| Standing Committees |
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| Sunday, 10 May 2009 11:18 |
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Standing Committees are established by the Executive of WAC to administer core activities or to provide oversight of issues of enduring interest to WAC members. WAC Standing Committees are:
Archaeologists Without Borders Chair: Claire Smith, Australia; Juan Salazar, Spain. Committee: Elena Garcea, Italy; Bayo Folorunso, Nigeria; Ines Domingo Sanz, Spain. This committee provides direction and oversight for the Archaeologists Without Borders Committee Program, a unique endeavour that supports archaeological education and training in economically disadvantaged countries. Through a network of training programs, WAC members in different parts of the world may travel to host institutions to provide educational opportunities. This program derives from the WAC mission to foster international academic interaction, and to eradicate economic barriers to education about archaeology. By linking scholars around the world, we ensure that superior archaeological education is available to all, regardless of the economic state of one's country. In addition, WAC members are able to support one another by sharing expertise and insights and networking among members around the globe ensure continued professional and personal development. Chair: Sean Ulm, Australia Committee: The WAC Awards Committee recognizes outstanding contributions from individuals, groups and nations in advancing the agenda/s of the World Archaeological Congress. Periodically it will award excellence in such areas as: · Student papers as they demonstrate the missions and policies of WAC. More information about these awards will appear in website updates. The work of the Awards Committee includes Co-chairs: Alexander Herrera (Colombia) , Julie Hollowell (Canada) The WAC standing Committee on Ethics is committed to upholding WAC's vision and mission as a global organization of individuals and groups whose work lies in the field of archaeology or who are affected by the practices, policies, or ideas of archaeology. Ethics are not rules to be followed or enforced; they are ideals and guiding principles from which to seek ways of acting and responding to real situations with foresight, precaution, mindfulness and attention to diverse interests and ways of knowing. WAC has in many ways set the standard for ethics in archaeology, and has done a remarkable job of living up to its principles, in great part due to the good hearts, intentions, and acts-large and small-of so many individuals. Ethics are infused fairly seamlessly in everything WAC does; they are enacted in the responses and actions of WAC's executive, member organizations, and individual members. They create a standpoint of values and responsibilities from which to make decisions as to how to act or respond to particular situations. Some of the basic principles WAC stands for include:
Current business before the Ethics Committee includes a proposal to develop a general code of ethics (task force headed up by Sean Ulm and Ian Hodder) and the envisioning of an Inter-national code of ethics (evoked by Joan Gero and Bayo Foloronso) In this work and in other tasks, we will look to the principles already encoded in WAC's bylaws, codes, and statements to ensure that decisions, actions, or statements complement, critically review, and expand upon these foundations. Chair: Ashley Sands, United StatesCommittee: James P. McCarthy (Ireland), Alinah K. Segobye (Botswana), Jim Robertson (United States), Miguel Alejandro Aguilar Diaz (Colombia), Cornelius Holtorf (Sweden), Wilhelm Londono (Colombia/Argentina), Ingrid Ahlgren (Marshall Islands), and Shanti Pappu (India). Chair: H. Martin Wobst, USA; Alejandro Haber, Argentina. Committee: Raymond Assombong, Cameroon; Bayo Folorunso, Nigeria; Dan Hicks, UK; Dorothy Lippert, USA; Alejandra Korstanje, Argentina; In keeping with one of its central goals, to advance knowledge in archaeology and foster excellence in archaeological scholarship, WAC offers a range of grants. The WAC Grants Committee assesses applications to WAC for grants and provides recommendations to the WAC Executive. The WAC Grants Committee assesses applications to WAC for grants and provides recommendations to the WAC Executive. In order to help as many people as possible, WAC prefers to provide complementary or partial funding, where possible. WAC grants include: * Congress Travel Chair: Ines Domingo Sanz, Spain. Committee: Bayo Folorunso, Nigeria; Akira Matsuda, Japan; Nick Shepherd, South Africa; Claire Smith, Australia The Membership Committee aims to encourage people interested in archaeological heritage to join the World Archaeological Congress. The committee, working together with the WAC Council, as regional representatives, aspires to attract new members, to retain the existing ones. One of the main commitments of the Membership Committee is to get sponsored subscriptions for individuals of economically disadvantaged countries who deserve to have a voice in the world of archaeology. · The responsibilities of the Membership Committee include: Chair: Sven Ouzman, South Africa. Committee: George Abungu, Kenya; Cristobal Gnecco, Colombia; Cornelius Holtorf, Sweden; Arek Marciniak, Poland; Naoko Matsumoto, Japan; Martin Wobst, USA; Larry Zimmerman, USA The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) Publications Committee seeks to solicit, encourage and facilitate information about archaeology and its role in wider society through a network of traditional and new media. WAC is the world’s most culturally, geographically, politically and theoretically representative archaeological organisation. This is both a strength in the breadth of perspective it offers, and a challenge in that achieving consensus can be difficult. Debate is always vigorous, even on the matter of how best to disseminate archaeological knowledge. Books are usually expensive, Anglophone, and supportive of a small publishing hegemony. Internet texts assume people have the means, ability and inclination regularly to access the worldwide web. Oral presentations and performances are time and cost-intensive, reaching small audiences. Audio-video productions require equipment and privilege especially the sense of vision. Thus, the most adequate way of ensuring archaeological knowledge is both created and consumed by the widest possible audience is to embrace all of these fora; as well as others that emerge or are created. Further, recognising the need for different kinds of publications—from specialist to general consumption—is a key driving force of the Committee. In addition, the WAC Publications Committee seeks to connect authors—of whatever medium being used—with colleagues working in similar media and with publication outlets that ensure each kind of publication is of the highest quality; even providing a template for future work in that form of presentation. Each work submitted to the Publications Committee is distributed to key people in that field located within WAC’s extensive network for appropriate, non-exclusive peer comment. Additionally, the WAC Publications Committee sources a range of ‘publishers’ in traditional and new media who accord with WAC’s aims of open access to knowledge via multi-language translations, low point-of-sale cost; provision of free copies, Creative Commons licensing, links to initiatives such as WAC’s Global Libraries Project, and so forth. Surplus funds generated from WAC publications—from which no individual will derive royalties—are used to aid Indigenous participation at conferences; as seed money for worthy projects, subventions towards other publications and so forth. As WAC’s membership and goals change over time, the policies and workings of the WAC Publications Committee will be evaluated on a regular basis—such as at Congresses—welcoming input from all WAC members and interested outsiders. We welcome submissions or work and advice for the functioning of the Committee, hoping not to prove correct Oscar Wilde’s observation that “committees are avenues into which good ideas are led and strangled” Chair: Don Hensen, UK. Committee: Arwa Badran, Jordon; Marcia Bezerra, Brazil; Sarah Colley, Australia; Gunes Duru, Turkey; Paloma Gonzalez, Spain; Vladimir Ionesov, Russia; Steve Nichols, Australia; Katsuyuki Okamura, Japan; Renata Wolynec, USA. WAC is an international forum for anyone who is concerned with the study of the past. The Public Education Committee promotes public interest in the past in all countries, especially disadvantaged nations, through appropriate training and education, teaching practices that accommodate non-traditional audiences and the development of interpretative practices that are sensitive to the values of different cultures. This committee recognises the need to make archaeological studies relevant to the wider community and encourages educators, interpreters, and archaeologists to involve the public in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Chairs: Cressida FForde, U.K. and Joe Watkins, USA. Committee: Franchesca Cubillo, Australia; Lawrence Foanaota, Solomon Islands; Jane Hubert, UK; Kathryn Last, UK; Robert Layton, UK; Paul Turnbull, Australia; Bob Weatherall, Australia. WAC recognizes that human remains and objects of special cultural importance have different layers of meaning to many different groups of people. WAC's Repatriation Committee, working within frameworks established by the WAC Code of Ethics and the Vermillion Accord of 1989, as well as Statement 2 of the Indigenous Inter-Congress held at Waipapa Marae in November 2005 and adopted by the WAC Council at its meeting in Osaka, Japan in January 2006, facilitates the dialogue on repatriation issues. Through sessions at WAC Congresses and Inter-Congresses, we work to provide avenues for discussion about this special issue. In addition, the Repatriation Committee, with the support of its international membership, provides varied perspectives and insights on the impact of local, national, and international debate and policy on repatriation issues. WAC Student Committee (WACSC) website Chair: Dru McGill (USA) Committee: The objective of the Students’ Committee is to develop student representation and involvement in WAC. This means not only the expansion of student membership across the world, but also to incorporate more student voices into WAC discussions and activities. By orchestrating student participation, which is often regarded as secondary in importance to archaeological Congresses, in a timely manner, the Committee will promote innovative and thought-provoking discussions originating from WAC student members. |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 11:45 |