Given on October 26th 2013. "Let me return a moment to FIAT/IFTA’s mission, which is based on helping and inspiring. Our federation meets once a year – to get inspiration, to discuss new ideas and concepts, and to hear one another’s stories. Three days filled with inspiration – the main goal of our world conference."

1. Opening speech 26 October 2013
Good morning everybody!
I hope you all enjoyed the opening party last night, and for those who just
arrived: welcome to Dubai, welcome at 2013 World Conference of
FIAT/IFTA.
First of all, I would like to express my thanks to the organiser and host of
this World Conference, Al Arabiya News Channel.
We are very grateful for the way in which you have provided FIAT/IFTA
with temporary accommodation here in Dubai for people from 40 different
countries. I am certain that this conference will be a memorable one. On
behalf of all those concerned with FIAT/IFTA – many thanks.
Last year, at the World Conference in London, I had the honour of
addressing my first speech to you as president.
Under the presidency of my predecessor Herbert Hayduck, some
impressive steps were taken with regard to our image and corporate
identity, the growth of our organisation and our financial affairs, which are
looking healthier than ever.
When taking over the presidency, I said that FIAT/IFTA was ready for the
future.
And I did not say so lightly.
Last night, I had a talk with Nakhle El Hage, director of Al Arabiya News and
Current Affairs. He told me about the challenges Al Arabiya is facing, about
the influence of social media, which are forceful channels in Arab countries
too.
Actually, we were talking about the effects of being part of the digital
domain, the place where we all act, or will act soon.
We – and now I’m talking about us as archivists - are in a period of
transition.
We are all experiencing what it means to enter that digital domain.
Some of us are already in full flow, while others are treading carefully,
having just left the analogue era.
Whatever the case, we can state without a doubt that the world of
audiovisual and broadcast archives has entered exciting yet complex times.

2. But these have now become preconditions in the light of which we all shape
our own strategies.
And despite all the restrictions and complexities, an extremely inspiring era
is unfolding before us. Unexpected opportunities present themselves when
parties get together and collaborate. This is facilitated more than ever
before by the achievements of the digital domain.
From that perspective, FIAT/IFTA has re-evaluated its own mission and
vision. Within the Executive Council, and in close cooperation with the
commission heads and members, we defined FIAT/IFTA’s goal for the
coming period at a joint strategic session in Hilversum this springtime.
Let me return a moment to FIAT/IFTA’s mission, which is based on helping
and inspiring. Our federation meets once a year – to get inspiration, to
discuss new ideas and concepts, and to hear one another’s stories. Three
days filled with inspiration – the main goal of our world conference.
There are many other ways in which we lend a helping hand. There is the
new website, for example, and the regional conferences and joint seminars,
which are often practical in character as well.
And since the beginning of this year we have the addition of two wonderful
new initiatives. I cannot tell you how proud I am of our FIAT/IFTA project
Save Your Archive; a programme especially developed by a small team
within FIAT/IFTA under the auspices of the Executive Council, to help the
survival of endangered audiovisual collections.
The official starting signal was given to the programme on the first of May
this year, accompanied by the request for candidates to apply and for our
members to help identify such endangered collections.
FIAT/IFTA wants to contribute to saving audiovisual heritage all over the
world. So we see UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on the
twenty-seventh of October as an ideal occasion for announcing the selected
projects. I am looking forward to it very much!
The Executive Council also took a decision on another project, which still
has the working title the ‘Knowledge and Training Team’. Like the Save
Your Archive Programme, this initiative is also based on helping our
members. It assists with the funding of their studies and training in the field
of media and archive management.

3. And finally, there is this long-standing FIAT/IFTA initiative: the
Achievement Awards, which encourage the creative use of archive material.
This year, tonight, we will be presenting the Awards for the twentieth time!
A milestone in the history of our world conferences and also something we
are really proud of.
The FIAT/IFTA Awards have produced a long line of illustrious winners,
each impressive in their own right and distinguished by the fact that
audiovisual collections have formed the basis for their productions.
To celebrate twenty years of the FIAT/IFTA Awards, we will pay special
tribute in the conference lobby to all the past winners. And tonight, on the
evening of the award ceremony, we are expecting a special guest as copresenter.
You are all here today because you want to go further – and rightly so. You
want to hear new things and learn from your colleagues and from the
speakers. You have been looking forward to a few days of annual
immersion in a pool of information and inspiration.
For the first time this year, many of our members have helped to put
together a programme that I am sure will fulfil everyone’s inspirational
requirements.
Last night, at the opening party, I said something about the fact that our
archives are our collective memories. Without them, we would miss an
important part of our cultural heritage. We would loose a part of our
identity.
The theme of this World Conference is about that: about our task to Keep
the Past recent, that’s what we do and that’s what we want to discuss, to
learn and be inspired about.
We are keeping memories; we help remember.
On behalf of the whole Executive Council, the organisers, the host, the
sponsors and the speakers, I wish you a very successful conference.
Enjoy!