Out-Going Council Meeting
International Rural Sociology Association
Lisbon, Portugal
July 29, 2012

The outgoing council meeting was called to order by President Almas at 14:47 without a quorum present. The decision was made that any necessary votes on motions would be taken via e-mail by Reider Almas. It was also noted that the incoming secretary-treasurer had agreed to take the minutes of the meeting in lieu of the outgoing secretary-treasurer. Those present included:

a. Sonia Bergamasco (ALASRU)
b. Geoff Lawrence (incoming president)
c. Lynda Chesire (AON and V.P.)
d. Charlambos Kasimis (ESRS)
e. Elizabeth Ransom (RSS)
f. Mustafa Koc (current program chair)
g. David Hansen (outgoing Secretary-Treasurer)
h. Stephanie Scott (guest from Canada)
i. Tom Dunk (guest from Canada)
j. Diego Pineiro (guest from ALASRU)
k. Muirhead Bruce (guest from Canada)
l. Ms. Hao (Toronto convention bureau)
m. Manuel Moreira (current Local Arrangements Chair)
n. Ray Jussaume (RSS and incoming secretary-treasurer)
o. Reidar Almas (outgoing president)

The minutes from the 2008 and 2010 meetings, which were previously approved by e-mail, were briefly discussed. Perhaps the major ongoing issue is the lack of representation from Africa. There is no active rural sociological association in Africa. IRSA has been trying for 10 years to get a regional association started in Africa.

The council next heard a report on the status of the Lisbon Congress from Manuel Moreira. Dr. Moreira noted that the Lisbon Congress originally registered 1,008 individuals, who together submitted nearly 1,500 abstracts. Some have subsequently dropped out. A final registration number will be forthcoming. All sponsorships received for the Congress have been in kind. There have been no major financial donations. Overall, it appears the Congress will cover its expenses and the 10,000 euros that will be owed to IRSA. Also, it was noted that the Lisbon Congress is allowing individuals to make presentations in their native languages so long as there is an English powerpoint. This has increased participation. For example, there almost 200 participants from Brazil and 90 from Mexico.

On behalf of the program committee, Dr. Moutafa Koc reported that the Lisbon Congress has seventy-one workshops. Mara Miele and Marie-Christine Renard have been very helpful co-chairs. Everything seems to be going well. This appears to be the best Congress turnout since Rio de Janeiro Congress

At this point, Dr. Koichi Ikegami from ARSA entered. A Quorum was now present and all votes could proceed as normal!

A Quadrennial Report was next delivered by Dr. David Hansen, the outgoing secretary-treasurer. Dr. Hanson noted that according to the IRSA by-laws, association dues payments should be made every four years. However, IRSA often bills early to help make it easier for member associations to pay. Thus, the question is whether we should change the by-laws. Dr. Hanson also noted that IRSA membership with ISA costs $150.00 per year!

Lynda Chesire suggested that the link to the current IRSA web site was not as obvious as it should be. She also stated that Michael Woods of the Journal for Rural Studies would like to communicate with IRSA. There will be a brown bag about journals on 8/2 during the Congress.

Geoff Lawrence then asked whether there were e-copies available of the book edited by Bonanno et al.? He also asked how many copies were sold? Hopefully these questions can be relayed to Dr. Bonanno.

MOTION: At this point Lynda Chesire moved that the quadrennial report presented by D. Hansen be accepted. Mustafa Koc seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously accepted by voice acclamation.

David Hansen then gave the financial report. He noted that it appears that the full payment would be received from the Lisbon organizers. This is good news as the World Congress is IRSA’s main source of income. David Hansen also noted that all regional associations are up to date in their dues payments to 2011 and the financial statement is also up to date. One thing that is a big help to the budget is that many of the leaders are paying for some or all of their own expenses when they attended Congresses.

MOTION: At this point Charlambos Kasimis moved that the financial report presented by D. Hansen be accepted. Manuel Moreira seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously accepted by voice acclamation.

The Council then heard the presentation for the Canadian bid for the 2016 World Congress by Mustafa Koc. Supporting Dr. Koc were several individuals in attendance from Canada. Dr. Koc said that several universities in the Toronto area were participating in the bid. The meetings will be based out of Ryerson University. The organizers would hope to raise funds and use any Congress surplus to support participation by scholars in the south. There is also an interest in trying to coordinate better with the RSS meetings. Dr. Koc asked for advice from the council as to how that might be done/

Elizabeth Ransom asked if anyone knew what the dates of RSS and ASA would be in 2016.

Lynda Chesire asked about conference rooms. Dr. Koc noted that all rooms will be booked until 8:00 just to keep them available. There are no plans to have sessions until 8:00. Sessions will be held until 6:30, but rooms will be open until 8:00.

Geoff Lawrence asked if more details about funds for awards for southern participation could be presented in the near future.

MOTION: Lynda Chesire then moved that Toronto, Canada be recognized as the location for the 2016 World Congress and that the Executive Committee finalize a Memorandum of Understanding for the hosting of the Congress. Charlambos Kasimis seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously accepted by voice acclamation.

A general discussion on several issues of concern then took place. The first item had to do with the publication of papers on the IRSA website and whether there will be a book coming from the Lisbon web site. It was noted that about 50 papers, out of a total of 1,500 abstracts, have been posted to the Congress, and not the IRSA, web site. David Hansen stated that IRSA should continue with the practice of posting papers – especially for the benefit of Scholars from the South. However, the web site needs to state clearly that these papers are not reviewed. This issue will be discussed more at the outgoing council meeting

It was then asked who the Program Chair for Toronto will be? Mustafa Koc expressed that diversity is important for the program committee. There is also a need for a good structure. It is important to balance such a committee with a hierarchical structure, i.e. to have a chair and assistant chair.

The issue of the role of Past Presidents also came up. Specifically, should there be a formal role for ex-Presidents on the executive committee? This would require a change to the by-laws. Elizabeth stated that changing by-lays sometimes lead to new structures that subsequently need to be changed in the future.

Mustafa Koc suggested that perhaps past president could have half a term ex officio role. Ransom and Kasimis wondered whether it was necessary to formalize such a process? Geoff Lawrence stated that perhaps we should focus on immediate past presidents. More discussion on this issue will take place at the incoming council meeting

With respect to future Issues, President Almas stated that he believes that IRSA needs an advisory committee to help with providing advice. This could also be a useful mechanism for broadening participation from the south, including Africa.

Reports from the Regional Associations were postponed until the incoming council meeting on Friday.

Reidar Almas extended his thanks to the council and especially to David Hansen, to whom he presented an “outstanding service award” on behalf of IRSA.

MOTION: Geoff Lawrence asked if someone would move for a formal vote of thanks to the outgoing council. The motion was made by Manuel Moreira and seconded by Mustafa Koc. The motion was unanimously accepted by voice acclamation.

Respectfully submitted by Raymond A. Jussaume Jr., Secretary-Treasurer

Minutes for Council Meeting
Gothenberg, Sweden
July 13, 2010

Present
Reidar Almas, Center for Rural Research, Norway (ESRS)
Lynda Cheshire, University of Queensland, Australia (AON)
Elizabeth Ransom, University of Richmond, United States (RSS)
Ray Jussaume, Washington State University, United States (RSS)
Surichai Wun’Gaeo, The Rotary Peace University, Thailand (ARSA)
Manuel Moreira, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal (ESRS)
Mustafa Koc, Ryerson University, Canada (RSS)
David Hansen, The Ohio State University, United States (RSS)
Masashi Tachikawa, Ibaraki University, Japan (Representing Keigo Ikegami) (ARSA)

Apologies
Yoshio Kawamura, Ryukoko University (Executive Committee)
Christine Stirling, University of Tasmania (AON)
Roger Wilkinson, Government of Victoria (AON)
Susana Aparicio, University of Buenos Aires (ALASRU)
Sonia Bergamasco, University of Campinas (ALASRU)
Fernando Guerrero, Catholic University of Ecuador (ALASRU)
Lutgarda Tolentino. University of the Philippines – Los Banos (ARSA)
Bettina Bock, Wageningen University (ESRS)
Charalambos Kisimis, Agricultural University of Athens (ESRS)
Paul Milbourne, Cardiff University
Hans Bakker, University of Guelph (RSS)

IRSA President, Reidar Almas, opened the Council meeting at 18:00. He expressed his appreciation to those present for having made the effort to attend. He then asked each of them to briefly introduce themselves to others in the room.

Reidar Almas then asked for reports about activities being undertaken by different regional associations. Lynda Cheshire updated those in attendance about current activities being undertaken through the AON. She mentioned that AON is a virtual community consisting around 300 members who belong to an e-list. She mentioned that Frank Vanclay, who was responsible for the network, has moved to Holland. However, she also mentioned that the Australian National University has recently established an Institute for Rural Australia and that the director of this institute will take leadership for the AON. She mentioned that expectations are that this Institute anticipates organizing a number of local meetings and conferences. She also described the Agri-Food Research Network, which is affiliated with the AON, indicating that it holds an annual conference. This year it will be held from 11/29 to 12/1 in Melbourne. She also mentioned that the 2009 conference was held in New Zealand.

Surichai Wun’gaeo then spoke for ARSA. He indicated that an ARSA Council Meeting will be held the end of August. He also mentioned that ARSA will hold a regional conference in Legaspi City, Philippines from September 6-10 at Bicol University. Masashi Tachikawa distributed a flyer describing this international conference, the theme of which is “The Multidimensionality of Economy, Energy and Environmental Crises and their Implications to the Rural Livelihoods.”
Surichai Wun’gaeo and Masashi Tachikawa invited all to attend this event.

Since there were no Council members from ALASRU present, Manuel Moreira, Technical University of Lisbon, spoke for them. He indicated that a major ALASRU conference will be held near Recife, Brazil on November 15-19.

Reidar Almas reported on activities of the ESRS. He mentioned that the conference which it sponsored the previous year in Vasa, Finland was a big success with 470 in attendance. He indicated that there is an upsurge of interest in rural studies in Europe, in part resulting from the rural development dimension of the European Common Agricultural Policy. This has stimulated a series of studies and academic interest in rural populations. He also indicated that the entry of Eastern European nations has added many new rural dwellers to the European Union. The result has been increased interest among young scientists in rural studies. He indicated that the next ESRS meeting will be held in Crete. He also mentioned that the journal, Sociologia Ruralis, is again in good standing, with a top rating and with many articles being submitted to it for publication.

Elizabeth Ransom reported on activities of the Rural Sociological Society. She mentioned that the Annual Meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in August. She also indicated that the RSS has a new executive office at which Ralph Brown is the Executive Director. She mentioned that next year’s annual meeting will be held in Boise, Idaho and that the book series sponsored by RSS is changing publishers. Ray also mentioned that the RSS Council is considering creation of a mini-summer school for young scholars that would be held immediately prior to the annual meeting. Reidar Almas commented on the difference in trends between the U.S. and Europe. While interest seems to be waning in the U.S., it has been increasing in Europe.

Ray Jussaume, Deputy Program Chair for the Seoul World Congress, informed that several publications are being prepared using papers presented at the World Congress. One is being edited by Alessandro Bonanno, Hans Bakker and Ray Jussaume. It is currently in the proof state and will hopefully be published by September. He also mentioned another publication that will be released in Tokyo. It will contain a collection of papers presented at the World Congress by female Japanese participants. Mention was also made of another rural sociology and development series being put out by Emerald Publisher. The editor for this series is Terry Marsden, Wales.

Reidar Almas then turned the Council’s attention to the upcoming World Congress to be held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2012. Manuel Moreira, Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee indicated that the First Call for this Congress has been made and invited all to review the brochure found in the registration packet given to attendees of the conference. He indicated that most sessions will be held on the campus of the Technical University of Lisbon. However, he indicated that should large number register, it may be necessary to go to a separate building with a large auditorium for the inaugural activities. He mentioned that the first day will consist of a number of presentations by invited speakers. He indicated that he is in the process of contacting foundations to solicit support for the Congress including the Portuguese Council for Science and Technology. He also mentioned that he anticipated that the Luso-American Foundation will provide support for the participation of invited speakers, especially from North America. He also indicated that he intends to contact European Embassies in Portugal to request that they support travel to the Congress of speakers from their respective nations.

He mentioned that one day of the Congress will be devoted to tours. Among options that they are considering are tours to areas that were involved in the agrarian reform of 1975, to organic farms and to typical agrarian schemes, such as those which undertake extensive grazing. He also mentioned the possibility of visiting Portuguese wineries and fishing communities close to Lisbon.

The registration fee for the Congress has provisionally been set at three different levels. Tentatively, Europeans, North Americans, etc. would be expected to pay an early registration fee of 250 Euros or a late fee of 300 Euros. Attendees from transitional nations would be expected to pay an early registration fee of 200 Euros and a late registration fee of 250 Euros. Students and representatives of developing nations would be expected to pay an early registration fee of 150 Euros and a late registration fee of 200 Euros.

The Local Arrangements Committee is in the process of procuring help from a local firm with substantial experience in organizing conferences. He indicated that accommodations for attendees would not be a problem since there has been a surge in hotels, etc. He indicated that transportation to/from hotels may be problematical since many of the hotels are located downtown rather than near the campus where meetings will be held. Considerable discussion ensued about transportation options and Manuel indicated that he would be following up on alternatives.

Mustafa Koç, Chair of the Program Committee for the upcoming World Congress, reported on its activities. He indicated that they are following the 4M principle which reflects the membership of this Committee – Mustafa Koçc, Mara Miele, Marie Christine Renard – and assistance from Manuel Moreira. He indicated that the Committee intends to pursue a two stage process in soliciting papers for presentation. The first stage would consist of a call for session proposals. Conveners of sessions would be expected to identify themes and also invite others to participate in the sessions and solicit their abstracts and papers. The second stage would consist of an independent call for abstracts and subsequent papers. These would be submitted to Manuel Moreira. Mustafa Koç will set up a blackboard on the internet to which the initial abstracts would be posted. Members of the committee would review the abstracts and determine acceptability for the Congress. In addition to abstract quality, additional screening will be undertaken to assure that proposed abstracts are genuine. There was extensive discussion about how to call for papers and sessions. It was agreed that Session Proposals would be solicited from March – October 2011 and Paper Proposals would be solicited from September, 2011 – January, 2012.

Mustafa Koç requested those in attendance to provide the Program Committee with the names of good potential keynote speakers for the plenary sessions. He indicated that they do not necessarily have to be rural sociologies or even academics. He indicated that the Committee would provide guidance to the plenary speakers about themes that they might address. Several potential themes mentioned were local-global food systems and rural policy in Europe. He indicated that we need to think broadly in regard to themes relevant to rural society.

Reidar Almas indicated that he had been contacted by several interested parties regarding the possibility to host the 2016 World Congress. These contacts were from Venezuela, Ireland, Australia (Melbourne), Canada and Mexico. Mention was made of the possibility of holding the World Congress in Toronto by Mustafa Koç, Ryerson University. He indicated that he would be interested in contacting a number of colleagues in Toronto and surrounding areas, such as Guelph and Waterloo, with the idea being that they might collectively propose to host the World Congress. Reidar Almas asked that it be reflected in the minutes that the IRSA Council encourages the Canadians to prepare a bid for submission, but that other formal bids would also be most welcome.

Reidar Almas then informed that the IRSA website has moved from the U.S. to Norway. Mark Jarvis, former web site manager, has been replaced by Kajarten Sarheim Anthun, Trondheim. He indicated that the website has been much improved and that it has been frequented by a large number of parties. Lynda Cheshire asked if it would be possible to link the website to an e-list which could then be used to inform interested parties which new items are posted to the website. Other mechanisms to facilitate communication of IRSA news were also mentioned, such as listing IRSA on face book. Reidar Almas indicated that he would consult with the web site coordinator about these options.

Reidar Almas, then asked David Hansen, Secretary-Treasurer, to provide a financial report to the Council. He indicated that IRSA’s finances are in good shape, with about $30,000 currently at IRSA’s disposal. IRSA depends on Regional Association annual dues and returns from the quadrennial world congresses for its income. Organizers of the last World Congress in Seoul provided IRSA was a check for over $6,000. Ray Jussaume asked why a relatively large certificate of deposit had been cashed during the past year and if some of the funds were in a money market account or similar financial mechanism. David Hansen replied that interest rates on CDs are currently very low, but promised to explore alternatives and put some of the funds in the checking account into an interest bearing account. He shared information showing that the regional associations are up-to-date on payment of their annual dues. AON, ARSA, IRSA have paid their dues through 2011. ESRS and RSS have paid their dues through 2009 and will be requested to pay their dues for 2010 and 2011 on an annual basis as has been the custom.

Reidar Almas brought the Council Meeting to a close at 20:00, thanking those in attendance for having taken the time to participate in the meeting.

David O. Hansen
Secretary-Treasurer

Present
Charalambos Kasimis, ESRS
Raymond Jussaume, RSS
Elizabeth Ransom, RSS
Hans Bakker, RSS
Koichi Ikegami, ARSA
Ki-Whan Chung, 2008 LA Chair
Roger Wilkinson, AON
Lynda Cheshire, AON
Manuel Moreira, 2012 LA Chair
Yoshio Kawamura, 2008 Program Chair
Reidar Almas, President
David Hansen, RSS

Apologies
Paul Milbourne, ESRS
Bettina Bock, ESRS
Sonia Bergamasco, ALASRU
Fernando Guerrero, ALASRU
Susana Aparicio, ALASRU
Surichai Wun’Gaeo, ARSA
Lutgarda Tolentino, ARSA
Christina Stirling, AON

Invited:
Alessandro Bonanno, Past President
Henrique De Barros, ALASRU
Oakla Cho, ARSA

Reidar Almas opened the meeting at 16:10 and expressed apologies on the part of Council Members who could not attend. He then asked Alessandro Bonanno to report on the Ad Hoc Committee deliberation of publication of Congress papers as part of the Rural Studies series.

Alessandro Bonanno indicated that the Ad Hoc Committee was formed at the Out-Going Council meeting and consisted of himself, Yoshio Kawamura, Raymond Jussaume, Hans Bakker and Mark Shucksmith. They strongly support moving forward with the publication and have already initiated an informal call for papers. Roger Wilkinson asked if the book was going to be published, indicating that the discussion seemed more certain in the previous Council meeting. Alessandro Bonanno replied that it would ultimately depend on the publisher accepting what is proposed. Ray Jussaume indicated that the normal process for getting books published was to assemble the contents first. Lynda Cheshire asked if a proposal would first be submitted to a potential publisher. Alessandro Bonanno indicated that it was targeted to the Research on Rural Sociology and Development Series which is sponsored by IRSA. Oakla Cho asked how many books we are thinking of published to which Bonanno replied that it was one initially. He indicated that the Ad Hoc Committee would count on up to $5,000 as it negotiates with potential publishers. Manuel Moreira asked if we are considering an electronic publication to which Reidar Almas replied no. Lynda Cheshire indicated that contributors would probably not receive their own copies due to cost factors. Charalambos Kasimis asked if we were constrained to publish through Oxford Press and this series. Alessandro Bonanno replied that the series was sponsored by IRSA. Reidar Almas indicated that it would be important to focus on one potential publisher as the channel for publications of this sort and that the expectation would be that a similar publication would be prepared after future World Congresses.

Hans Bakker asked if the Ad Hoc Committee should look for other options for publication should the Research on Rural Sociology and Development Series reject publishing it. He mentioned that we should also leave room for other options, like additional publications in the event that many good papers are submitted for the publication. David Hansen indicated that it was our intention to publish the Congress papers on the IRSA website. Ray Jussaume indicated that he would be responsible for this along with Yoshio Kawamura and Mark Jarvis.

MOTION: Roger Wilkinson moved and Lynda Cheshire seconded that the Committee move forward with negotiation of the publication, with support of up to $5,000 from IRSA, and that it report back to Council within three months about progress in this regard (unanimously passed).

Reidar Almas then introduced the topic of the election of the 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents for IRSA. He indicated that considerable preliminary discussion had occurred about the possibility of appointing Monica Bendini to one of these positions since she had stood for the IRSA Presidency. However, he noted that By-law 6 requires that candidates be current members of the Council, so she is ineligible. He then asked Lynda Cheshire if she would accept being nominated for the position of 1st Vice President and called for a motion to this effect.

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and Koichi Ikegami seconded that Lynda Cheshire be appointed as 1st Vice President (unanimously passed).

Reidar Almas then proposed that we consider the nomination of Surichai Wun’Gaeo as 2nd Vice President. Koichi Ikegami indicated that he strongly supported this nomination. He further indicated that he had discussed it with Surichai Wun’Gaeo who had indicated his willingness to stand for the position.

MOTION: Koichi Ikegami moved and Roger Wilkinson seconded that Surichai Wun’Gaeo be appointed as 2nd Vice President (unanimously passed).

Reidar Almas then asked that the Council turn its attention to the current World Congress. He asked Ki-Whan Chung, Local Arrangements Committee Chair, to report out on the Congress. Ki-Whan Chung indicated that there were 375 participants registered for the World Congress of which 141 were Koreans. International participants came from 46 nations. There were 77 paper sessions and 35 working groups. Field trips were taken by 194 of the participants. He indicated that separate sessions on strategies for rural development in Korea were held and that 81 individuals participated in these sessions. The abstract book published for the Congress contained 480 abstracts; however, only 228 papers were actually presented. Eleven sessions were cancelled. Forty abstracts were received for posters and 26 posters were presented. He indicated that the coordinators of the next World Congress should think about the need to scrutinize proposed session conveners and to enforce the final deadline for registration to avoid the problems encountered at this Congress. He discussed problems of coordination that were encountered among the Local Arrangement Committee, the Program Committee and the Executive Committee of IRSA and indicated that roles and responsibilities should be clarified for future Congresses. Lynda Cheshire emphasized the importance of coordination and the role of the working group chairs. Elizabeth Ransom indicated that guidelines for conveners would be very useful. After considerable discussion, Reidar Almas requested Ki-Whan Chung to include these observations in his evaluation report.

Yoshio Kawamura, Program Chair, indicated that there is a need to be more selective in identifying working group chairs. He also seconded Ki-Whan Chung’s suggestion that there be a clear division of labor established between the Local Arrangements and Working Group committees, with roles and procedures associated with each identified beforehand. He also indicated that scholarships are essential in order to allow people to come to the Congress. He indicated that many submitters of abstracts decided not to come because of lack of financing. Ray Jussaume provided several recommendations for future Local Arrangement and Program chairs. But first he complemented the Local Arrangements Committee for the current World Congress for the excellent support provided for the Congress, noting the great efficiency of operation and support staff. He recommended (1) that we introduce the concept of working groups as self-financed units in the future in order to avoid the cancellation of proposed program activities due to lack of financing; (2) that issues, such as use of websites be discussed and clarified early on in the process of preparing for a World Congress; (3) the next World Congress coordinators give attention to the need for an appropriate division of labor, particularly as regards the roles of co-program chairs; and (4) that early attention be given to identifying and securing keynote speakers.

Reidar Almas shared the fact that a number of potential “participants” in the 2004 World Congress in Trondheim sent abstracts with the possible intention to stay in Norway without giving papers. He expressed a concern that the upcoming World Congress organizers be aware of this potential problem. Ki-Whan Chung indicated that the same problem was encountered for the current World Congress as well. Hans Bakker expressed concern about the large number of cancelled sessions and suggested that those who do not register not be listed in the program. Ray Jussaume indicated that it would be a good idea to request working group chairs to verify who was coming to their sessions prior to the Congress. He also suggested that it would be appropriate to have a slot at the beginning of the Congress when working groups could meet to plan sessions. Reidar Almas indicated that it was done in 2004 with great success. Charalombos Kasimis indicated that only 18 of the 42 papers listed for his working group were presented. Further, some working group conveners did not attend the Congress. He indicated that this needs to be avoided to ensure high quality of meetings. He argued that it would be important to screen conveners and to assure that they not request funding support to attend the Congress. He also recommended that current topics, such as the food crisis and climate change be included in the program, and that policy makers be invited to attend to participate in the debate of these issues. Oakla Cho indicated that people tend to stay longer if the papers are of high quality. She mentioned that there were some regionally centered sessions, such as those held in Korean which limited participation. Elizabeth Ransom recommended that individuals only be listed in the program if they are registered for the Congress.

MOTION: Raider Almas moved and Manuel Moreira seconded that the Local Arrangements and Program Chairs, together with their committees, be recognized for having organized an excellent and interesting Congress (Unanimously and enthusiastically approved).

Manuel Moreira then reported on preparations for the 2012 World Congress. He indicated that he would prepare guidelines for the working groups and their conveners. He said that conveners and presenters will need to register in order to be included in the program. He also noted that he will promote close collaboration between the Local Arrangements Chair and the Program Chairs. Hans Bakker asked if he might be able to prepare some materials on local values and mores to orient participants from the outside. Roger Wilkinson suggested that Lisbon should make poster presentations available to Congress participants for a longer period by putting them up well before the formal poster session.

Reidar Almas then turned to possible sites for the 2016 World Congress. He indicated that we have been approached by the University of Madras in India and that others had suggested Canada, Mexico and Australia as possible sites. Ray Jussaume brought up the potentially competing objectives of the Congress – namely to promote local development and to maximize attendance – and asked if they should be considered in selecting the 2016 site. Reidar Almas indicated that he was considering use of the IRSA website to solicit ideas about the 2016 World Congress.

He then entered into a discussion about how to use better the website. He indicated that it was important to continue to use if for news about IRSA activities, but that scientific news should also be posted – such as research results on hot topics such as climate change, food security and gender issues in the third world. Hans Bakker asked how specifically he envisioned better use of the website. Reidar Almas indicated that he would prepare a proposal in this regard to share with the Council.

He moved the conversation to the topic of strengthening ties with Africa, suggesting the need to attract more funding for liaison activities with that continent, including the formal affiliation of some Africa associations, such as the Nigerian Rural Sociology Association, with IRSA. He indicated that he would attempt to make contact with appropriate entities in Africa. He proposed a three step process, namely, (1) to identify individuals with whom to liaise; (2) to form intermediary associations and strengthen them; and (3) to stimulate them to host a World Congress in Africa.

Roger Wilkinson suggested that we request Mark Jarvis to set up a list serve to facilitate communication among Council and Executive Committee members. Reidar Almas indicated that he would come up with a proposal of priorities for the coming four years and post it to the website. He encouraged the Lisbon organizers to consider hot topics such as climate change and rising food prices as part of the program. He then indicated that we need to set the date for the next Council meeting. Ray Jussaume argued for the need for more interpersonal interaction among Council members, perhaps through teleconferences.

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and Hans Bakker seconded that the next meeting of the IRSA Council take place during the VII World Congress of the International Sociological Association to be held from July 11 to 17, 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden (unanimously approved).

Reidar Almas called the meeting to a close at 18:00.

Minutes from IRSA General Assembly Meeting
XII World Congress of Rural Sociology
July 10, 2008

Attendance:

The General Assembly was attended by 70 delegates. A full listing of names and affiliations is found in the appendix.

Alessandro Bonanno opened the General Assembly at 16:05. He asked that we move along in a timely fashion.

He then announced his successor, Prof. Reidar Almas, Trondheim, Norway, who was acknowledged by those in attendance. He then proceeded to introduce the Out-Going and In-Coming Regional Association Council Representatives and the Presidents of the Regional Associations. He asked that Frank Vanclay, former President of IRSA and Convener for AON, to stand to be recognized.

Alessandro Bonanno then discussed an important issue related to the changing scenario for international meetings, namely, the appropriate location for meetings. He indicated that the concept of geography has taken on a new meaning, due in large measure to the information technology age in which we live. In addition to physical space and spatial distribution, he noted that we also need to consider population, income, education and other factors. In this context, he argued that institutional capacity building and rural development objectives of IRSA might be better met if we hold Congresses in regions that will attract high income delegates because by attracting many full registration paying delegates, we can generate funds that will enable representatives from these locations to attend the meetings through the provision of scholarships. He then opened the floor for comments on this topic.

Frank Vanclay mentioned that he felt that it was symbolically important for IRSA Congresses to be in all locations across the world; that the cultural experiences and other learning acquired from being on site in different settings is important as well as the intellectual stimulation from congresses. Further, he doubted whether IRSA could offer as many scholarships as the access made possible by holding Congresses in diverse locations. Reidar Almas indicated that he supports working in Africa, but he argued that there is a need to build capacity prior to holding meeting on that continent. He suggested that we consider holding the 2020 meeting in Africa and we be sure to seek scholarship support from international entities such as FAO. Mark Shucksmith indicated that the fundamental question should be whether or not to go where most rural sociologists are found or to where we can build capacity. David Hansen expressed the need to consider finances and the need to keep IRSA solvent. He also expressed the need to consider a 12 year planning horizon. Ray Jussaume questioned the relative importance of generating funds. David Brown argued for the need to strengthen contributions to scholarship and the potential to use the IRSA website as a portal for individuals to report on their research. Larry Busch opinioned that publication of abstracts was a waste of funds. He supported publication of the best papers from the Congress in a proceedings publication, but argued that we should consider doing it electronically which would be much less expensive.

MOTION: Moved by Alessandro Bonanno and seconded by Frank Vanclay that the minutes of the 2004 General Assembly which was held in Trondheim, Norway at the XI World Congress of Rural Sociology, be approved. (Unanimously Approved).

David Hansen then presented the Quadrennial Report (see appendix for Report).

MOTION: Moved by David Hansen and seconded by Frank Vanclay that the Report be accepted by the General Assembly (Passed without comment).

David Hansen then presented the Financial Report which indicates that IRSA currently has about $30,000 in its checking and savings accounts. Membership dues are up to 2007, with the exception of AON which has paid up to 2011. Major outlays during the past four years have been for travel by the IRSA Executive Committee and for website maintenance. The books were audited by Prof. Bill Flinn, Past President of the RSS, who certified that the accounts are in order (see appendix for Report).

Frank Vanclay suggested that it was not appropriate to put the detailed financial transactions on the website. Appropriate transparency was provide by this information being provided in the context of a General Assembly, but that it was undesirable to make them open to all on the website where they could be taken out of context. David Brown asked about whether or not this Congress would generate a surplus and asked how IRSA might react if no surplus was generated. Alessandro Bonanno indicated that IRSA has sufficient funds to continue to function normally in the event that no funds were generated for IRSA from this Congress. David Hansen indicated that the hosts had signed an MOA committing to pay a minimum of $10,000 to IRSA. He indicated that the IRSA Executive Committee and Council would need to consider appropriate action in the event that this payment was not to be forthcoming. David Brown suggested that in order ot ensure that IRSA retain its “non-profit” status, the Secretary-Treasurer needs to confirm whether IRS requirements demand that the finances be audited by a CPA rather than simply by a responsible person. Hansen indicated that he would check this out with his personal CPA.

MOTION: Moved by Alessandro Bonanno and seconded by Hans Bakker that the Financial Report be accepted by the General Assembly (Passed).

Manuel Moreira then presented the proposal to hold the XIII World Congress in 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal.

MOTION: Moved by Alessandro Bonanno and seconded by Larry Bush that the General Assembly note the proposal to host the XIII World Congress of Rural Sociology submitted by the Technical University of Lisbon (Passed).

Alessandro Bonanno then opened the floor for further discussion about future priority activities of IRSA, initiating the discussion by bringing the topic of how to increase participation in IRSA activities to the floor. Hans Bakker indicated that we should consider changing the content of World Congresses from rural sociology to rural studies more generally. He indicated that most sessions are focused on problem resolution which calls for inputs from related disciplines that should also be invited to participate in the World Congress programs. David Brown spoke to the low participation by delegates from RSS at the World Congress. He indicated that the problem was not with the Congress or with IRSA, but rather with some sweeping changes occurring in rural sociology in the U.S. Frank Vanclay highlighted the value of the detailed minutes from the previous General Assembly and that attention should be given to building on previous discussions and to provide continuity to dialogue regarding outstanding issues. He specifically indicated the need to consider developing Vision, Mission and Value statements for IRSA as suggested in the 2004 Minutes to provide appropriate direction for future program development, such as a broad focus to address rural development concerns. He asked that the General Assembly thank David Hansen for his excellent work on behalf of IRSA as Secretary-Treasurer, including preparation of minutes (passed with applause). Surichai Wun’Gaeo mentioned the need to increase participation in IRSA activities, which would reflect a world wide tendency. He said that we should consider key themes, such as climate change and food security at future meetings. He also argued for the need to promote greater engagement of regional associations. Bill Friedland provocatively suggested that we should eliminate the word “rural” from our title because many problems being addressed by us are not exclusive to rural areas. He also wondered whether we should delete the work “sociology” if we strayed too far from our core discipline. He also argued for the need to give greater emphasis to the publication of papers presented at IRSA events and to the building of ties with academic journals. Adepo Madupe mentioned the need to consider gender issues more thoroughly in the programs as well as the need to increase fellowships and other types of support for representatives from those coming greater distance. Mark Shucksmith argued for the need to do a better job of marketing IRSA and it potential contributions to development agencies. He stressed the relevance of IRSA topics and meetings papers to policy makers and to practitioners. He argued that IRSA should invite representatives of appropriate agencies, such as FAO and the World Bank, to come to meetings to enter into dialogue with us. Finally, he argued for greater use of the IRSA website to facilitate more direct links with these agencies. Manuel Moreira indicated that there will be three levels of fees for the next World Congress (in a manner similar to the ISA congresses). The focus of Congress will be on rural studies and those who present papers in this session should be encouraged to publish them.

Incoming President, Reidar Almas thanked Alessandro Bonanno for his enormous contributions to IRSA and presented him with a plaque of appreciation for his efforts.

Reidar Almas then provided a brief overview of priorities for IRSA during his tenure as President of IRSA. (1) He committed IRSA to work closely with the Portuguese to make the next Congress a success. Themes such as community studies, food prices and climate change will be emphasized. (2) He mentioned that attention will be given to capacity building in Africa and the possibility of holding the 2020 World Congress on that continent. (3) He indicated that both on line and on paper publication of research produced through participation in IRSA activities will be a priority. (4) He stressed that he will give great attention to maintaining the financial health of IRSA. (5) He mentioned that he will emphasize gender concerns as well as diversity which would be pursued through more active participation of members of the regional associations and individuals from other regions as well.

Yoshio Kawamura, Program Chair, then discussed the current World Congress. He indicated that over 470 abstracts had been received and 38 working groups organized to facilitate the presentation of papers. He indicated that more than 350 individuals had registered for the Congress. He also mentioned that over 100 applications for scholarships that were available had been received and screened by program committee representatives. He indicated that many potential presenters failed to attend the Congress because they lacked the financial means to attend. Finally, he indicated that there would be a poster session the following day and encouraged participants to stop by to review them.

MOTION: Moved by Alessandro Bonnano and seconded by Hans Bakker that the General Assembly thank the Local Arrangements Chair and Committee and the Program Chair and Committee for having facilitated an excellent Congress (enthusiastically passed by acclamation).

Under other Business, Erland Eklund, Finland, then made a power point presentation on the upcoming ESRS Congress to be held in Vaasa, Finland in 2009.

Alessandro Bonanno asked if there were any other matters of business to be considered. Hearing none, he called the meeting to a close at 18:15.

Secretary-Treasurer: Quadrennial Report: 2004-2008

(1) IRSA Web Site

IRSA continued its formal association with the International Sociological Association (ISA). It is registered as an Affiliate member. This affiliation is deemed important because of perceived similarity of interests of IRSA with ISA. Mid-term IRSA Council meetings have been planned to coincide with ISA World Congresses, the next of which will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden. ISA’s membership list can be reviewed at (http://www.isa-sociology.org/).

Present
Alessandro Bonanno, President
Koichi Ikegami, ARSA
Lynda Cheshire, AON
Oakla Cho, ARSA
Hans Bakker, RSS
Ray Jussaume, RSS
Henrique de Barros, ALASRU
Surichai Wun’Gaeo, ARSA
David Hansen, Secretary-Treasurer
Yoshio Kawamura (ARSA), Program Chair
Ki-Whan Chung (ARSA), Local Arrangements Chair

Absent
Bettina Bock, ESRS
Paul Milbourne, ESRS
Heather Aslin, AON
Hugh Campbell, AON
Phil McMichael, RSS
Gabriela Martinez Dougnac, ALASRU
Luciano Martinez Valle, ALASRU
Hilary Tovey, ESRS

Invited
Roger Wilkinson, AON In-Coming Council Representative
Manuel Moreira (ESRS), Proposed Local Arrangements Chair
Mark Shucksmith (ESRS), IRSA Executive Committee

Alessandro Bonanno called the Council meeting to order at 15:45 and welcomed those in attendance. He expressed regrets on the part of those who were unable to attend the meeting. Those in attendance were then requested to introduce themselves and identify their membership affiliations and reasons for attendance.

Alessandro Bonanno then indicated that he wished to alter the agenda slightly by having Prof. Manuel Moreira, Technical University of Lisbon, present the proposal submitted by his institution to host the next World Congress. The presentation was made in power point and was followed by a lively discussion by those in attendance.

Hans Bakker raised questions about the timing of the meeting – late July/early August – given timing of member regional association meetings. Alessandro Bonanno mentioned a concern about availability of space on the university campus given its academic schedule. Mark Shucksmith mentioned that there was no conflict with ESRS meetings which are held biannually and would not be held in 2012. Ray Jussaume asked about hotels and other housing for the conference in proximity to the proposed venue. Manuel Moreira responded that there would be new hotels available proximate to the University as well as student dorms for the proposed times. Lynda Cheshire mentioned that timing would conflict with academic calendar of universities in AON region. Henrique de Barros indicated the great support of ALASRU for this proposal. Roger Wilkinson asked if the venues for the plenary sessions and the working group sessions are close together. Mark Shucksmith asked how the plenary sessions would work for the Congress – if they would be separate or used to keep participants at the Conference. Lynda Cheshire indicated that there would be a need to get the balance right – between time dedicated to plenary sessions and time dedicated to working groups. Dave Hansen commented that it would be important for the organizers to consult with previous Congress organizers in order to make the best informed decisions. Surichai Wun’Gaeo asked about participation from the African continent and the need to engage individuals from around the globe in the conference; this idea was supported by Henrique de Barros. Oakla Cho and Alessandro Bonanno commented on the Program Chairs for the proposed Congress, indicating that they have been identified in the proposal consistent with the Procedural Manual that accompanies IRSA’s By-laws. David Hansen mentioned that an inquiry about hosting the next World Congress had been received from the University of Madras in Chennai, India and would be followed up on in regard to the 2016 World Congress.

At this point, Alessandro Bonanno recognized the arrival of Prof. Ikegami Koichi, ARSA representative from Japan. He then discussed the difficulty of selecting venues for the World Congress, indicating that geographic position of venues was not sufficient. Rather, he argued that there is a need to consider population, income, education, etc. He further indicated that it is important to consider generation of funds to support travel scholarships to the meeting and that it would be important to attract more individuals from high income regions because their registration fees would permit more travel scholarships for individuals from low income nations. Mark Shucksmith indicated that congresses need to make money some of the time and that this needs to be considered when selecting venues for them.

Ray Jussaume then proposed that Council decide on Lisbon as a venue for the 2012 World Congress. He moved that Lisbon, Portugal be recognized as the location for the 2012 World Congress and that the Executive Committee finalize a Memorandum of Agreement for hosting the Congress with the proposed organizers. The motion was seconded by Mark Shucksmith. (passed unanimously)

Ki-Whan Chung then reported on the current Congress. He indicated that he expected 400 individuals, but that that only around 350 would actually be in attendance. He indicated that the expectations were for a high quality Congress. Yoshio Kawamura then reported on the program for the Congress. He mentioned that the Congress expects to have 320 paper presenters in attendance, based on current information. Ray Jussaume then reported on three sources of scholarship funds, as well as the expected number of working groups. He indicated that sessions can be reorganized, depending on who actually attends the Congress. Yoshio Kawamura then commented on the need to increase scholarships to more than $1,000 in order to induce participants to attend from lower income nations. He also mentioned that visa and exit permit problems were very real for those coming from lower income nations and suggested that this fact be considered by the next World Congress.

Alessandro Bonanno then moved that the reports from the Program Chairs and the Local Arrangements Chair be accepted and that they be congratulated for their efforts. (unanimously approved with no comment)

Dave Hansen then presented the Quadrennial report as Secretary-Treasurer. Alessandro Bonanno motioned that it be approved and this was seconded by Lynch Cheshire. (unanimously approved with no comment)

Dave Hansen then presented the Financial Report as Secretary-Treasurer. He indicated that IRSA currently has a positive balance of approximately $30,000, much of which is deposited in income generating CD’s. Alessandro Bonanno motioned that it be approved and this was seconded by Mark Shucksmith. (unanimously approved)

Dave Hansen then opened discussion of dues payments, proposing to modify By-law 3 to allow regional association members the flexibility to pay dues on an annual basis if so desired. He mentioned that some members felt that their own cash flow situation does not allow them to pay four years in advance. He also noted that current practice has been to invoice them on an annual basis. After a brief discussion of this topic Alessandro Bonanno moved and Henrique de Barros seconded that this revision to By-law 3 be discussed at the General Assembly. (unanimously passed)

Dave Hansen then opened discussion of IRSA policy regarding forgiveness of dues for regional association members. Mention was made that it would be important to receive requests from regional associations on an annual basis rather than on a multi-year basis. Ray Jussaume seconded this notion, citing the specific need for ALASRU to do so. Henrique de Barros indicated his support for this notion, but mentioned that ALASRU was in debt after the last regional meeting in 2006, which precipitated its request for the exemption. Mark Shucksmith indicated that is important that regional associations understand that exemptions be temporary rather than an expectation, since we need to consider the financial viability of IRSA as well. Lynda Cheshire proposed modifying the wording for the change in By-law 12 to include “exceptional basis” and moved that it be presented to the General Assembly for discussion in this form. The motion was seconded by Henrique de Barros (unanimously passed)

Alessandro Bonanno then brought up the topic of publication of papers presented at the current World Congress. He indicated that the Executive Committee had approved their posting on the IRSA Website in order to allow those who are unable to attend to have access to them. He then initiated a discussion of the possibility of preparing an edited volume of paper form the conference with financial support from IRSA. He discussed the possibility of creating an editorial committee to oversee this publication, using a theme of the Congress as the title for the publication, and $5,000 support from IRSA for it. This was followed by a lively discussion by Council members. Henrique de Barros suggested that it might be better to support a series of publications focused on sub themes of the conference. Ray Jussaume indicated that we have our own series and that only one slot is available in that series. Lynda Cheshire asked if it might be appropriate for working group chairs to screen the papers based on quality and invite authors to submit for this publication. Ray Jussaume indicated that only papers that were actually presented at the conference and forwarded by working group chairs would be posted on the website. Ray Jussaume indicated that it would be necessary to have a proposal approved by an editor to move this forward. Alessandro Bonanno indicted that IRSA has the moral obligation to share output from Congresses. Mark Shucksmith indicated that the idea of publishing a book is a good one since the book will promote the conference. He indicated that the editors would need to be more proactive to ensure that a precise theme be identified and that the papers published coalesce around the theme. Ray Jussaume then moved and Henrique de Barros seconded that an Ad Hoc Committee be formed to further discuss this option, chaired by Alessandro Bonanno, with participation by himself and Yoshio Kawamura as well as Mark Shucksmith, and that the committee bring a formal recommendation to the In-Coming Council meeting. (passed unanimously)

Lynda Cheshire raised the issue of how Local Arrangement Chairs and Program Committee Chairs should be selected. After discussion it was the sense of the Council that procedures outlined in Procedural Manual which specify that these individual be identified in the proposal be maintained.

Alessandro Bonanno brought up the topic of how to engage past presidents in IRSA activities. It was the sense of the Council that the in-coming president of IRSA should seek the advice of past presidents as appropriate.

Members of regional associations were then requested to report out on their activities. Mark Shucksmith reported for ESRS, indicating that the most recent European Congress was held one year ago in Wageningen. He indicated that the ESRS sponsored journal, Sociologia Ruralis, has been doing quite well and is currently the third journal in ranking in sociology based on citations. He further indicated that the next ESRS Congress would be held in Finland in 2009.

Lynda Cheshire reported on AON activities. She mentioned that AON is an interest group, but that members from Australia and New Zealand regularly attend IRSA Congresses which suggests a very active group. She mentioned that it has an electronic listserv with a large number of subscribers and that they are exploring the possibility of developing a formal association. She also expressed her recognition of the excellent service provided to IRSA and the AON by its out going Council members – Heather Aslin and Hugh Campbell.

Hans Bakker then reported for RSS indicating that the cooperation between Canada and the U.S. was good. Ray Jussaume added that the RSS is a strong group, but undergoing a lot of change, and that the Rural Sociology journal is doing quite well. He indicated that important changes were occurring on the land grant university campuses which suggest that the relationship of rural sociology to related disciplines is changing. He also indicated that multiple factors explain the lack of representation of RSS members at the World Congress, including these changes on university campuses.

Henrique de Barros discussed recent ALASRU activities. He indicated that its most recent Congress was held in 2006 in Quito. It was attended by 1000 participants. There were 200 completed papers that are being published on the ALASRU website which is frequently visited. He indicated that ALASRU currently has a discussion list with over 700 members. He pointed out that many participants at the recent ALASRU Congress are not sociologists, but rather are from related areas such as geography and tourism. He indicated that the next Congress will be held in Recife in 2010 and that ALASRU plans to reinvigorate its journal.

Surichai Wun’Gaeo reported on ARSA activities. He mentioned that its third Congress was held in Beijing in 2007. He indicated that ARSA may give more attention to regional focus in the future, such as the Mekong delta and India. He mentioned that the next Congress will be held in the Philippines. He also mentioned the presence of new actors at their Congress, especially NGO representatives.

Alessandro Bonanno then tabled other agenda items due to the start of the opening reception. The meeting terminated at 18:30.

Present
Alessandro Bonanno (President)
David Hansen (Secretary-Treasurer)
Hilary Tovey, ESRS
Bettina Bock, ESRS
Lynda Cheshire, AON
Hugh Campbell, AON
Raymond Jussaume, RSS
Phil McMichael, RSS
Ki-Whan Chung (Local Arrange Chair)
Yoshio Kawamura (Program Chair)

Apologies
Gabriela Martinez Dougnac, ALASRU
Luciano Martinez Valle, ALASRU
Henrique de Barros, ALASRU
Heather Aslin, AON
Hans Bakker, RSS
Paul Milbourne, ESRS
Haruo Kuroyanagi, ARSA
Surichai Wun’Gao, ARSA
Oakla Cho, ARSA
Mark Shucksmith, ESRS
Regina Karega, OSSREA

Alessandro Bonanno opened the session by welcoming the Council members and thanking them for being present at the meeting. He indicated that we would begin by taking dinner after which we would get to the substance of the meeting.

Subsequently, he then turned the attention of the Council to pending items that were discussed at the last meeting of the Council in Trondheim in 2004. He indicated that the Council had recommended that it consider several outstanding issues during the interim between World Congresses.

The first item brought up by him was the site for the 2012 World Congress Meeting. He indicated that preliminary discussions had continued with OSSREA as a possible host for the meetings in Africa. He reported that Regina Karega, Council representative from Africa, had reported that OSSREA had met and decided that it was not in a position to host the Congress at this time. Ray Jussaume suggested that we should give priority to identifying other ways to maintain contact with African rural sociologists and their representative organizations over the coming two years. Bettina Bock indicated that it would be difficult to find sponsors to support a World Congress in Africa given the other development-related priorities of that continent. Others commented that CODESRIA might be an alternative African organization for this interaction. David Hansen mentioned that IRSA had open dialogue with CODESRIA at the time of the World Congress in Rio de Janeiro in 2000.

MOTION: Based on the feedback received by Alessandro Bonanno from OSSREA, Dave Hansen moved and Ray Jussaume seconded that Council lift the priority for the 2012 World Congress from Africa, and expand the call for expressions of interest from other regions of the world (Unanimously passed).

Alessandro Bonanno then discussed the issue of identifying and contacting entities to request financial support for fellowships for representatives from financially disadvantaged regions to attend the 2008 World Conference. He indicated that Council had proposed forming a Task Force to explore this support and to solicit it from identified sources. Hilary Tovey mentioned several European based potential organizations, including the Atlantic Foundation. Other options include entities that are global food organizations, chemical input companies such as Monsanto and other development oriented foundations. Yoshio Kawamura indicated that there are two Japan Foundations that would be good candidates for provision of this type of support – one a government foundation and one a private foundation. He agreed to help contact them.

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and Phil McMichael seconded that the Executive Committee leadership ask regional member associations to each identify a representative for a Task Force to solicit financial support for scholarships to attend the 2008 World Congress (Unanimously passed).

Ki-Whan Chung, Local Arrangements Chair for the 2008 World Congress, agreed to chair this Task Force. Alessandro Bonanno agreed to contact leadership of each of the regional member associations to identify representatives for the Task Force.

Alessandro Bonanno then brought up the topic of posting papers given at the World Congress on the IRSA website. Some argued that the papers would best be posted prior to the World Congress. Others mentioned that they might be submitted as PDF files to facilitate their posting. Some felt that it was not practically feasible to request that papers be submitted in time for posting prior to the World Congress simply because many authors do not complete their papers in time have them posted.

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and Alessandro Bonanno seconded that the 2008 World Congress Program Committee formally announce that paper presenters will have the option of posting their papers to the IRSA website (Unanimously passed).

It was agreed that authors of papers would submit their papers to working session chairs, who would in turn send them to the Program Committee. The Program Committee would in turn submit them to the webmaster for posting. The assumption is that this would occur after the World Congress takes place as occurred with the 2004 World Congress. Lynda Cheshire mentioned that it would be important to instruct working group session organizers to collect the papers and submit electronic copies to the Program Committee. She mentioned that the failure to do so in reference to the previous World Congress delayed the process of posting papers from this meeting.

Ray Jussaume proposed that abstracts be posted on the website prior to the meeting. It was agreed that this should be formally stipulated by the Program Committee when soliciting abstracts for the World Congress. Some asked if it would be necessary to have a publication of abstracts for the meeting if the abstracts were to be posted on the website. Ki-Whan Chung argued that we will still need a printed copy of abstracts in order to facilitate participation of those attending in the meetings. Ray Jussaume indicated that a printed book of abstracts could be used by program participants to certify that they attended the World Congress with their sponsoring organizations. Phil McMichael suggested that participants in the World Congress would lack sufficient time to consult the posting of abstracts on the website while at the Congress. Ray Jussaume requested that the Local Arrangements Committee verify the cost of preparing a CD Rom with the abstracts as opposed to preparing a written publication of them for the meeting.

No formal motion was made with regard to publication of abstracts although it was agreed that the Program Committee should formally request them and subsequently send them to the Mark Jarvis for posting on the website prior to the World Congress.

David Hansen then presented an updated financial report for the Association. He indicated that $10,000 from the checking account had been deposited to a six month CD taking advantage of higher interest rate levels in the U.S. He reported that $16,959 of surplus funding had been received from the Local Arrangements Committee for the 2004 World Congress and deposited to the IRSA account.

MOTION: Alessandro Bonanno moved and Hugh Campbell seconded that the financial report be accepted by the Council as presented. (Unanimously passed).

David Hansen then consulted with the Council about the process of soliciting annual dues from regional association members. He mentioned that the new dues structure, as found in the by-law changes passed by the General Assembly in 2004, requires limited dues from ALASRU and ARSA. Alessandro Bonanno emphasized that surplus funds from the World Congresses have become the primary source of funding for IRSA. Unlike in the past, IRSA does not depend primarily on membership dues to finance its activities.

MOTION: Hugh Campbell moved and Lynch Cheshire seconded that the Executive Committee have the option of waiving dues for a regional association for any given period (Unanimously passed.) Hilary Tovey moved and Ray Jussaume seconded that this motion be amended to specify that this occur only upon receipt of a written request from the leadership of a member association as stipulated in the By-laws (Unanimously Passed).

Alessandro Bonanno asked that representatives from regional member associations provide updates on their activities. Yoshio Kawamura reported for ARSA. He indicated that the next ARSA conference would be held in China and that it would be sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He indicated that the meeting would be used as a venue to promote the 2008 World Congress. He further indicated that ARSA leadership would be meeting in Shanghai next week which explained the absence of ARSA Council Members at this meeting. Bettina Bock reported for the ESRS. She indicated that the next ESRS Congress would be held in Wageningen in 2007. She indicated that information about the meeting can be accessed at the following website: www.ESRS2007.nl. Hugh Campbell reported for the AON. He indicated that an agri-food network conference would be held in the near future. Lynda Cheshire also reported for the AON that the Australian Sociology Association is in the process of forming topical networks and that Stewart Lockie is taking responsibility for the Environmental network. Alessandro Bonanno reported for ALASRU. He indicated that the next ALASRU Congress would be held in Quito, Ecuador in November.

Alessandro Bonanno requested that Ki-Whan Chung discuss the status of Local Arrangements for the 2008 World Congress in Seoul. Chung shared a written report of his committee. He indicated that the Conference Center had been changed from one in downtown Seoul to the KINTEX Center in Goyan City, a suburb of Seoul near the Incheon airport and approximately 70 minutes from center of Seoul. He indicated that there would be a variety of options for rooming available to participants, both in terms of type and price, ranging from hotels to dormitories to home stays. He indicated that expectations were for about 1000 participants to attend the Congress. He said that it would be important to advertise the Congress through member associations and national societies and that his Committee would prepare several brochures to facilitate this process. He also noted that the registration fee had been initially set at a meeting in March at $350, but indicated that his Committee might recommend a sliding fee structure taking into account ability to pay for high income vs. low income regions. He indicated that his Committee would solicit funding for scholarships. He also mentioned that his Committee intended to organize 10-20 excursion options, including pre- and post-Congress tours. He also mentioned that they were considering inviting several representatives from North Korea.

Yoshio Kawamura then distributed a report from the Program Committee. He indicated that the Committee intend to integrate local community issues/problems into the Congress program and that this might occur through the Congress excursions. He indicated that the Program Committee proposes to hold one poster session as well as 11 working sessions. He mentioned that there would be a special session for the Presidential address, which would be associated with the theme of the Congress, namely, “Envisioning a Prosperous Rural Future in a Globalizing World: Community Initiatives and Empowerment.” Keynote speakers would also be invited, such as Amartya Sen. He also noted that a timeline had been identified to assure that program preparations be systematically carried out in order to assure a successful Congress. Some Council members suggested that the time lines for activities in preparation for the Congress be moved up from the dates proposed.

MOTION: Hugh Campbell moved and Phil McMichael seconded that Council accept the LAC and PC reports with acclamation (Unanimously passed).

Alessandro Bonanno reported that three alternative options for the 2012 World Congress were being explored by the Executive Committee, namely:

• Lisbon, Portugal which has the advantages of accessibility, low cost, active rural social science programs, and existing interaction with the Executive Committee;
• Guadalajara, Mexico which has the advantages of good contacts between the Executive Committee and potential hosts and prevalence of rural research activity; and
• Recife, Brazil which has an active rural social science research agenda and good interaction with the IRSA Executive Committee. Potential disadvantages are that the 2000 World Congress was held in Rio de Janeiro and that the RC40 is considering a mini-conference in Recife in 2009)

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and David Hansen seconded that that the President of IRSA solicit Expressions of Interest for hosting 2012 World Congress by January 2007; that he subsequently share the information received and recommend to Council which Expression of Interest should be invited to develop a full pre-proposal to be vetted at the 2008 World Congress (Unanimously passed).

Alessandro Bonanno mentioned that he had received a request from ALASRU for financial assistance for support for its upcoming conference in Quito. He indicated that he had discussed this request with the Council through e-mail. This assistance would help to improve relations with ALASRU.

MOTION: Alessandro Bonanno moved and Bettina Bock seconded that IRSA provide ALASRU with $3,000 in support of ALASRU 2006 Quito Congress (Unanimously passed).

Alessandro Bonanno indicated that a need for transparency exists for this type of distribution of IRSA funding. It will require a policy decision regarding how IRSA will provide support from member associations. Ray Jussaume indicated that we are indeed setting a precedent and therefore need to formulate a policy in this regard.

MOTION: David Hansen moved and Hilary Tovey seconded that the Council draft a new by-law indicating that member associations can request financial support for their regional meetings based on a written request and justified need; the by-law should specify that all requests would need to be formally voted on by Council (Unanimously passed).

Alessandro Bonanno then indicated that several other items raised at the previous Council meeting needed to be addressed. He noted that Council had recommended that an IRSA Historian be identified to record historical events for IRSA. He indicated that he had not had any luck in convincing proposed candidates to assume this position. Discussion by Council led to the identification of a suitable candidate for this position. Alessandro Bonanno agreed to ask that person to accept this assignment. Others suggested that the person taking on this role could rely on information from Gene Erickson and other rural sociologists to compile an accurate history of IRSA. It was agreed that the IRSA website would be a principal mechanism for assuring that it fulfill its role as a disseminator of information about current international issues related to rural sociology. Given the late hour, a discussion of a twelve year planning horizon for IRSA World Congress was tabled for discussion at the next Council Meeting.

MOTION: Ray Jussaume moved and Hilary Tovey seconded that the meeting end at 23:00 (Unanimously approved).