6th December 2006, 01:51 PM
Trowelhead,
The IFA is a professional association - by definition, therefore, it is made up of professional archaeologists, and draws its funding from their subscriptions - how can it be independent of them? A Charter would not change this.
However, neither the IFA nor its staff are 'affliated to any one particular group be that University, Union or Commercial Company'. It is more the other way round - organisations can sign up to be regulated by the IFA under the RAO scheme. Being an RAO does not give an organisation a vote; voting rights are restricted to individual corporate members (PIFA, AIFA, MIFA).
In relation to your 'chat-chat-chat, bit of moaning, conference, etc etc' comments, you can get plenty of that on BAJR or anywhere else without joining IFA. However, we have already rehearsed the many positive actions and initiatives taken by the IFA on this forum. If they aren't the specific ones you want, well, they represent the consensus of the membership, not an individual's wish-list. You have a choice - you can stay outside and moan ineffectually, or you can join and seek to influence IFA decision-making.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
The IFA is a professional association - by definition, therefore, it is made up of professional archaeologists, and draws its funding from their subscriptions - how can it be independent of them? A Charter would not change this.
However, neither the IFA nor its staff are 'affliated to any one particular group be that University, Union or Commercial Company'. It is more the other way round - organisations can sign up to be regulated by the IFA under the RAO scheme. Being an RAO does not give an organisation a vote; voting rights are restricted to individual corporate members (PIFA, AIFA, MIFA).
In relation to your 'chat-chat-chat, bit of moaning, conference, etc etc' comments, you can get plenty of that on BAJR or anywhere else without joining IFA. However, we have already rehearsed the many positive actions and initiatives taken by the IFA on this forum. If they aren't the specific ones you want, well, they represent the consensus of the membership, not an individual's wish-list. You have a choice - you can stay outside and moan ineffectually, or you can join and seek to influence IFA decision-making.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished