ICOM-L has come alive!  I would like to endorse Patrick's comments
below.  And further, the Museum's Studies schools at the University of
Zagreb and the University of Victoria, under the umbrella of ICTOP, have
just completed a very successful symposium in Dubrovnik, Croatia: "Toward a
Museology of Conciliation" - the role of museums and cultural agencies in
the aftermath of armed conflict.  Over the course of 5 days, 15 papers on
war prevention and repair topics were presented and discussed in depth.


        In consideration of our intervenor in this discussion that we
should find topics more relevant, I should only add that the finding of
this group of professionals, academics and students were that perhaps the
role of of ICOM has been to self serving in the past, i.e. our interest has
only been in protection, salvage, and repatriation of collections (and
throught ICOMOS protection of monuments) rather than the animation peace
and reconcilliation among the communities were serve: i.e. prevention; and
this should be the mission every museological institution should address
somewhere in it program (just as for the past 20 years Natural History
Museums have addressed ecological and environmental issues).  All the more
so in that so many state or National Museums have been born out of the
"legalized" looting of victorious armies, or the exploits of colonial
administrations within their dependant states, and indeed the stated aim of
many National Museums today which continue to define ethnic or cultural
boundaries in a manner which may engender conflict among.

        The conclusions of the group meeting in Dubrovnik (the city itself
still bearing the horrible evidence of cultural property targeting during
the 1991 siege) was that the museum community should go much further than
merely forwarding resolutions on these from its triennials, but should
embed itself into the very matrix of the peace movement - by fostering
ongoing links and discussions among ourselves and with our communities - of
which this e-mail network is but one example.

        The papers and discussions of the Dubrovnik meeting will be posted
to the ICTOP site http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/ictop-nest.html over the next
few weeks.

        Martin Segger, University of Victoria, Chair, ICTOP.


>You are entitled to your opinions but I for one see the racking-up of
>already sesious tensions in S.E. Asia to the nuclear level as very
>relevant to the survival of museums and the cultural heritage.  (Just
>think back to ex-Yugoslavia - where 90%+ of the fighting was at First
>World War level in terms of weapons technologies.
>
>However, in reply to your specific question the ICOM site and particularly
>that of its Documentation Committee CIDOC already does this and has masses
>on exactly your topic:   http://www.icom.org/CIDOC/
>
>I can also offer a number of good jumping off points including guidance
>on developing good web documents, for example, from my site:
>http://www.city.ac.uk/artspol/
>
>Obviously there are very many others but between just these two there's
>more than enough to keep you busy for weeks!
>
>Patrick Boylan
>(Vice-President of ICOM)
>
>=========================
>
>On Tue, 19 May 1998, A2Design wrote:
>
>>
>> Wow!  I joined this list because I love museums and want to learn more about
>> them.  Can't we move on to a topic that has something to do with museums?
>>
>> How about creating a library full of information, successful examples,
>> guidelines, etc., on creating, managing and improving museums on the
>>web?  Its
>> a better topic than the evils of weapons of mass destruction.  Does anyone
>> know of anything like this on the web?
>>


******************************************************************************
Prof. Martin Segger, Director Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery/University
Auditorium
(& Chair ICTOP/ICOM)
University of Victoria, PO.Box 3025, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 3P2
Tel: (250) 721-8298 or (250)721-8299  e-mail:[log in to unmask]
Visit the Maltwood and ICOM/ICTOP website: URL: http://www.maltwood.uivic.ca
For the Dubrovnik course "Toward a Museology of Reconciliation" May  11-17
1998 see the website:
http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/crmp/Dubrov.htm