On Fri, 4 Feb 2000, National Museums and Monuments wrote:

++++ [CLIP] ++++

> By the way has it ever dawned on ICOM and other similar organisations that
> the "have nots" are subsidising the "haves", that in real terms
> subscriptions and membership fees are increased for the LDC's while
> remaining stagnant or are reduced for Developing Countries.
>
> 1995  US$  to Z$  1:12
> 1997  US$  to Z$  1:18
> 1999  US$  to Z$  1:39
>
> Make sense out of it?  The depreciation factor means the ICOM member in LCD
> is paying 3 times as much as he was in 1995!!

==============================

Dawson:

You are right in principle, though the relative increase is not quite as
bad as you state because ICOM switched from US dollars to French Francs
(now Euros) about 5 years ago.

The very big fall in the Franc (and now the Euro) against the US dollar
(and the UK pound) has reduced the level of subscription against the
dollar by about a quarter, and even more against the pound.  (ICOM UK
subscriptions are actually 16% lower in pounds than they were two years
ago), and presumably the AAM-ICOM dues will have fallen by at least as
much.

I would guess that what you transmit to Paris is "ONLY" about twice to two
and a half times the 1995 level in Zimbabwe dollars, though that is not
much consolation or help.


Patrick Boylan


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