1993 (no. 11-12)
** 10th ICOMOS GENERAL, ASSEMBLY, SRI LANKA "Let ICOMOS be universal in word and more in deed." Sri Lankan President D.B. Wijetunga Once again at this year's General Assembly, ICOMOS made history in its goal to be a truly global organization. This year's 10th General Assembly was the first to be held in Asia and the first under the leadership of a non-European ICOMOS president. The 1987 Washington General Assembly had been the first outside of Europe. Another impressive precedent was set by His Excellency D.B. Wijetunga, President of Sri Lanka, who participated in the outdoor opening ceremony and then addressed the delegates in the convention center. The session included native dances and a film on Sri Lanka's cultural resources. ICOMOS national committee chairmen participated in an inaugural lamp lighting ceremony. Pia Gazzola awarded the Gazzola Prize, in memory of her late father, the first ICOMOS president, to Sir Bernard Feilden (United Kingdom). The date of the Assembly from July 30 to August 4, 1993 had been auspiciously set to coincide with Esala Perahera, Sri Lanka's spectacular week-long Buddhist celebration. Esala Perahera is held annually in August during the full moon in the historic capital and World Heritage city of Kandy, the site of a museum and the fabled Temple of the Tooth Relic. ICOMOS delegates had the rare opportunity to witness this Sri Lankan 2-1/2 hour pilgrimage parade of 92 elephants and thousands of dancers. During the week, the delegates were presented with gifts of a box of tea, a personalized medallion, a colorful calendar, and recent ICOMOS publications. The 26-person American delegation included Gustavo Araoz, Elliott and Dori Carroll, Blaine Cliver, William Colburn, Robertson E. Collins, Miguel Angel Corzo, Marta de la Torre, Arlene K. Fleming, John M. Fowler, Roy E. Graham, Carolyn E. Hansen, Russell and Ingrid Keune, Spencer Leinweber, John Monroe, Terry and Hamilton Morton, William J. Murtaugh, Janet O'Hara, Ann Webster Smith, Alfred and Jeanne Staehli, John Stubbs, Barbara Timken and Timothy P. Whalen. Six U.S. delegates were awarded financial assistance by US/ICOMOS from a Montauk Foundation grant. Other delegates were assisted through the National Park Service-US/ICOMOS-World Heritage Convention Fund, and the State Department's Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Program Fund. The Getty Grant Program awarded $50,000 through US/ICOMOS to enable the participation of delegates from ICOMOS national committees which otherwise would have had no representation. These delegates were selected from Africa: Cameroon and Ethiopia; Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica; Central America: Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras; Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Russia and Slovenia; North America: Mexico; and South America: Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. ** THE SYMPOSIUM Symposium sessions were organized around four themes: The Heritage of Asia and Oceania; Cultural Tourism; Conservation Economics; and Heritage Management. Professor Senake Bandaranayake, Chairman of ICOMOS Sri Lanka, chaired the first theme and was chairman of the symposium. US/ICOMOS member Mr. Collins chaired the Cultural Tourism sessions; Mr. Keune was the rapporteur. The delegates received many new publications on arrival in Colombo. The papers of all four symposium themes were available in a publication at the opening of the symposium. US/ICOMOS, acting as the Secretariat of the Cultural Tourism Committee, wrote and prepared for publication, _Tourism at World Heritage Cultural Sites: The Site Manager's Handbook_. This first edition of the handbook is being distributed by US/ICOMOS to all World Heritage cultural sites for review and suggestions for the second edition, planned for 1994. _Trails to Tropical Treasures: A Tour of ASEAN's Cultural Heritage_, was given to each delegate. Membership in ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, includes Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The book was a joint venture of the American Express Foundation, the World Monuments Fund and US/ICOMOS. The ICOMOS Secretariat produced an ICOMOS Directory in English and French, with useful reference sections: ICOMOS Aims and Activities, Venice Charter, Statutes, Organizational Chart, member names and addresses by country, and more. A copy of the 1993 UNESCO-funded, 200 page, color-illustrated publication, _The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka_, was presented to each of the 450 delegates. They also received a large, colorful calendar featuring Sri Lanka's cultural Heritage. Additional General Assembly publications included _Wall Paintings of Sri Lanka_ and _The Story of the Logo_. UNESCO made available to all delegates the _International Directory, Youth & Heritage_ (English/French) which lists by country the organizers of courses and workshops for youth in preservation. Order from Jeunesse & Patrimoine International, 9, avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 75008 Paris, France, tel: (1) 42-25-91-92, fax: (1) 49-53-02-09. The organizers also produced publications of up to 15 years of unpublished work produced by the 15 ICOMOS International Specialized Committees. The subject areas include archaeological heritage management, cultural tourism, economics of conservation, earthen architecture, historic gardens and sites, historic towns, inventories, photogrammetry, rock art, seismology, stained glass, stone, education and training, vernacular architecture and wood. Contact US/ICOMOS for information on ordering any of these publications. ** THE FUTURE PLAN For the triennial business meeting, the Secretariat produced the _1993 Programme and Working Papers_, which includes the triennial summary reports of the President, Secretary General and Treasurer General. The ICOMOS Future Plan, an evaluation and proposal for the future of ICOMOS produced over the past two years by a special committee, based on the results of a survey of the national committees, was presented at this meeting. The key recommendations of the Future Plan are (1) to confirm the focus on scientific professionalism, (2) to create a Cultural Heritage at Risk Fund, (3) to simplify organizational structure, (4) to reinforce the Secretariat, (5) to improve information networks, (6) to increase financial support, and (7) to become geographically, humanistically, and professionally truly global. The General Assembly endorsed this document and recommended that the ICOMOS Bureau and Executive Committee review it for appropriateness and feasibility. The General Assembly ratified the Eger Principles for ICOMOS scientific committees and the Education and Training Committee Guidelines. ** ELECTIONS Reelected ICOMOS officers include President Roland Silva (Sri Lanka) and Treasurer General Jan Jessurun (Netherlands). Jean-Louis Luxen (Belgium) was elected to his first term as Secretary General. Many were disappointed that Herb Stovel, the previous Secretary General, resigned after only one of three allowable 3-year terms because of the demands of his university position. Elliott Carroll (USA) was again elected as a vice-president. Other vice-presidents are Joan Domicelj (Australia), Nobuo Ito (Japan), Esteban Prieto (Dominican Republic) and Andras Roman (Hungary). Elected to the Executive Committee are Dinu Bumbaru (Canada), Sherban Cantacuzino (United Kingdom), Natalya Dushkina (Russia), Pierre Drocourt (France), Margareta Ehrstrom (Finland), Carmen Anon Feliu (Spain), Mohaman Haman (Cameroon), Todor Krestev (Bulgaria), Luis Lapidus Mandel (Cuba), Joseph Phares (Lebanon), Giora Solar (Israel) and Werner Trutzschler (Germany). ** SPECIAL EVENTS Delegates giving special evening lectures for the Sri Lankan preservationists and citizens were Elliott Carroll (United States), Raymond Lemaire (Belgium) and Michael Petzet (Germany). During the symposium, a site visit was organized to the World Heritage fortified city of Galle. Those who stayed for the post-Assembly National Tour visited four other World Heritage sites: Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa. Two days of workshops followed on the subjects of gardens and landscapes, maritime heritage, mural paintings and medieval fortifications. The U.S. delegation and Sri Lankan friends were honored at a cocktail buffet one evening hosted by the Honorable Teresita C. Schaffer, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, at the ambassador's residence. A special dinner/dance at the historic Galle Face Hotel celebrated the agreement of the Development Bank of Singapore to subsidize the restoration and redevelopment of the unique 125-year-old hotel through Raffles International Ltd. ** PRESIDENT SILVA'S THANKS TO US/ICOMOS "We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the American people at the 10th General Assembly. We had assistance from every quarter of the U.S....American Express...Getty Conservation Institute...Getty Grant Program...the Montauk Foundation...the National Park Service and the State Department. Please convey our deep appreciation to ICOMOS U.S.A. for this and many more, for without such assistance, we would have fallen far short of the results reached." ** RESOLUTIONS OF THE 1993 GENERAL ASSEMBLY The General Assembly of ICOMOS, meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in August 1993, resolves: 1. To encourage a sound exchange of experiences and successes in Heritage Preservation among ICOMOS National Committees, independent of their political and financial situation. 2. To express ICOMOS gratitude to Sri Lankan officials for the success of this General Assembly. 3. To accept the invitation of the Bulgarian National Committee to hold the 11th Session of the General Assembly in Sofia. 4. To express appreciation to the Canadian authorities for their support of ICOMOS and its Secretary General. 5. To express appreciation to the Netherlands government for its support of ICOMOS, its Treasurer General and its Director of the Secretariat. 6. To express appreciation to the French government for having supplied ICOMOS its accommodations in Paris and for its offer of, in its place, accommodations at Versailles. 7. To express support for the creation of new national committees. 8. To express appreciation to the Getty Conservation Institute and the Getty Grant Program for their support of international programs and for the grant of funds to support attendance at this General Assembly by those unable to attend otherwise. 9. To express appreciation to the American Express Foundation for its grant for publication of _Trails to Tropical Treasures_. 10. To call upon affected NGO's and UNESCO to help resolve the French Government's retroactive imposition of taxes on such organizations previously exempt. 11. To express support for UNESCO Director Frederico Mayor and the World Heritage Center in increasing the significance and effectiveness of the World Heritage Convention. 12. To urge all NGO's to create public opinion to stop the destruction of cultural heritage in Bosnia Herzegovina and other states of the former Yugoslavia and to urge contribution and support to an ICOMOS Disaster Relief Assistance. 13. To urge ICOMOS to explore creation of a means of accreditation procedures for training programs in heritage conservation in accordance with the Guidelines approved at this General Assembly. 14. To delegate the authority of the General Assembly to decide in all matters related to the ICOMOS headquarters to the Executive Committee until the 11th General Assembly in 1996. 15. To urge the Sri Lankan government to act to prevent further demolition of the Colombo Fort. 16. To express concern about the safety of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. 17. To refer the increase in membership fees in ICOMOS by 30% to the Executive Committee for further study and for decision. 18. To formally adopt the Eger Principles and to implement them with souplesse but without delay. 19. To urge ICOMOS National Committees to allow the admission of institutional and sustaining members as authorized by the ICOMOS statutes. 20. To recommend that ICOMOS persuade the UNESCO World Heritage Center that monitoring of World Heritage Sites be made the responsibility of ICOMOS National Committees of the country in which they are located. 21. To ask ICOMOS, its President, all National and International Committees to support the protection and monitoring of endangered or destroyed cultural heritage sites in Lebanon and to assist the Lebanese National Committee in its efforts to reconstruct and restore these monuments. ** THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY The 11th General Assembly will be held in October 1996 in Sofia, Bulgaria. ** AROUND THE WORLD SINGAPORE: As reported in _Built Environment_, the Newsletter of the Centre for Built Environment, Calcutta, controversy has been raised in the restoration of a historic building -- a cathedral in Singapore. Architect Philip Johnson has proposed the preservation of this building within a huge crystal glass box in order to protect it from weathering and to enrich its visual quality. French architect (and US/ICOMOS member) Didier Repellin with other local architects has protested and suggested alternative plans for the preservation of the historic cathedral and the surrounding area. VIETNAM: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment Programme and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the help of Swedish International Development Agency have prepared the first comprehensive environmental action plan year 2000 for Vietnam. It includes programs for protection of forests and rivers, marine and wildlife, making two major cities -- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh -- the objects of sustainable environment and improvement programs, laws and policy measures. NEW ZEALAND: The New Zealand National Committee of ICOMOS has published the New Zealand Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Heritage Value. This Charter, published by ICOMOS New Zealand in April 1993, is built on previous international and national charters but accommodates the particular cultural heritage characteristics of New Zealand. The Charter is bi-cultural; it recognizes the culture of the Maori people, who are the indigenous peoples of New Zealand/Aotearoa, as well as the culture of New Zealanders generally. The Maori translation of the Charter has been completed recently and will be published soon. The Charter is being distributed to professionals, tradespeople, local authorities, owners and the wider community within New Zealand. ** TRAINING The RESTORE Intensive Workshop on Masonry Conservation will be held March 21-25, 1994, in Williamsburg, Virginia. RESTORE has a materials science approach to architectural conservation. The curriculum covers a wide range of technical issues concerning materials and treatments as well as health and environmental hazards inherent in architectural restoration. The workshop includes lectures, laboratory and field workshop sessions. RESTORE curricula have been approved by the Professional Development Committee of the American Institute of Architects, and graduates are eligible to receive AIA Continuing Education Units. Tuition is $1,400, which includes lab fees and course materials. For information, contact RESTORE, 41 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003, tel: 212/477-0114, fax: 212/475-7424. The 43rd Attingham Summer School on the Country House in Britain will be held from Friday, July 8, to Tuesday, July 26, 1994. The purpose of the school is to examine the architectural and social history of the Country House in Britain and its landscape setting; to study the contents of these great houses -- their paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles and other applied arts, as well as the planning and decorative treatment of the interiors; to stimulate discussion on the problems involved in the conservation and presentation of the Country House and its contents. Conducted at 3 centers (West Dean College, Sussex, Nottingham University and Trinity College, Cambridge), the 1994 program will give participants a chance to study about 25 country houses, accompanied by specialist staff tutors and visiting lecturers. Cost of enrolment is according to age: $3,450 for those under 30 on July 1st, 1994, or $3,500 for those over 30. Fees include tuition, most meals, accommodations, admission fees, local travel,: etc. The Attingham Study Week will be held May 30-June 7, 1994, in the Netherlands. Application forms for both programs are available form Mrs. Sybil Bruel, The Executive Secretary, American Friends of the Attingham Summer School, Inc., 285 Central Park West, New York 10024, and must be submitted before January 31,1994. The Victorian Society Summer School will be held in London, with visits to other parts of England, from July 2-23, 1994. The lecture subjects cover the problems of style in Victorian architecture, the Classical tradition and the Gothic Revival; church, country house and railway architecture; social housing and town planning; the history of Victorian London and Victorian Civic architecture; the Aesthetic Movement and the Arts & Crafts movement, the Garden Suburb and the Victorian pub, architectural sculpture and decoration and interior design. Cost is 1275 residential and 850 non-residential. For applications and information, contact: Meg Birney, Summer School Secretary, The Victorian Society, 1 Priory Gardens, Bedford Park, London W4 1TT, tel: 081-994-1019, fax: 081-995-4895. ** NEWS OF MEMBERS AND FRIENDS * US/ICOMOS Fellow W. Brown Morton III was recognized for his contributions to the practice and standards of historic preservation and received the title of Honorary Member of the AIA at the Chicago Convention in 1993. * US/ICOMOS Board member Carter L. Hudgins has been appointed Executive Director of the Historic Charleston Foundation, South Carolina. * John Pearce, Chairman of the US/ICOMOS National Specialized Committee on Historic Towns, is the new Director of the Mary Washington College Center for Historic Preservation. * Robert J. Kapsch, Chief of the Historic American Buildings Survey/ Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) will also be given the title of Honorary Member of the AIA at the 1994 AIA convention in Los Angeles, to recognize that he "has been relentless in promoting the understanding, appreciation, preservation and documentation of American architecture." * 1992 US/ICOMOS intern Elizabeth Barthold is now Project Architectural Historian at John Milner Associates in Alexandria, Virginia. * Charles Birnbaum and Robert Page have succeeded Nora Mitchell as co-chairs of the US/ICOMOS National Specialized Committee on Training. * Jeffrey Cody is a visiting professor in the Department of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. ** STAFF NEWS After seven years as US/ICOMOS Vice President for Programs, Russell V. Keune, FAIA, is leaving US/ICOMOS to join the national headquarters staff of the American Institute of Architects as the Director of International Relations. Mr. Keune came to US/ICOMOS to guide the planning and coordination of the 8th ICOMOS General Assembly held in Washington, DC, in October 1987. In the period following the General Assembly, US/ICOMOS under Mr. Keune's direction embarked on new international program initiatives in cooperation with the United States Information Agency, the United States Agency for International Development and the American Express Foundation, among others. Mr. Keune also served as the Secretariat for the ICOMOS International Committee on Cultural Tourism and produced the recent publication, Tourism at World Heritage Cultural Sites: The Site Manager's Handbook. Mr. Keune is a former member of the Board of Trustees and a US/ICOMOS Fellow. ** CALENDAR May 10 -13, 1994. The 3rd International Symposium of Historic Preservation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to bring together recognized specialists to share information about new or recent projects, new techniques and solutions, and historic preservation/restoration issues. CALL FOR PAPERS: Papers should be directly related to restoration projects, research projects or studies on Fortifications, Lighthouses and Colonial Masonry Structures in the Caribbean. Deadline for submission of abstracts is December 30, 1993. Abstracts should not exceed one page, double-spaced. For information, contact: U.S. National Park Service, San Juan National Historic Site, ATT: Milagros Flores, Historian, Fort San Cristobal, Norzagaray Street, San Juan, Puerto Rico 000901, tel: 809/729-6777, fax: 809/729-6665. October 11-15, 1994. The next International Conference of the ICOMOS International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management will be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on the theme of Archaeological Remains: In Situ Preservation. Plenary sessions will focus on 1) the components of the preservation process, 2) strategies for the selection of places and elements to conserve within sites, and 3) the role of contributors and clients. The conference will include thematic visits in Montreal and the region and a general meeting of ICAHM. The conference will be conducted in English and French with simultaneous translation during the plenary sessions. For further information, contact: Secrtariat, ICAHM Montral 1994, Ville de Montral, Service de l'habitation et du dveloppement urbain, 303 rue Notre-Dame Est, 5i me tage, Montral, Qubec, Canada H2Y 3Y8, tel: 514/872-7531, fax: 514/872-0024. .