Principles

1. Background

The 1993 conference Language Programs in Development Projects, held in Bangkok, Thailand, began what was to become a series of biannual conferences exploring the themes of Language and Development. Conferences have been subsequently held in Bali, Indonesia (1995), Langkawi, Malaysia (1997), Hanoi, Vietnam (1999), Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2001), Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2003), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2005) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (2009).

During a meeting at the 2001 Phnom Penh conference, it was thought necessary to ensure the continuation of the spirit and principles of the conference series, and to make more formal and transparent the decisions about selection criteria for conference venues and organizers. It was suggested that there be a group of conference ‘trustees’ made up of people who had played significant roles in organizing conferences in the series.

After the Phnom Penh conference, the trustees drafted an earlier version of this document to reflect precedents in the planning of the conference series. It was revised after the 2003 and 2005 conferences in Tashkent and Addis Ababa.

2. Principles of the Conference Series

Over the years, a set of principles have emerged to guide conference planning and organization. These are:

  • Whenever and wherever possible, the conference should be held in a developing country.
  • Conference themes and focus areas should encompass a broad understanding of Language and Development issues, both internationally and in the host country.
  • The conference should provide a forum for discussing change and contribute to the professional development of people involved.
  • The conference program should be designed so that it is participatory and builds toward a collective outcome.
  • Participation should be balanced among national and international delegates.
  • Strategies, including a flexible fee structure and a plan for attracting funding, should allow for maximum participation by delegates who would not otherwise be able to participate.
  • Previous conference organizers should be involved in the planning of subsequent conferences.
    It is the prerogative of the current organizer to invite other co-organizers to be involved as they deem appropriate, and
  • Current organizers should have access to administrative documents and files from previous conference hosts, including budget details, mailing lists and results of evaluations.

3. Roles of the Trustees and Expressions of Interest

The primary role of the trustees is to ensure that future conferences are thematically consistent with previous conferences and that the principles of the conference series are maintained and strengthened.

In determining future conference organizers, the trustees will hold an Open Meeting at the conference, during which organizations may express their interest in hosting the conference. Expressions of interest may also be communicated to any of the trustees in advance of the conference at the e-mail addresses below.

At the Open Meeting during each conference, discussions will take place about the organization of the subsequent and future conferences. Expressions of interest already received will be presented, as will any other proposals by current conference participants. Agreement will be reached among the trustees and those expressing interest concerning how proposals will be followed up after the Open Meeting. All complete proposals will then be considered and a decision about the next conference will be taken and confirmed by the trustees and interested organizations within the following six months. Priority will be given to organizations who previously expressed interest and then submit a proposal at the next Open Meeting.

4. Criteria for Selection and Success

Organizations expressing an interest in hosting future conferences need to:

  • Establish that national laws, including immigration requirements, enable an international conference to be held.
  • Establish that the conference has host country support.
  • Demonstrate that the conference promotes the host country and organizations, the conference series and its website.
  • Develop a basic business plan for the conference, describing organizers and their roles and contributions, revenue plan, marketing plan, contingency plans, target participants, and schedule, among others.
  • Propose a plan for transferring of capacities and skills among the conference organizers.
  • Be able to guarantee that any financial loss incurred by the conference can be sustained by the organizers.
  • Identify a location and venue capable of attracting no less than 200 full-fee-paying delegates, reflecting a broad geographical spread and appropriate representation of host country participants.
  • Involve at least one trustee in conference program planning and paper selection.
  • Have the capacity to produce a high-quality, academically-reputable, post-conference publication, to be made available to conference participants and distributed widely. It should be published in print form with an ISBN number; a supplementary web-based version could also be published.