International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance

A Non-Governmental Organization in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO

The 2017 Election of the ICTM Executive Board

Call for Nominations

In October 2016, the Nomination Committee of the 2017 Election requested proposals for nominations to fill positions on the Executive Board that would become vacant at the time of the 43rd General Assembly of ICTM Members, to be held during the 44th ICTM World Conference (Limerick, Ireland) on 15 July 2017.

The Nomination Committee was formed by Colin Quigley (Ireland, convener), Zuzana Jurková (Czech Republic), and Xiao Mei (China).

By the time of the General Assembly, Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco (Portugal) would complete her term as President; Don Niles (Papua New Guinea) would complete his term as Vice President; and Samuel Araújo (Brazil), Naila Ceribašić (Croatia), Kati Szego (Canada), and Trần Quang Hải (France) would complete theirs as Ordinary Members. Consequently, the vacant positions to fill in the 2017 election were:

  • 4 Ordinary Members
  • 1 Vice President
  • 1 President

Candidates

The following candidates were selected by the Nomination Committee from proposals made by ICTM National Committees and by individual ICTM members (from at least two different countries for each proposal).

Candidates for Ordinary Members of the Executive Board (2017–2023)

  • Dan Bendrups (Australia)
  • Naila Ceribašić (Croatia)
  • Leonardo D’Amico (Italy)
  • Catherine Foley (Ireland)
  • David Harnish (USA)
  • Lee Tong Soon (Singapore)
  • Dan Lundberg (Sweden)
  • Don Niles (Papua New Guinea)
  • Marie Agatha Ozah (Nigeria)
  • Olga Pashina (Russia)
  • Margaret Sarkissian (USA)
  • Kati Szego (Canada)

Candidates for Vice President (2017–2021)

  • Svanibor Pettan (Slovenia)
  • Saida Yelemanova (Kazakhstan)

Candidates for President (2017–2021)

  • Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco (Portugal)
  • Stephen Wild (Australia)

According to the existing Rules, Ordinary Members of the Executive Board are elected for a term lasting until the third General Assembly of Members after their term has begun (typically six years), and are eligible for re-election only once. The President and Vice Presidents are elected for a term lasting until the second General Assembly of Members after their term has begun (typically four years), and are eligible for re‐election only once.

Voting procedure

The voting was conducted via email, and there was also an opportunity to vote manually in the first few days of the Limerick World Conference. Voting was open from 15 April until 30 June 2017.

Results

A total of 420 valid ballots were received (332 electronic and 88 paper cast during the World Conference), or 38% of the 1,102 eligible voters. It was the highest participation in an election yet, since the standardisation of voting in 2005. 

The results of the election were announced during the 43rd General Assembly of ICTM Members, held in Limerick on 15 July 2017.

  • Elected Executive Board Members (2017–2023): Naila Ceribašić (Croatia), Catherine Foley (Ireland), Don Niles (Papua New Guinea), and Marie Agatha Ozah (Nigeria)
  • Elected Vice President (2017–2021): Svanibor Pettan (Slovenia)
  • Elected President (2017–2021): Salwa El-Shawan Castelo-Branco (Portugal)

Colin Quigley, the convener of the Nomination Committee of the 2017 election, read a report that is summarised on the minutes of the 43rd General Assembly.