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Congress 2005 FAQs
During the Berlin Congress and in the Feedback Survey reported
on in this issue of the newsletter, a number of questions were
raised about next year's congress. Though planning is only in the
beginning stage, here are a few answers to the questions members
have been asking. As soon as our Congress website is constructed,
these and other questions will be answered more fully and updated.
A. Congress 2005
dates
B. Location and
venue
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Q. Where will the
SIETAR Europa Congress 2005 it be held?
A. We have contracted the the VVF facility, called “La Bergerie” at La Colle
Sur Loup, Cote d'Azur, France. The facility includes room, board and congress
facilities and is located in the country about 20 minutes from the Nice Airport.
- Q. Why Nice? It's problably expensive.
Will there be student rates for
registration?
A. While the Cote d’Azur is on the expensive side, the venue arrangements
were chosen because they are very reasonable and inclusive of many
expenses that one might otherwise have to seek outside the venue in hotels
and shops. Theoretically this should reduce registration expenses while
standardizing lodging and board. We will be looking for economies and passing
them on to you as we find them. There will be staggerd registration fees for
participants with more limited incomes.
- Q. Are there reasonable transport options
to and from the Congress?
A. Nice has one of France’s best served airports. It is a regular distination for
many discount airlines and is competitively served by Air Frane and other
national carriers. In addition, high speed train service is available and
reasonable from many destinations from within and from outside of France.
- Q. What are the facilities like? I would
not want to stay in a run-down
place, share a room or bath.
A. The facility itself provides several choices for lodging arrangements. The
lodgings are comfortable and economical but not deluxe. They are classified as
** in France. We are exploring possibiities and day rates for those who’s
budgets and desires incline them to stay elsewhere. If you desire ****
conditions elsewhere, we understand that the Hotel Splendide in Nice will
accommodate you nicely for between 215€00 and 340€00 per night.
- Q. Will there be a common space where people
have to pass one
another?
A. The venue has a number of large open indoor spaces conducive to migling.
In addition we expect that the outdoor spaces, weather permitting, will
provide us with pleasant surroundings in which to meet and stroll.
- Q. Will there be a shuttle between the venue
and Nice?
A. The venue is accustomed to organizing reasonably priced shuttle bus
service both for pick up from the Airport as well as for any events that take
place outside the venue itself.
- Q. How is transportation to Nice (or other
towns) from the congress
venue?
A. Shuttle bus arrangements can be made for groups either to specific
locations or to rail and bus connections for those who wish to travel.
- Q. Will the food be high in quality and variety?
Is it full board?
A. What a rediculous question. This is FRANCE! Actually your Congress
Committee is going to sample the food and will give you a hands-on report in
the newsletter. Yes, the package includes full board, generous snacks and
yup, wine at both lunch and dinner.
- Q. Will you send us details, pictures accessible
on websites, the location
specifics etc., ASAP?
Yes. Use this link to go to the website for “La Bergerie”. It is in
French. We
will be visiting the site and preparing our own photographs to add to your
understanding of the site and its location shortly.
C. Congress 2005
Program
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Q. Who is going to
be the main organizer? Who will be in charge?
A. SIETAR Europa has the responsibility of organizing the 2005 congress. In
effect, that means all of us. Until now a steering committee has pursued
information and preprations. We expect to name a full congress committee
representative of the European SIETARS and taking into account those who
have volunteered and those who will volunteer. Since we have chosen a full
service venue, the work that remains for the committee will be liaising with
them but its main work will be more focused on the program design.
- Q. What will be the overall theme and topics
for the Congress?
A. This is still under development and we will be consulting you further about
it. A clear need has been expressed to discuss the role of the intercultural
professional in addressing the pressing cultural issues of our time: politics,
religion, terror, violence and genocide, social shifts, reducing the effects of
past colonialism, and certainly a bigger place for “the New Europe.”
- Q. Is there some free time planned to explore
the surroundings?
A. We hare exploring a number of options for tours and excursions. Also, we
might suggest, given the time of the Congress that you think of the possiblity
of extending your stay to visit the many extraordinary natural and artisinal
resources found in the area. More information about this will be provided in the
congress website.
- Q. When does the submission for papers and
workshops begin and end?
A. A firm date has not yet been fixed, but we hope to take advantage of
online communication to both sollicit and select those who will present. Expect
this deadline to be somewhat earlier than in previous years. Start thinking
about your interests for involvement now.
- Q. Will presenters have to pay participation
fees?
A. This is one of the most difficult questions we are now facing. Most
professional congresses do not pay fees or give reductions to presenters of
papers, though they may pay for keynote speakers. We hear two messages
from our members. One is that they think speakers should be given a privilege;
secondly, they want a less expensive congress. The only way to make this
happen is by creating a fundraising campaign for scholarship funds for those
with less resources and a sponsorship program for congress materiel and
events which would lower our direct cost on the congress. We cannot do this
alone, so we ask that the local SIETARs discuss how they may support the
effort by providing or seeking scholarship funds, and we ask individual
members who are connected to or willing to find sponsors to come forward
and be part of the fundraising effort by contacting the office (see question 19
below).
- Q. What are the criteria for presentations
and presenters?
A. Adhrence to the specified theme of the congress, timely completion of the
proposal forms will be basicrequirements. In addition members have been
askng for a better assessment of quality and a clear statement for the level of
expertise expected of the audience. We will conduct a peer review online of
the proposals for the final selections. In addition, we propose that some
presenters be specifically invited if the membership so desires.
- Q. Will there be local presentations in French?
Will the German SIETAR
prepare some events?
A. SIETAR Congresses have traditionally been open to presentations in other
languages than English. This one will be no exception. Generally speaking the
location of the program in a specific country increases the number of
participants from that country and hence the need for presentations in the
language of the country. Voila!
- Q. How could a member take part in the proccess
of preparation?
A. Glad you asked. We intend to continue to work with the membership online
to solicit your opinions and plans as we proceed. In addition volunteers of all
kinds will be needed both in the preparation and delivery of the congress. If
you have not already done so, please contact Christine
Longé, Administrative
Secretary at the SIETAR
Europa Office (Tel:
+33 6 03 86 04 94 email:
office@sietar-europa.org) telling her how you would like to be involved and
what amount of time you might have to spare to work on the congress.
- Q. How will we involve more participants
or papers from the minorities,
e.g., more muslims, blacks and chinese presenting their views, rather
than europeans talking about those issues?
A. The Congress Committee will be discussing how to invite as well as how to
market to these groups. The best guarantee of their involvement in a
Congress, however, is the active inclusion of such people in your local SIETAR
groups. Do you have an initiative or a process for this locally. If you do,
please let the SIETAR Europa Office know about it. It will be one of our roles
to use the newsletter and other resources to share best practices among the
SIETARs.
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