28th February 2006, 05:39 PM
Well joining the IFA you are supporting an organisatrion with a strategy for meeting nad improving the proffesional aspirations of archaeologist, which includes the initiatives highlighted on BAJR and the IFA website, as well as supporting staff who can the discuss and lobby national organisations and govermental bodiees on behalf of the interests of archaeology.
For me probably the greatest threat that archaeology is facing at present is the lack of proper legeslative and financial support for local curatorial bodies. We are already seeing swinging cuts to some of these bodies by local autthorities in budgets being set this year. As it is unlikely that local taxation will be sorted anytime soon, with no requirment on local authorities to maintain these services I suspect next years budget cuts will be larger and spread over a great many local authorities.
What can we do about it? Well as an individual there is only so much time and money I can spend campaigning on a local or national level, but I can support organisations which can lobby - and with more members they can have increasing clout.
That is my analysis and part of what I am doing about it (in IFA, Rescue, CBA, Prospect and a number of other groupos) - You may of course disagree ...
Whilst it is important to be able to test your ideas, hear other perspectives and be as informed as possible a conference can inform action, but it is not really doing anything , or addrssing issuses per se.
For me probably the greatest threat that archaeology is facing at present is the lack of proper legeslative and financial support for local curatorial bodies. We are already seeing swinging cuts to some of these bodies by local autthorities in budgets being set this year. As it is unlikely that local taxation will be sorted anytime soon, with no requirment on local authorities to maintain these services I suspect next years budget cuts will be larger and spread over a great many local authorities.
What can we do about it? Well as an individual there is only so much time and money I can spend campaigning on a local or national level, but I can support organisations which can lobby - and with more members they can have increasing clout.
That is my analysis and part of what I am doing about it (in IFA, Rescue, CBA, Prospect and a number of other groupos) - You may of course disagree ...
Whilst it is important to be able to test your ideas, hear other perspectives and be as informed as possible a conference can inform action, but it is not really doing anything , or addrssing issuses per se.