ISCRAT FOUNDED!

In February 1988 the International Standing Conference for Research, on Activity Theory (ISCRAT) was founded in Berlin (West) with the following statutes:

Statutes of the International Standing Conference for Research on Activity Theory (ISCRAT)

Membership

The membership of ISCRAT comprises all scholars and associations working, teaching, or conducting research in the field of Activity Theory who are registered with the secretary. Application for membership to individuals or groups is made to the secretary .

Decisions concerning membership are made by the Standing Committee.

The official organ of ISCRAT is ACTIVITY THEORY.

Aims

The aims of ISCRAT are:

1. To foster and facilitate research in the field of Activity Theory.
2. To facilitate international contact, exchange of information and cooperation between all those who work in the field of Activity Theory.
3. To foster Activity Theory as a perspective of mutual understanding, interdisciplinary cooperation and practice.
4. To arrange conferences, seminars, study groups and meetings which will achieve these aims.

Organisations and Elections

Standing Conference

The Standing Conference consists of all members registered with the secretary. At each meeting of the Standing Conference a president will be elected to hold office up to and including the next meeting.

Standing Committee

The Standing Committee is elected at the meeting of the Standing Conference by all members present.

The members of the Committee may serve for a period including no more than two meetings of the Standing Conference.

The Committee comprises six members, not more than one from each individual country.

The Committee has power to coopt up further members as acquired to fulfill its function to hold office until the next meeting.

One of the editors of ACTIVITY THEORY is ex-officio a member of the Committee.

In order to realize continuity and change, three of the six Committee members will be elected by the Standing Conference at its inaugural meeting to hold office until the next meeting.

The Committee elects its own chairperson and a secretary.

Committee and Conference have no financial budget and are expected to be self-supporting.

Functions

1. To facilitate and further the achievement of the aims of ISCRAT.
2. To implement the decisions taken at the meetings of ISCRAT.
3. To assist the Editor of the INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER.
4. To take up on behalf of ISCRAT contacts with international and national organisations and bodies who may facilitate the achievement of the aims of ISCRAT.
5. To receive and consider initiatives and approaches from other organisations and individuals for joint work and ventures.
6. To make decisions and take appropriate action concerning the publications of the proceedings of the periodical conferences on behalf of ISCRAT .
7. To strike ad-hoc Committees as needed to report to the chairperson.
8. To assume the responsibility for the production and distribution of ACTIVITY THEORY.

Amendments

Amendments to these statutes may be made by a majority vote of individual members attending the plenary sessions at the periodical conferences. Such amendments must be addressed to the Standing Committee and will be published in ACTIVITY THEORY together with the invitation to the next congress.

These Statutes have been accepted at the Standing Conference founding session in Berlin (West). 20 February 1988, by

• Prof. Dr. Eduard Bol, University of Utrecht (the Netherlands)
• Prof. Dr. Yrjö Engeström, University of Helsinki. (Finland)
• Prof. Dr. Laszlo Garai. Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary)
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Helkama, University of Helsinki (Finland)
• Prof. Dr. Martin Hildebrand-Nilshon, FU Berlin (Berlin/West)
• Antti Kauppi, M.A., University of Helsinki (Finland)
• Dr. David Middleton, University of Loughborough (Great Britain)
• Doz. Dr. Leena Norros, Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Prof. Dr. Georg Rückriem, HdK Berlin (Berlin/West)
• Dr. Berthel Sutter, University of Umeå (Sweden)
• Prof. Charles Tolman, University of Victoria (Canada)
• Prof. Dr. Maria S. Veggetti, University of Rome (Italy)