I have followed the discussion on "Young members Group" within ICOM and
would like to back Gunther´s full e-mail!
I think he has summed up many of the issues that have been dealt with and
has  pointed out very important issues such as:

1. National Committees are the direct responsables of promoting membership
and interest in ICOM´s activities (and in museums in general) through
special projects that include younger generations. I beleive several
National Committes already do this, specially in countries where so many
young professionals are trying to enter the museum field.
2. Lena Miller and Rachel Cockett mention the electronic resources we now
enjoy.
"ensuring active membership is among other things about being able to
communicate activities,continueously updated information and providing
spaces for communication and discussions (as this discussion proves), not
so much about grants to travel. To encourage attendance, creating meetings
with crossprofessional/"cultural" themes and marketing them well may prove
fruitful."
I think we must look ahead and try to plan using all the new resources that
we now have at hand.
3.Finally the age goup... In many emerging countries, the term "young"
comprises those under 30. Many of these young people have exactly the same
economic problem of older professionals in these countries: lack of economic
support from their employers. That brings us back to local non expensive
National Committees activities, and electronic media as possible means to
reach the younger generations.
4. Last but not least, I also agree with Gunther when he says that he does
not beleive in separating groups. People learn very much from other people.
Older professionals have a lot to learn from their younger counterparts and
viceversa. Academic relationships between generations may be one of the most
enriching experiences for everyone.

Yani Herreman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Günther Dembski" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 9:22 AM
Subject: ICOM - young members


> Dear all,
>
> I am very happy about this discussion and I thank especially our 2
> colleagues which brought an overview into this very diverse meanings. I
> would like to clarify things and bring in my personal point of view not
> as chair of Advisory with the raised finger!.
>
>    1. I think it is really the duty of the National Committees to
>       motivate young colleagues to become member and to engage
>       themselves for work and bringing ideas within ICOM. As I know (I
>       had been 6 years president of ICOM Austria and the same number of
>       years chair of ICMS – therefore I am really belonging to the
>       “olds”) in both committees we had and have a remarkable number of
>       younger members, who are coming to seminars and conferences, who
>       are in the board of these committees etc. National committees have
>       really to take care how to bring enthusiasm also to younger members.
>    2. It is really a good idea, to enforce within ICOM the electronic
>       information media for a more modern and quicker information, but
>       it cannot be the duty of ICOM secretariat to establish an own
>       apparatus for this because the whole small staff is even now
>       overloaded with its worldwide contacts, bringing out information,
>       organising conferences etc. etc. National and International
>       Committees could help together to make such a platform of local
>       and international information exchange.
>    3. I do not really like the idea of a special group of young ICOM
>       members. We all have to learn how to work closer together, to
>       understand not only the cultural diversities but also the
>       diversities of different ages, meanings etc. There I would like to
>       mention that ICOM has not only to reach young members but also
>       with more intensity and help members of the poor countries, where
>       help is very necessary – they are really still too low present
>       within ICOM!
>    4. I think there should be worked out a memorandum about these ideas
>       which could be discussed as well in EC as also in IC next year.
>    5. Finally I ask you to be indulgent with my English which is far
>       away from being perfect.
>    6. Best greetings your Günther Dembski
>
> -- 
>
> HR Univ.-Prof. Dr. Günther Dembski
>
> Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
> Direktor des Münzkabinetts
> Burgring 5
> A-1010 Wien
> Tel.: ++43 (0)1 525 24 380
> Fax:  ++43 (0)1 525 24 353
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
> ICOM International Council of Museums
> Président du Comité consultatif
> Chairperson of the Advisory Committee
> Presidente del Comité Consultativo
> Maison de l'UNESCO
> 1, rue Miollis
> F-75732 Paris cedex 15
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
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