AIC certification plan

Most people in AIC have probably received the cards from the Board
announcing a plebiscite on certification to be held as an online
process beginning on January 28 and continuing to the end of
February. Like all plebiscites we need to carefully consider what
this one is designed to do.  First, why the rush to have a vote now?
Why not wait until the Los Angeles meeting and have a forum, where a
committee of those for and against certification would moderate and
comment on a general debate, and where a vote format could be
discussed and agreed upon by those for and against it as has
happened in all the votes in the past with the exception of the
recent"straw vote" that the leadership has used to declare victory
and a mandate for certification.

The wording of plebiscites, like polls and questionnaires greatly
affects outcomes.  Should the development of the wording not be a
public process?  Why also, does the Board only direct people to the
AIC website for information on how to vote?  Perhaps it would be
fair to have drafts prepared by committees of people for and
against, as in the past, and have these sent to AIC members to
consider before voting?

Niccolo Caldararo
Conservation Art Service
San Francisco


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:43
                Distributed: Saturday, January 31, 2009
                       Message Id: cdl-22-43-007
                                  ***