilitate the cross-fertilization of ideas from different scientific perspectives." (ICSU, 5.3) This approach encourages IGU to strengthen its efforts to collaborate with other disciplines and to draw innovative scientific ideas from its research bodies in order to fertilise inter-disciplinary projects on research and education. Millennium Development Goals "ICSU is now working with these various partners to prepare for substantive scientific input to the follow-up process outlined in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and a possible follow-up Summit in 2007". In this respect: "ICSU will continue to participate in the meetings of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development to ensure that science is fully integrated into policy development in relation to sustainable development . . . participate in efforts by OECD and other international bodies to strengthen science for sustainable development, and will assist in the preparation of science input to a possible WSSD+5 . . . ICSU will provide scientific input to relevant international assessments, conventions and legal tools pertinent to sustainable development." (ICSU, 7.1.1) This strategy should lead the IGU research bodies to concentrate on carrying out research, and designing educational tools relevant to the Millennium Development Goals with specific reference to those subjects that require a spatial viewpoint based on integrated physical and human perspectives. Ten Theses on IGU Strategy and Actions Where related to IGU, most approaches noted in the ICSU Strategic Plan 2006-2011 call to the fore issues and prospects that are presented in the Ten Theses document recently circulated to the IGU family. In the Issue #2 of the IGU E-Newsletter (Appendix 1: Designing the IGU's future), a form was included that invites geographers to give their opinion on the Theses that pertain to IGU strategy and actions. This document may be found in the Home of Geography website also. In order to undertake initiatives based on bottom-up approaches, all IGU geographical bodies and individuals are cordially invited to complete this form and to send it to Home of Geography (Villa Celimontana, Via della Navicella 12, 00184 ROME. E-mail: cchd@homeofgeography.org) To facilitate the task, we publish again the Appendix 1 of the former issue. Festival International de Géographie(Saint-Dié-Des-Vosges) and IGU: Action Plan 2006 Background The Memo of Understanding adopted last year by IGU and FIG provides for the establishment of a Cooperation Team "consisting of three members from IGU and three members of the FIG. The Team shall be jointly chaired by IGU's President and FIG's Founding President. The Cooperation Team's main tasks are to: 1. develop annual work plans focused on the FIG; 2. follow up initiatives included in the work programs. The annual work plans shall be formulated on the basis of mutual agreement by IGU and FIG regarding the allocation of costs and responsibilities." At the present time, the Cooperation Team (Comité Paritaire de Coordination) includes:
Priorities As regards those actions that should be regarded as prior, in the occasion of the 2005 FIG the following was agreed:
2006 Action Plan Moving from these inputs the following 2006 Action Plan is proposed to FIG: Action 1: IGU Meeting point - It will be hosted in the FIG 2006, it will be set up by the Home of Geography, and it will consist of:
Action 2: 2008 International Geographical Congress (IGC)- This event will be presented jointly by:
Action 3: Mediterranean Action Plan - A round table, or another event conform to the format that will be decided by the FIG Management, will be convened with the aim of: Action 4: Cultures and Civilization s for Human Development - A round table, or another event conform to the format that will be decided by the FIG Management, will be convened with the aim of: Action 5: Cooperation Team (Comité Paritaire de Coordination) meeting - It is meant as a business meeting with the aim of designing the 2007 Action Plan. Co-operation with ALECSO
A Cooperation memorandum of understanding was signed in Rome on 14 December 2005, in the framework of the International Workshop on Cultures and Civilizations for Human Development, by Mr Mongi Bousnina, General Director of ALECSO, and Adalberto Vallega, President of the IGU. Collaboration will include: promoting and organising scientific discussions; creating and disseminating useful products for education; communicating with media and the public; and co-operating with United Nations organisations and programmes and with other intergovernmental organisations at the international and regional scales. To achieve effective collaboration, ALECSO and IGU shall establish a Permanent Co-operation Committee (PCC), consisting of two members from ALECSO and two members from the IGU. The Committee shall be jointly chaired by ALECSO's General Director and by the IGU's President, or by persons they designate for individual committee meetings. The Committee's main tasks are to: develop triennial work plans, the first of which will be for the 2006-2008 period and to monitor the initiatives included in the work programs. This agreement opens the way to establish systematic relationships between IGU and the Arab-Muslim world. The research bodies and National Committees of IGU, as well as individuals, are cordially invited to address their opinions on this major step in the international strategy of IGU. They are also invited to propose specific initiatives to be carried out in the framework of the IGU-FIG co-operation. Proposals should be addressed to Adalberto Vallega (a.vallega@iol.it a.vallega@iol.it. Detailed information on ALECSO-IGU co-operation may be found on the Home of Geography website (www.homeofgeography.org/. Co-operation with China As a result of the 24 October 2005 Workshop on Development of Geography in China at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China, the Chinese Geography for Sustainable Development (CGSD) Programme, an extended co-operative plan between the IGU Executive Committee and the Geographical Society of China, together with other Chinese geographical partners, was formulated. The CGSD will focus its work on such topics as: sustainable Chinese cities and rural systems; riparian, estuarine, coastal and island management in the context of climate change and globalisation; protection and sustainable use of China's natural and cultural heritage, including Geoparks; promotion of domestic and international ecologically- and culturally-sound tourism; monitoring systems and applications of geographical information sciences and technologies; geographical education for sustainable development; and others. To launch the CGSD programme the GSC and the IGU will establish a CGSD Cooperative Working Group consisting of Professors Liu Jiyuan, Lu Dadao, and Yu Li zhong from the GSC; and Professors Ronald Abler, Liu Changming, and Adalberto Vallega from the IGU. The Working Group will be co-chaired by Lu and Vallega. The Cooperative Working Group will draft a plan of action for the period 2006-2008, identifying: the key actions to be taken by each party; the results expected from each action; and the sources of any necessary funds. Detailed information on CGSD programme may be found in the Home of Geography website (www.homeofgeography.org). The establishment of co-operation agreement between the IGU Executive Committee and national geographical bodies started in 2004 with the agreement with China-Taiwan and has just been followed by the agreement with Chin-Beijing. Essentially, this approach aims at designing and operating co-operation sensitive to the specific prospects and needs of the local contexts. Opinions and suggestion on how to carry out this line would be welcome. They may be addressed to Adalberto Vallega (a.vallega@iol.it). Also those national committees that are inclined to experiment in such a co-operation are cordially invited to contact the IGU president. Cultures and Civilizations for Human Development
Both the Action Plan and the Proposal for a UN International Year on Cultures and Civilizations for Human Development , together with the whole materials concerning this initiative may be found in the Home of Geography website. Information on implementation will be posted in this website, also. Those bodies and scientists, even from extra-geographical contexts, who are inclined to collaborate with this initiative, should contact the IGU President Adalberto Vallega (e-mail a.vallega@iol.it or a.vallega@homeofgeography.org)
Click to see Notes on the Round Table Report, by Anne Buttimer (in .doc format). Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Development: Networking Local Area Partnerships with Teachers and Young scientists by Margaret Robertson, Australia, Project Director This project aims to engage teachers and young scientists in developing countries in Science projects aimed at three major contemporary sustainable development issues: biodiversity, forestry and water resources. Working from the principle that sustained outcomes are linked with community ownership, this project relies on negotiation, community partnerships and recognition of project outcomes through existing and newly created structures. Related to sustainable development the project is working towards the following outcomes:
There are nine countries engaged with the 2005 project. The representation is diverse and brings together a team of people from eight different linguistic backgrounds. Although the team members are currently sharing their work in English it is planned to translate the final publication into other languages. Operating within their respective countries the nine members of the international project team who represent these countries are each currently supervising three local projects. A total of twenty-seven local case-studies are the expected outcome of this project. Information on the case studies will be published in print and online formats. Located at http://celio-igu.educ.utas.edu.au/ the project web site will become an expanding site for information on these and other planned future projects. All participating countries have their own web page link to the main web site. Locally translated materials will be linked to these web pages. Currently the project team is working towards a symposium presentation for the Brisbane 2006 IGU conference. At this conference the team is planning to release the project book. Currently contracted to ACER Press, Camberwell information regarding advance purchase will be available via the Home of Geography web site. Table 1 provides a summary of the themes and issues included in the current projects. Table 2 introduces each of the country project directors and their respective three projects. table 1: Local area projects
table 2: Project Leaders and Summary information
Enquiries welcomed Email: Margaret.Robertson@utas.edu.au November, 22nd, 2005 Brisbane: Discussing the IGU in the Pacific Context In the framework of the 2006 Brisbane Regional Conference, the workshop IGU Facing a Changing Framework will be held including two sessions:
Brisbane: Education Symposium Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Development: Networking Local Area Partnerships with Teachers and Young Scientists Symposium for the IGU 2006 Brisbane Conference With the aim of developing teaching and learning materials related to Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Development this symposium reports on outcomes of a 2005 IGU collaborative research project. Funded by ICSU the project brings together scientists from 10 countries. Located in five different continents scientists are leading local area projects to produce case study materials that can be shared by a web site and through print materials designed for translation into localised languages. In total there are 27 projects that include the following issues: managing water in large cities such as Beijing and Buenos Aires; logging, fishing and tourism in Mexico; water conservation in Chile; deforestation in Georgia; sewage disposal and water pollution and water harvesting in India; attitudinal change water usage in rural South Africa; sustainable tourism and disaster management in Southern Thailand and forest fire management in Portugal. The purpose of the materials is to boost much needed teaching and learning resources for schools and universities in developing countries. Initially published in English the plan is for the materials to be translated into other languages. It is also the hope of the project team that other contributors will expand on the existing case studies to include many more regions and an ongoing vibrancy for the project. Ultimately this project will create a unique resource collection of authentic case study material for geographers and environmental scientists throughout the world. Specific project objectives are:
Project team members are:
Email: Margaret.Robertson@utas.edu.au or rabler@aag.org NIE-SEAGA Asia-Pacific Geographies forum
Southeast Asian Geography Association - National Institute of Education, Singapore 2006 - First call for papers NIE-SEAGA Conference, 28 to 30 Nov 2006 URL: www.seaga.co.nr/ Sent by: Chang Chew Hung, Secretary for SEAGA 2006 Working Committee Email: hsse@nie.edu.sg and Dr. Chew-Hung, Chang, Assistant Professor, Humanities and Social Studies Education Academic Group National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Tel: (65) 6790-3556, Fax: (65) 6896-9135 WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) by Aharon Kellerman, Israel In November 2005 the second WSIS took place in Tunis. This summit consisted of several components: a summit meeting of world leaders, under the auspices of the UN and ITU, devoted to central issues of the global information society, notably the Internet; an exhibition by nations, as well as by commercial companies of products, services and projects related to information technology and cyberspace; a scientific conference organized by IRFD (International Research Foundation for Development). The IGU Commission on the Geography of the Information Society proposed a session on the geographical dimension of the information society to IRFD, and this proposal was warmly accepted. The session consisted of five presentations. Commission chair, Prof. Aharon Kellerman (Israel), chaired the session, and presented the field of information geography and its emergence from telecommunications geography. This presentation was followed by the presentation of the e-Atlas project by its director, Prof. Emmanuel Eveno (France). The e-Atlas consists of maps, as well as of a wide collection of articles and information sources on countries, regions, and cities, covering a wide range of information society aspects. Prof. Maria Paradiso (Italy), Executive Secretary of the commission, presented her innovative study on a possible bridging between engineering and the social sciences provided by information geography. The fourth presentation was by Prof. Philippe Vidal, focusing on innovative ideas concerning geographical aspects of location based services (LBS) for mobile telephone subscribers, whereas the concluding presentation was made by Prof. Henry Bakis, Vice-Chair of the commission, presenting a fascinating perspective on the use of cyberspace for connections with Diasporas. The global agenda for the future development of the information society was presented at WSIS by Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN. Mr. Annan's vision focused on two issues: first, overcoming of the digital divide through cost reduction of infrastructures and personal equipment (PCs and mobile phones), and second, assuring the continued open nature of Internet contents and communications (open code). It remains to be seen if the future work of information geographers will address these central global issues. Tsunamis early Warning System
After the deadly tsunami that stroke the Indian Ocean on 26th December 2004, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) decided to extend to all the world oceans the warning system already active in the Pacific Ocean. The first step has been the establishment of an Intergovernmental Coordinating Group (ICG) for the Tsunami early Warning and Mitigation System. The Session nominated Italy as Chair of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group, position that will be served for two years by Prof. Stefano Tinti, University of Bologna; Co-chairs, Morocco and Greece, positions that will be served by Dr. Azelbarab El Mouraouah, Coordinator, Centre Euro-Méditerranéen pour l'Evaluation et la Prévention du Risque Sismique - CEPRIS of Rabat, and Dr. Gerassimos Papadopoulos, National Observatory of Athens. URL:ioc3.unesco.org/neamtws/index.htm International Year of Planet Earth "By a draft on the International Year of Planet Earth, 2008, which the Committee approved without a vote on 11 November, the Assembly would declare 2008 the International Year of Planet Earth. It would also designate the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to organize activities to be undertaken during the Year, in collaboration with UNEP and other relevant United Nations bodies, the International Union of Geological Sciences and other Earth sciences societies and groups throughout the world. Also by that draft, the Assembly would encourage Member States, the United Nations system and other actors to use the Year to increase awareness of the importance of Earth sciences in achieving sustainable development and promoting local, national, regional and international action." Ed F. J. de Mulder, Chair Management Team International Year of Planet Earth Click to see the de Mulder's letter in Word (.doc) format. ANAGEM Initiatives The Association Nationale des Géographes Marocain (ANAGEM)is organizing two important meetings in 2006: 1) - The national colloquium on "the rural habitat: mutations and perspectives". It will be organised by the Moroccan National Geographers Association (ANAGEM) in collaboration with the the Geography departement of the University Chouaib Doukkali in El Jadida, Morocco. The date of the meeting in May, 26-26, 2006. For more information please contact: prof Daoud, Geography department, University Chouaib Doukkali, El Jadida. 2) - The international congres of the arab worl geographers will be organised in the University Mohamed V Agdal, rabat Morocco. It is organised in the collaboration between the Moroccan National Geographers Association (ANAGEM) and the University Mohamed V Agdal. The scientific topic of the meeting is "Strategies of spatial development and territorial management in the arab world". The date of the meeting is november 2-5, 2006. For more information please contact the association Email:anagemassociation@yahoo.fr
ACTIVITIES IN THE HOME OF GEOGRAPHY Headquarters Via della Navicella 12, 00184 Roma, Italy URL: www.homeofgeography.org e-mail:d.bissell@homeofgeography.org The period following the last issue of the newsletter was initially devoted to organising the December Workshop on Cultures and Civilizations. Hundreds of e-mails were exchanged and the Agenda was constantly updated, in particular to reflect the ever growing number of comments and papers which we were receiving. The days of the Workshop itself were anything but relaxing, but we were truly rewarded by seeing everything going "smoothly", as many participants kindly told us. In the following days, we again received numerous e-mails, confirming the success of the initiative. As Director of the Home, let me make a very brief comment: when an initiative turns out to be a real success, the merit is to be divided between the organizers and the participants. So, for my part, I wish to thank the participants: thanks to them there were plenty of discussions, and once more thanks to them, the time schedule was neatly respected. I also want to express my deep gratitude to two people, who were incredibly willing (and able) to help. I am, of course, referring to Laura Ayo and Dawn Bissell: the 2 Secretaries of the Home. While I am on the subject, I must inform you of some news: as usual, some bad, some good. The first had been in the air since last summer: Laura Ayo wanted to change her job, and announced that she did not wish to renew her contract at the end of 2005. In fact, she did, but in the future she will only work for the Home on an occasional basis. The second piece of news, the good one, again concerns Laura Ayo, as the new Secretary, Dawn Bissell, is a good friend of hers. From the moment she arrived, Dawn immersed herself in the work of the Home, so much so that the participants at the December Workshop could hardly believe that she had only joined us three weeks before. It might seem contradictory, but we can only survive Laura Ayo's loss thanks to Laura Ayo's friend. In the previous issue of the newsletter, we informed you of the meetings held in the Home: 1) Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Development by the Commission on Geographical Education and ICSU; 2) the IGC+50; 3) the Steering Committee of the December Workshop. On each occasion, the participants demonstrated their sincere satisfaction, and this, I am pleased to say, has been a feature of the Home since its opening. At the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the Home (Rome, 14th January 2006), the Home's President, Markku Löytönen, and the IGU's President, Adalberto Vallega, suggested providing some information about how the geographers' community can make the most of what the Home has to offer: I am pleased to do this now. First of all, a substantial part of the IGU Archives are already stored at the Home, and in the near future, G. Martin will probably come once again to organise the material which has arrived since his last visit. This is important research material from the point of view of the geographical thought of recent decades. Whoever wishes to undertake geographical research on issues relating to Italy (or elsewhere) can make use of the library of the Società Geografica Italiana, one of the largest geographical libraries in Europe. This is because it is not simply a library of books: each of its collections of maps, globes and photos deserves a long and quiet visit. Geography is primarily concerned with space: in this respect, the Home itself is not well furnished, but it has access to all of the SGI's rooms, which are perfectly suited to geographers' needs. Let me start from the beginning, commencing with the Home itself. We have two rooms, the office and the Archives. In the Archives, 12 persons can assemble and hold discussions, or else use a PC and a projector to show powerpoint presentations. In the office, you will find two PCs with an internet connection, and we are currently installing a hi-wi router, in order to provide a wireless connection in the archive-meeting room too. At the SGI, we only need to request use of the rooms sufficiently in advance. The Conference Room can accommodate about 100 people, as can the dining room (served by a catering company). The SGI allows us to use its rooms completely free of charge, whereas the catering service must be paid for: there is good choice of lunch menus, ranging from 14-15 euros to 20-22 (per person), while the coffee/tea breaks are served at about 5 euros. Speaking of meals, we should also look at the possibilities offered outside the Home and the SGI. We are located in a large, green park, and the gate is 100 metres from the Colosseum and 150 metres from the Roman Forum: in other words, we are at the very centre of the city, in a highly touristic area. This means there is a very wide choice of snack bars, fast food cafés and restaurants: the price range for a meal, thus, is very wide, from 3 to 25 euros (or more). But, luckily, all these possibilities are located less than 300 metres from the Home. Things are different when it comes to hotels, as the average price per person, on a B&B basis, is from 100 to 120 euros per night. Of course you can find cheaper accommodation elsewhere in Rome, but not on the doorstep of the Home. In any case, if you ask the Home, we will provide you with the relevant information. Last not least: Italian publishers are very good, and prices are extremely competitive. All the Commissions that have asked us for information have found it very economical to publish their material in Rome.
Appendix 1: Designing the IGU's future
As was announced in the IGU e-Newsletter #1, the Ten Theses on IGU Strategy and Actions was circulated to the "IGU family" in order to trigger discussions about the mid- and long-term targets of the Union. The theses are reported below as an Appendix to the Newsletter. All the geographers are cordially invited to specify if they agree, don't agree, or have no opinion as regards the individual theses. It may be done by crossing the relevant boxes and by return the filled in Appendix to Home of Geography (info@homeofgeography.org). The full text of Ten Theses on IGU Strategy and Actions may be found in, and download from, the www.homeofgeography.org, and www.igu-net.org. The Home of Geography would also be pleased to send it upon request. 1) Five theses on IGU Strategy Thesis 1 - Redress the Imbalance between Technique- and Episteme-Building The elaboration of scientific knowledge and representations of the interactions between social and spatial processes have entered a paradoxical phase. Representation techniques have improved much more rapidly than the underlying epistemological discourse upon which they are based, particularly the discourses on the epistemological role of geography in bridging the human and natural sciences, on integrating structuralist and non-structuralist visions, and on strengthening holistic visions of the world. Hence, the IGU is intrinsically encouraged to promote synchronization of representation techniques and concept building, namely techne and logos. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 2 - Trigger Effective Discussions of Interdisciplinarity The cardinal focus of future geographical discussions should be the development of an episteme that meets the need for the interdisciplinary approaches specified by the 1999 World Conference on Science. Interdisciplinarity is increasingly essential to dealing effectively with global change and globalisation. Hence, the IGU should now contribute to changing concepts of interdisciplinarity from the mere assembling of disciplines and perspectives to interdisciplinarity defined as creating isomorphisms that integrate the natural and social components of spaces and places. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 3 - Promote Holism in the Geographical Sciences One of the major gaps to be bridged in the scientific approaches to the Earth's surface is the increasing inclination to attribute strong validity to nomothetic sciences and to discount idiographic research. The need for effective integration of these two components of knowledge has acquired increasing relevance.The IGU's mission here is to encourage discussions that bridge logos- focused and graphia-concerned disciplines in order to capitalize on the latent synergy between case studies and theoretical approaches. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 4 - Accommodate All Theoretical Streams The expanding social need for sustainable and human development based on safeguarding the bio-cultural identity of places, the evolving framework of science, and finally the unprecedented improvement of geographical investigation techniques converge to suggest that, in geography, discussions rooted in diverse topical and theoretical streams is essential to progress in the discipline and prerequisite to expanding geography's role in the international scientific arena. Isolation and internal ideological conflicts must be foregone. The IGU must accommodate and encourage open and constructive discussion in a spirit of global scientific communication and interaction. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 5 - Focus on New Concepts The entire scientific landscape has recently been marked by increased numbers of new concepts representing and explaining interactions between human communities and the Earth's surface, with special consideration to interactions between local and global systems. Consequently, the IGU has a double mission. It must collaborate closely with the disciplines that use and need geographical concepts and methods; at the same time it bears primary responsibility for improving the design and operationalization of new geographical concepts and for disseminating them in the broader scientific community. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ 2) Five Theses on actions Thesis 6 - Reorganize the Executive Committee International scientific unions such as the IGU face two options: 1) they can maintain the conventional organisation and serve as arenas for internal, self-referential communication and networking, or 2) they can redesign their goals and structures to accommodate the needs of science and society. The second choice implies increased etero-referential planning and action. In the conventional approach the president of a scientific union plays an essentially representative role, the secretary general serves as a reference person for the union's national committees and research bodies, and vice-presidents assume occasional responsibility for specific initiatives. In the reactive (second) approach the president attends also to the union's strategy and co-ordinates the role of vice-presidents in order to ensure consistency of actions with goals, the secretary general manages the organisation as a whole, and the vice-presidents assume responsibility for the union's operational fields. The faster the IGU shifts from the conventional stance to the second executive committee structure the sooner it will become more effective in representing the global geographical community in the international scientific arena. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 7 - Harvest Research The changing role of science and increased interaction among disciplines demand that the scientific achievements of IGU Commissions and Task Forces be systematically used to improve the status of geography in the international arena and in national contexts. These efforts are to be carried out by systematically collecting the scientific outputs of individual research bodies consisting of concepts, methods, and lessons from case studies and by using these outcomes to enhance the roles of geography in international research programmes and in national geographical educational systems. Accordingly, the executive committee should move beyond monitoring of the work of commissions and task forces to interacting closely with such bodies with the aim of evaluating their products and disseminating them through global scientific networks. Intensive publicizing of the IGU's scientific resources will raise the visibility of geography in the international arena and within member countries. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 8 - Involve the Entire Geographical Community The IGU has been primarily self-referential since its inception in that its role in the international arena has depended primarily on its national committees, commissions and task forces. The IGU should now become, in addition, etero-referential. The newly-elected executive committee is keen to establish increased communication with bodies and individuals operating outside the IGU. Global information and communication techniques should be more intensively used to increase such an involvement. Increased IGU willingness to host discussions and initiatives from the entire geographical community, will enable the IGU to be more effective in today's globalised scientific world. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 9 - Expand Communication Communication will play a key role in validating the IGU as a full member of the globalised scientific community. Improved communication must be addressed systematically, open to all the geographers from inside and outside the Union, flexible in using traditional and electronic tools, and be continuously modulated by the IGU's evolving strategies. In particular, IGU communications should be addressed, as appropriate, to both the scientific world and to the public in order to respond to the expanding social needs for geographical assessments, representations, and insights. The more quickly the IGU shifts from traditional internally-directed communications to a more flexible stance marked by a firm inclination to improve and expand dialogue, the sooner its ability to play an effective role in the globalised world will expand. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ Thesis 10 - Raise Visibility In recent years geography has enjoyed increasing social relevance as representations of the Earth and the world have aroused an expanded interest in such traditional media as book series, magazines and newspapers, in such visual media as television, CDROMs and DVDs, and finally in the cyber media of the Internet. These developments constitute and implicit stimulus to IGU to exploit these multifaceted and powerful media. The IGU need specific programs to build bridges to those who control access to the media and to those who create media content. The IGU and the global geography community will benefit greatly by employing these media as channels to disseminate the results of IGU research to the public. Yes, I agree ______/ No, I don't agree ______/ I have no opinion ______/ |
