This year, 2 new International Committees have been created: SUSTAIN – The International Committee on Museums and Sustainable Development & SOMUS – International Committee for Social Museology

SUSTAIN – The International Committee on Museums and Sustainable Development:

ICOM began to address sustainability within its organisation in the middle of the last decade. The new IC replaces the Working Group on Sustainability (WGS) after two mandate periods from 2018 – 2023.

SUSTAIN’s goal is to offer ICOM members an arena and an accessible platform where they can influence the future direction of the organisation in all matters pertaining to sustainability and climate breakdown. In addition, they will investigate the role of developing a sustainability information hub, aiming to facilitate initiatives undertaken by other parts of the organisation, and more importantly, communicating these to the members as they address their own pathways to a sustainable future. The call for such a hub has been constant throughout the WGS’ two mandate periods.

Do you want to know more about SUSTAIN or stand for elections?

• Deadline for applications for the election of SUSTAIN Board: 5 January 2024.
• Date of the General Assembly: 7 March 2024, online

For more information, please contact Morien REES, interim Chair of SUSTAIN: chair.sustainATicom.museum

SOMUS – International Committee for Social Museology:

The International Committee of Social Museology (SOMUS-IC) was born from three founding reasons:

• Desire to integrate community-based museums and museological processes within ICOM, as equal partners in the Museology family.
• Justice to promote recognition of the work and commitment of people and communities who often put their freedom and lives in danger, in many places around the world, in favor of Social Museology expressed in community museums, ecomuseums, local museums, favela museums, LGBTQI+ museums, neighborhood museums, intersectional museums among other forms of museological expressions
• Determination, because we believe that it is possible to extend the idea and power of Social Museology to territories that do not benefit from this tool to serve Citizenship and Human Dignity.

The main objective of SOMUS is to contribute to the advancement of Social Museology in compliance with the Declaration of Human Rights and the Earth Charter, through its activities, events, research, publications, training, promotion of internships and support for fieldwork.

You want to know more about SOMUS or stand for elections?

• Deadline for applications for the election of SOMUS Board: 31 January 2024.
• Date of the General Assembly: 22 March 2024, Museum of the Republic of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

For more information, please contact Mário Moutinho, interim Chair of SOMUS: chair.somusATicom.museum

NB: to vote or stand for elections of an International Committee, you should be a member of the Committee in good standing.

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