Statement of Purpose
The International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ISCEAH) is issuing another Call for Expressions of Interest to find organizations and countries interested to organize and host, the next TERRA World Congress. The TERRA Congress is a worldwide congress whose themes relate to the study and conservation of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage, as well as contemporary earthen architecture.
These conferences started to be organized as small meetings of professionals working in the field of earthen architecture, being the first one in 1972 in Yazd, Iran. Since then, twelve congresses were organized and have strengthened collaboration, created regional networks, generated partnerships, and produced proceedings. The number of attendees has also increased in the last congresses.
TERRA 2003 was organized in Asia (Yazd, Iran) and had approximately 350 participants; TERRA 2008 took place in Africa (Bamako, Mali) and was attended by 400 people; TERRA 2012 was organized in South America (Lima, Peru) and was attended by 550 people; TERRA 2016 took place in Europe (Lyon, France) and was attended by approximately 750 people. The 13th TERRA congress is expected to host from 600 to 1000 participants, becoming the largest and most international event organized on earthen architecture, therefore becoming its 13th World Congress.
Following the withdraw of the organizers that had been selected in 2017, by ISCEAH Board, to host the 13th TERRA World Congress, another Call for Expressions of Interest is being issued to organize and host the 13th TERRA World Congress, also known as TERRA 2021.
Important Dates
10 September 2018 – Deadline for 1st Submission of candidacies.
10 October 2018 – Results of selected candidates to advance for 2nd submission
10 December 2018 – Deadline for 2nd Submission of candidacies.
10 January 2019 – Selection of the 13th TERRA World Congress organizer.
2019 – Call for abstracts.
2020 – Call for papers and post-congress tour(s) registration.
2021 – Organization of the World Congress.
2021 or 2022 – Publication of proceedings.
Aegis
The TERRA World Congress will occur under the aegis of ICOMOS and ISCEAH, its specialist International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architecture. ISCEAH will actively participate in the organization of the TERRA World Congress by collecting proposals and selecting the host/organizer; and by assisting in the Scientific Committee selection for the event, which will include members from the host/organizer, major international partners and ISCEAH representatives.
ISCEAH will also assist in proposing program contents, recommend and review the selection of speakers, solicit sponsoring organizations, review the congress budget and venue for adequacy, contribute for the request of financial assistance for participants from developing countries, help publishing TERRA proceedings, address the peer review of submitted papers, etc.
In addition, ISCEAH will:
- Validate and address the branding of the event, as being internationally recognized under the Aegis of ISCEAH, and part of the lineage of ICOMOS TERRA events;
- Assist in promoting the event worldwide, through joint efforts to broad its dissemination, the website postings for call for papers, and the event itself;
- Request that organizers prepare the event to value earthen architecture and earthen heritage in the organizing country and if possible, in the continent too [e.g. exhibitions, thematic sessions, post-congress tour(s), etc.];
- Advise and support from past TERRA organizers;
- Provide an ISCEAH representative to be a member of the Organizing Committee;
- Be actively involved on the Scientific Committee members selection;
- Help with acquiring financial assistance from countries, international organizations, foundations, etc. for travel and subsistence of speakers, students and delegates from developing countries;
- Advice and contribute on the form and scope of publications;
- Contribute to the peer-review of papers and the final selection of papers to be presented at the World Congress and to be published in the proceedings;
- Assist with the World Congress proceedings production, when applicable;
- Make efforts for the World Congress proceedings to be online for free download, at least two years after the publication, if not before;
- Disseminate the World Congress conclusions and recommendations, through ICOMOS’ and ISCEAH’ websites, newsletters, national and international committees.
1st Submission
Deadline: 10 September 2018
Responders to this Call for Expressions of Interest are to prepare a preliminary proposal identifying the following:
- Location and feasibility of venue;
- Proposed dates for organizing the congress and usual climate on that time of the year;
- Relevance of location regarding the existence of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage and contemporary architecture, and the opportunity to contribute for its value and protection;
- Assurance of safety for participants and organizers;
- Tentative schedule;
- Proposed partners, collaborators and sponsoring organizations;
- Preliminary costs;
- Proposed sources of funding;
- Suggestions for the main theme or the subthemes of the study and conservation of earthen architecture congress and the relevance of its scientific and social aim as a way to improve the development of communities;
- Assurance of the existence of accommodations with different quality standards, and their proximity to the venue;
- Official languages of the World Congress;
- Information regarding the issuing of Visas and the existing of restrictions for entering the country.
Results of the 1st Submission
ISCEAH Board will review responses, and proposers will be informed of the results by the 10th of October 2018.
2nd Submission
Deadline: 10 December 2018.
A short list of responder(s) will be asked to further develop their proposal with:
- Details of venue (accessibility to major airports and other transports; capacity of the congress venue in terms of expected number of participants; quality of the congress venue; availability of rooms for interpretation and for meetings; availability of spaces for exhibitions and for workshops; etc.)
- Suggestions for main scientific sub-themes to be later reviewed and approved by ISCEAH;
- Potential of the country and the region, to value the conservation of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage through the organization of TERRA World Congress;
- Preliminary timeliness, program and schedule proposal for the congress (proposed time period, number of days, number of presentations, suggested post-congress tours, etc.);
- Committed partners, collaborator institutions and sponsoring organizations;
- Further detailed costs regarding organization (e.g. venue rental, interpretation services, secretary services, visa costs, organization insurance, etc.);
- Committed sources of funding from different entities and stability of the secure funding;
- Proposed sources of funding for each of the congress activities (pre and/or post-congress workshops and tours; congress material to be delivered to participants; proceedings, interpretation services for simultaneous sessions during the congress, translation of papers for the proceedings, etc.);
- Details of proceedings’ publication regarding funding and format (in paper and digital);
- Presentation of the different types of post-congress tours to be considered, workshops, exhibitions, etc. (number, costs, variety).
Final Selection of the Congress Organizer
Deadline: 10 January 2019
ICOMOS-ISCEAH will formally inform all the proposers regarding the final selection of the organizer. The selected World Congress organizer will be requested to formally accept the task. ICOMOS-ISCEAH will then disseminate the news through ICOMOS’, ISCEAH’s and other partner websites.
Formalization of Agreement
An agreement should be signed between ICOMOS-ISCEAH and the selected organizer and be formalized and finalized soon after notification. The Congress Scientific Committee should be selected and in place soon thereafter.
Questions and Candidacies
Inquiries and candidacies should be submitted to the following ISCEAH officers:
President – Mariana Correia
Vice-President – Maddalena Achenza
Secretary – Pamela Jerome