At every year end, ICOMOS Thailand organizes an annual conference for members and interested academia and practitioners in the field of heritage conservation and management.  The conference has its main purpose to seek for current trends and issues concerning cultural resource conservation and management.  This year ICOMOS Thailand in cooperation with Architectural Heritage Management and Tourism (International Program), Faculty of Arhitecture, Silpakorn University, and the Fine Arts Committee of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage (ASA) is pleased to announce the 2008 International Conference on the topic “Conservation and Management of Sacred Places”.  The conference comprises 2-day paper presentation and one-day excursion to cases of sacred place management in Bangkok.  A special session of Preah Vihear is also provided in the afternoon of the second day of paper presentation.

ICOMOS Thailand’s International Conference and Annual Meeting 2008
Theme:   Management and Conservation of Sacred Places

Rationale:
Sacred places are manifestations of beliefs and aspirations of humankind.  Religious places, temples, shrines, places of worship, and holy areas are examples of sacred places.  A sacred place may be culturally significant to an individual, a community, a country, or even an international establishment.  Many sacred places contain both tangible and intangible cultural values that require an appropriate method of conservation and interpretation.  Some sacred places were created to spiritually fulfill ancient communities that had been disappeared.  In many countries, particularly those having long history and evolution, sacred places are abundant and regarded as cultural heritage sites while some have already been enlisted world heritage where proper conservation measures are essential. 

The linkage between spiritual and physical qualities has made the sacred place a unique kind of cultural heritage.  However, due to contemporary social and economic needs, a number of sacred places are being mistreated, leading to the degradation or loss of the world’s non-renewable cultural resources.  Issues concerning loss or degradation of sacred places can be listed as follows,

- Destruction: A sacred place may be destroyed due to a number of causes.  An inevitable cause is natural decay.  Other causes are natural and man-made disasters, preference to modern structure, and political interference.  Recently, conflict among states has become one of the major causes of sacred place destruction as well.

- Setting and integrity: Modern conservation has expanded its boundary to deal with urban and rural settings.  It is now widely understood that the restoration only the structure may not be adequate if the development of the environs are not well managed.  The ‘intactness and wholeness’ of the entire site of sacred place are to be carefully considered because the development of the environs can either degrade or enhance the intrinsic value of the heritage.

- Replication: With the power of today’s money and globalization, a unique, authentic sacred place can be copied and built in a different place with new function, mostly for the sake of hi-end tourism.  Such creation has brought about conflict among the society with the pros and the cons of such development.

Regarding cultural importance of the sacred places and the concern with their mistreatment, ICOMOS Thailand is now calling for papers concerning the aforementioned issues from academia, professionals and interested individuals working in the field of cultural environments, archaeology, architecture, engineering, planning, history, sociology and others.  The qualified papers will be presented in the ICOMOS Thailand International Conference 2008 in Bangkok during 29 and 30 November 2008.  Those who are interested in sharing knowledge and idea concerning Preah Vihear are welcome to submit the paper.

All documents must be submitted in English
Presentations in English

Submission of abstract:            10 SEPTEMBER 2008
Abstract announcement:           15 September 2008
Final paper submission:            10 November 2008

Abstract in English: 200 words maximum :1 page A4
Please send abstracts as attachments via e-mail only to : icomosthai@yahoo.co.th

Paper, in English [and in Thai (optional)], is restricted to a maximum length of 10 pages including illustrations. Send in digital format either via e-mail or via post to ICOMOS Thailand Secretary Office.

All participants and presenters should submit the registration form and proof of payment before November 15, 2008 to:
Mrs.Veeraya Yousawang, ICOMOS Thailand Secretary Office
by email : admin@icomosthai.org, icomosthai@yahoo.co.th
or Fax:+66(0)2 281 3947.
Download: [Registration Form_En] , [Registration Form_TH]

For further information about the program, post-conference trip will publish soon, please regularly visit the ICOMOS Thailand's website: www.icomosthai.org

ICOMOS Thailand SEcretary Office
81/1 Si Ayuttaya Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300 ¸Thailand
Tel: +66(0)2 282 2121 ext.217 Fax:+66(0)2 281 3947
Email: admin@icomosthai.org, icomosthai@yahoo.co.th