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| Paris,
March 3, 2007 |
At
the invitation of Professor José Luis Peset,
President of the ICHS, the Bureau restreint
met in Paris on March 3, 2007, at the École
des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
and at the Colegio de España of
the Cité Universitaire. The purpose
of the meeting was to review ICHS operations between
the regular meetings in Santiago de Compostela (October
2006) and Beijing (September 2007).
Present:
José Luis Peset, President, Pierre Ducrey,
Treasurer, Jean-Claude Robert, Secretary General,
and Laurent Tissot, Invited Guest.
Agenda
1. Opening statement
2. ICHS
operations
3. Bureau vacancies
4. Treasurer’s financial report
5. ICHS-UNESCO relations
6. 2007 General Assembly
7. 2010 Congress
8. Miscellaneous
1. Opening statement
The President opened the meeting by welcoming participants
to Paris.
2. ICHS operations
The
Bulletin has gone to press and should be
mailed out to all members by mid-March. Six hundred
copies are being printed.
| b) |
National
Committees / International Affiliated Organizations
/ Internal Commissions |
National
Committees
The
Association of Kazakhstan Historians has formally
requested membership in the ICHS as a National Committee.
As the request conforms to the constitution of the
ICHS, the Secretary General motioned that the Association
of Kazakhstan Historians be admitted to the ICHS
as a National Committee.
Motion
carried.
Internal
Commissions
The
International Commission on the History of the Russian
Revolution has been unable to elect a new board
of directors since the Oslo Congress. The international
membership of this Commission is in doubt because
the theme appears to no longer be of any interest.
After numerous talks and several attempts to broaden
the theme, it was motioned that this Commission
be withdrawn from the list of ICHS international
commissions.
Motion
carried.
| c) |
Follow-up
to the work of the two sub-committees (Expansion
of ICHS and Preparation of the Program of
the Congress) |
The
two sub-committees made progress in their work in
Santiago. The Treasurer and the Secretary General
will be preparing a short report, which will be
sent to ICHS members before discussion and approval
at the General Assembly.
3.
Bureau vacancies
Two
members of the Bureau will be replaced in 2007.
ICHS Treasurer Pierre Ducrey had agreed to extend
his term, which was to end in Sydney. The Treasurer
nominated Laurent Tissot, Professor at the University
of Neuchâtel. The Bureau restreint motioned
that Laurent Tissot be appointed as Treasurer and
serve in this capacity from January 1, 2008, until
the 2010 Congress. This motion will be submitted
to the General Assembly in Beijing.
Motion
carried.
Further
to Sorin Antohi’s resignation, the Bureau
restreint has to complete its ranks. The Secretary
General nominated Professor Roger Chartier (ÉHESS
and Collège de France) for the position of
Member Assessor until the 2010 Congress. This motion
will be submitted to the General Assembly in Beijing.
Motion
carried.
4.
Treasurer’s financial report
The Treasurer presented the profit and loss accounts
for the 2006 fiscal period and the balance sheet
ending December 31, 2006. The accounts show revenues
of CHF 58,381.69 and outflows of CHF 43,069.88,
resulting in a positive balance of CHF 15,311.81.
However, it should be noted that the cost of the
2006 Bulletin is not included in the total
since it is being published in March 2007. The balance
sheet shows assets (reserves) of CHF 126,267.43.
The Treasurer distributed copies of the accounts
and the balance sheet to the members, as established
by the Financial Department of the Université
de Lausanne, along with a bank statement for December
31, 2006.
He
then presented his analysis of the membership dues.
A reminder will be sent out in June 2007 to help
late-paying members to correct their situation before
the September 2007 General Assembly in Beijing.
The
usual payments for the administrative costs of the
Secretary General and the Treasurer were determined.
5. ICHS
– UNESCO relations
| a) |
International
Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies |
The
ICPHS held its General Assembly in Alexandria in November
2006. The significant financial problems stemming from
UNESCO’s steady reduction of the budget are being
resolved, but the situation remains uncertain. The publication
of Diogène magazine is secure for now,
but other ICPHS activities, particularly subsidies granted
to organizations like the ICHS for their Congresses,
are being scaled down.
The
activities of the Joint UNESCO/ICHS Committee have not
been funded since 2006 because UNESCO did not renew
the budget. The Secretary General has held discussions
with various persons attached to UNESCO in order to
obtain one-time financing for the 2010 Congress.
6.
Beijing General Assembly (2007)
a) |
The
President and the Secretary General travelled
to Beijing in December 2006 and had a very productive
visit. Their first meeting was held on December
18 with the Association of Chinese Historians
and a representative of the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences. During the meeting, the
symposium program was refined and we provided
more details on our logistical needs (rooms,
hotels, excursions, etc.). We held a second
meeting on December 20, at the headquarters
of the Chinese Historians Association, and had
a very interesting exchange on the structure
of the ICHS and the development of closer ties
with Chinese historians. Our Chinese colleagues
would like to take the opportunity, when many
of their foreign counterparts will be in Beijing,
to invite them to speak at the universities
after the Assembly. The ICHS does not have the
manpower to organize these types of meetings
but will relay the invitation to all representatives
of the Committees and Organizations, which can
then decide to contact the Association of Chinese
Historians.
|
| b) |
The
logistical organization of the General Assembly
will be a heavier load for the ICHS Secretariat,
particularly because information must be gathered
on the passports for delegates and accompanying
persons in order to obtain an official invitation
from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. This
document is a requirement for obtaining a visa
to travel to China. In addition, each delegate
and accompanying person must personally request
a visa in their respective countries from the
Chinese diplomatic authorities. The ICHS will
be responsible for obtaining the dates for hotel
reservations once the information is received
from our Chinese colleagues. The ICHS has asked
to plan for a wide range of room prices. Delegates
will have the option of buying a buffet meal for
the General Assembly. Our Chinese colleagues are
planning an excursion to the Great Wall on the
afternoon of Tuesday, September 18. |
The
first circular with the note of convocation was sent
out in December 2006. The next circulars will be sent
in April, May, and, lastly, in July.
7.
2010 Congress
The
organization of the Amsterdam Congress is progressing
well. The Secretary General was invited to meet the
Amsterdam Organizing Committee on February 28 in Amsterdam,
and while there, he toured the rooms for the Congress.
Registration logistics were given over to the International
Institute of Social History / Internationaal Instituut
voor Sociale Geschiedenis, which has expertise
in organizing international meetings. The on-line registration
system is ready. On-line registration will also be available
for communicators so that the Congress program can be
completed quicker. The meeting also provided an opportunity
to discuss the problems of the previous Congress, financing,
and most particularly, assistance for colleagues from
emerging countries. The rooms at the University of Amsterdam
are perfectly suitable and are conveniently located
in the downtown area, near many hotels.
8.
Miscellaneous
The
President announced that he will ask the support of
the Spanish National Committee to prepare a Spanish
edition of the English version of Karl Dietrich Erdmann’s
book.
As
there was no further business, the President thanked
the members of the Bureau restreint and closed
the meeting.
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