In keeping with IFAJ’s Vision 2020 strategic drive towards greater global outreach, the Federation held its semi-annual executive meeting in the Czech Republic on October 18-21. This was the first time the meeting had been held outside of Green Week in Berlin in more than a decade. Last year, after Green Week withdrew sponsorship for the meeting, the executive elected to hold meetings in different countries, to develop closer relations with member guilds elsewhere, and help introduce executive members to various country’s unique agricultural sectors.
The Czech Republic IFAJ executive program featured two afternoon-long executive meetings, preceded by tours of farms, academia and agri-business. All tours and logistics were coordinated by executive member Dana Vecerova and her organizing team, with assistance from the Global Office.
Agenda items included discussions about freedom of the press, professional development, program sponsorship, congress funding, endorsed press trips and achieving quorum.
Executive members from these countries attended: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and USA. Proxies were offered by Burundi, Great Britain, Hungary, New Zealand, Serbia and Switzerland. For the first time, executive members who were unable to attend could join in electronically, via GoToMeetings. This option drew participation from executive members in Great Britain, Serbia, Somalia, Guinea and Burkino Faso.
A full report on the meeting will follow shortly.
IFAJ sincerely thanks Czech Republic IFAJ executive member Dana Večeřová and her organizing team for their commitment to the Federation, as well as to the many sponsors the team secured to make the executive meeting possible.