Monday 29 July 2019

Jim Martin Negatively Judging The ISFLA Executive

Another issue which arose at the AGM was the non-attendance of ISFLA executive members at ISFC congresses (a glaring problem in Santiago, and in Bandung a couple of years ago). I suggest that the executive develop guidelines about the responsibilities of its members re attendance at ISFC congresses and their AGMs. Very significant decisions are made by executive members during the course of a year, without as far as I can see much discussion on sysfling or elsewhere. Our AGMs are the only mechanism we have to hold our executive to account and at least a majority of members should be present and accountable.

Blogger Comments:

Appraised
Appraisal
Polarity
Attitude
the non-attendance of ISFLA executive members at ISFC congresses
negative
judgement: propriety
graduation: force
very significant decisions made by ISFLA executive members without discussion
negative
judgement: propriety
the accountability of ISFLA executive members
negative
judgement: propriety


The current ISFLA Executives — all of which are unpaid volunteers — are:

Chair:Teresa Oteiza
Deputy Chair:Tom Bartlett
Membership Secretary:Lise Fontaine
Recording Secretary:Derek Irwin
Treasurers:Carlos Gouveia(Europe)
Bernie Mohan (N. America)
Honglin Chen (Australia)

Note that the ISFLA executive were represented at the ISFC by its most senior office bearer, Teresa Oteiza, the chair (organiser and host) of the Congress.

Significantly, Martin has provided no evidence whatsoever for his paranoid claim that "very significant decisions are made by executive members during the course of a year" without list discussion, even after being specifically asked to do so by Mick O'Donnell.

Given that Martin (of all people!) falsely accused the late Ruqaiya Hasan of plagiarism, at a symposium held to honour her achievements, the lack of evidence here, again, for what is another false claim, is hardly surprising.  But if Martin is offered a plenary at the next ISFC — and the free accommodation and free business class air travel that it entails — then his dishonest act of intimidation will have proved successful.

In contrast, here's what Martin & Rose (2007: 62) have to say about Martin:
His communion with Mandela, at such a distance in so many respects …