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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=350524523-14112005><SPAN class=350524523-14112005><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005>As </SPAN>Organisational Secretary for ACS</SPAN><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005> I am posting this response </SPAN>to concerns raised
by Tony Mitchell's email </SPAN><SPAN class=062344823-14112005>at the
request </SPAN>of <SPAN class=062344823-14112005>Chair </SPAN>Meaghan
Morris<SPAN class=062344823-14112005>.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005>Cheers, Melissa</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=062344823-14112005><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Dear Tony,<BR> <BR>While I understand anyone’s
concerns about registration fees being too high for some local scholars to pay
(a serious issue for all big conferences now), I’d like to draw people’s
attention to a few facts around ACS Crossroads 2006.<BR> <BR>First, your
correspondent has cited as universal the very highest fee of 250 euros. There is
of course a differential scale. 250 euros is for a non-ACS member who is not a
student and does not register early. A graduate student registering now and
joining ACS­-which can cost as little as 10 euros now that ACS has replaced
the old “flat fee” of 50 euros­-would pay 110 euros. <BR> <BR>There are
several options in between, which are incentives to register early and join ACS.
All association-based conferences charge more for non-members (and some American
associations do not allow people to present unless they join). The fees are on
the website.<BR> <BR>Second, Bilgi University is in charge of running the
conference, not ACS. So it is an overwhelmingly “local” group of Turkish
scholars setting the fees, not "international cultural studies". ACS has only 2
people on the Conference Committee. While it is true that all international
conferences are expensive now, Bilgi assures us that the ACS Crossroads 2006
fees are lower than those of previous conferences they have held.
<BR> <BR>The Turkish organisers decided those fees as the lowest possible
for providing for 500 people (meals too) for some days without getting a
deficit. A conference cannot knowingly go broke, and Bilgi University, not ACS,
bears the cost. So far, many Turkish scholars have been offering papers
enthusiastically despite the fees.<BR><BR>Third, ten per cent of the
registration fees will be used to assist some scholars who have difficulties, to
relieve as many as we can of paying registration, etc. Turkish scholars are
eligible for this too. Again, details are on the website. We have applied for
extra funding from other agencies and, if we get it, will be able to spread
support further.<BR> <BR>I would like to emphasise, Tony, the implications
of this scheme, which was thought out and put in place precisely to deal with
the problems faced by poorly paid staff. <BR> <BR>One is that it allows us
to help scholars not only in Turkey but from, say, India and Indonesia as well.
If we do not do this, people will get to Istanbul and ask angrily why there are
no scholars from South-East Asia, Latin America, Africa etc...and perhaps accuse
us of Eurocentrically limiting an “international” conference to USA and Western
Europe. <BR><BR>It all comes down to what kind of internationalism you want. One
model is to have mainly local and national conferences, with a couple of outside
speakers and attendees self-funding from rich countries. The other is to try for
a broadly international event, with proactive schemes in place to help overcome
the global wages gap and exchange rate inequalities. ACS prefers the second
model, learning from the success of the Inter-Asia Cultural Studies movement in
this respect.<BR><BR>The second implication, then, is that we need those people
who CAN pay full registration to do so if they wish to see a CS conference that
is not only made up of locals and richer Westerners get off the ground. I am
paying myself, plus making a donation; and I should point out that no ACS
office-bearers are “getting there for free”. We are all
contributing.<BR> <BR>In short: if people who can afford the registration
want to show solidarity with poor scholars in Turkey, the most practical way to
do so is to come to Istanbul and contribute to the support scheme by
registering. <BR> <BR>For every person who stays away in protest at the
fees, money is NOT donated towards registration relief for someone else. Your
choice, Tony.<BR> <BR>Best wishes, Meaghan <BR>Chair of
ACS.<BR><BR><X-SIGSEP></FONT></FONT></FONT>
<P></X-SIGSEP>Chair Professor Meaghan Morris<BR>Acting Head, Department of
Cultural Studies<BR>Coordinator, Kwan Fong Cultural Research and Development
Programme<BR>Senior Editor, <I>TRACES: A Multilingual Journal of Cultural Theory
and Translation<BR></I>Chair, Association for Cultural Studies, <A
title=http://www.cultstud.org/ href="http://www.cultstud.org/"
eudora="autourl">http://www.cultstud.org/<BR title=http://www.cultstud.org/><BR
title=http://www.cultstud.org/></A>Department of Cultural Studies<BR>Lingnan
University<BR>8 Castle Peak Rd<BR>Tuen Mun NT<BR>Hong Kong<BR>Tel:
(852)-2616-7489<BR>Fax: (852)-2572-5170 </P></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left>Dr. Melissa Gregg</DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left>Postdoctoral Research Fellow</DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left>Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies</DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left>and</DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left>Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies </DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">English</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, Media Studies and Art
History</DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">The
University of Queensland</st1:City> QLD 4072</st1:place></DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left>CRICOS provider number: 00025B</DIV>
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<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left><SPAN class=GramE>phone</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>61 7 3346 9762</DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal align=left><SPAN class=GramE>mobile </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>61 4 1116 5706</DIV>
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style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>61 7 3365 7184</DIV>
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