Preliminary Announcement

 

Commonwealth Association of Museums (CAM)

 

Commonwealth Museums: 

Culture, Economy and Climate Change

May 2011

 

Organized by the Commonwealth Association of Museums

 in partnership with the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), Singapore 

(to be confirmed)

 

 

This 5 day program will feature two main theme sessions, CAM’s Triennial meeting and Singapore museum excursions.

 

Themes

 

Part 1: Museums, Culture, and Sustainable Development

Part I will address the need for museums to play a lead role in promoting culture as means of social and economic development, using Putting Culture First and the Commonwealth Statement on Culture and Development as discussion documents. This conference will expand on the productive discussions of Putting Culture First at the GCAM4 meeting (October 2009) in Stanger, South Africa. As in Africa, the rich diversity of cultures in South-East Asian and South Pacific nations is faced with challenges from globalization, migration and urbanization. Part 1 will highlight these issues and explore ways in which museums can not only help preserve cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, but also promote traditional and contemporary culture as resources for sustainable development.  

 

Part 2: World Watch Two: Conserving Cultures in the Face of Climate Change

Part 2 will focus directly on the need for museums as cultural organisations to use the links between culture and development to play a role in addressing both general issues of climate change and its specific impact on cultural continuity. As a follow up to World Watch One in Guyana and with added impetus from the CHOGM communiqué of November 2009, World Watch Two will examine the growing global impact of climate change on the human (i.e., threats to cultural heritage and property, migration pressures and economic issues) and the natural environment, including potentially extensive land submersion, particularly South Asia and the South Pacific. This session is intended to build on the theme of culture and development, with an emphasis on the ramifications of climate change on the protection of land, livelihoods, cultural diversity and property, tangible and intangible. This session will feature case studies chosen to encourage an action-oriented series of discussions that will lead to a suggested common action plan for museums.

 

Location and Rationale: 

To be held in Singapore as a continuation of CAM’s efforts to hold programs in all regions of the Commonwealth. Singapore is a transportation hub more easily accessed by countries in South-East Asian and the South Pacific. Singapore has exemplary museums featuring wide cultural diversity. 

 

In addition to museum visits, the two main sessions and their emphasis on museums effectively engaging in civil society, the conference will provide an opportunity for CAM to discuss its updated Distance Learning Program in Museum Studies, both the print and online versions, and its Cultural Property Project. The Singapore conference will also host CAM’s triennial general meeting including elections.

 

Conference program builds on Canberra conference of 2006 organized by the Australian National University to which CAM contributed, World Watch One, Guyana, 2008 and the 4th GCAM conference, South Africa, 2009.

 

 

Call for Papers:

Speakers are invited to submit proposals for papers, case studies, and/or full panels on topics ranging from:

·         ways in which museums can not only help preserve cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, but also promote traditional and contemporary culture as resources for sustainable development to

·         what role museums—science museums, natural history museums and natural heritage sites, as well as cultural museums—can play to help deal with issues arising from climate change

 

Proposals are invited from all disciplines. The proposal package should include a summary of 150-200 words and a two-page CV. Proposals should be received by 15 February 2011. 

 

Conference Organizer and Conference Committee Chair

Catherine C. Cole

 

Further inquiries and proposals should be addressed to:

[log in to unmask]  and Lois Irvine, Secretary General, CAM:  [log in to unmask] or, [log in to unmask]



_____________________________________________________________________________
Lois Irvine
Secretary General
Commonwealth Association of Museums
P.O. Box 30192 Chinook Postal Outlet
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2V9
Canada
Tel & fax:  1-403-938-3190
email:  [log in to unmask]
or [log in to unmask]
Office address:
c/o  Lois Irvine
R.R. #1
DeWinton, Alberta
T0L 0X0
Canada

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