AGM 2023 report

On September 21st, the ASCE Annual General Meeting took place in the TEA headquarters in Mantua, Italy.

Over 130 participants from 16 countries attended the splendidly organised Annual General Meeting and Conference. This year's AGM was particularly important since the elections were held for the ASCE president and steering committee members.

The AGM was preceded by Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, president of ASCE, and all steering committee members were present or gave proxy to other members. During the AGM several things were outlined and discussed:

1.Introduction

Welcome speech by ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek.

2.Presidency and Steering Committee activities 2022 / 2023

• Steering Committee meetings and sessions
• AGM 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia
• Work practice in School
• Best practices award 2022 for Schools on cemeteries project
• Organizing bus tour around Greece
• Signing the declaration of intent
• ESJF European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative conference: Protecting Jewish Cemeteries
• International seminar “Rethinking landscapes Perspective. Debate and Exchange”
• 10th Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Training Academy
• Training Seminar for Candidate Routes
• Municipal Cemetery of Kifissia admission to the European Cemeteries Route
• Women Writers Route certificate award ceremony
• 1st international scientific and professional conference on cemeteries in Varaždin

3. ASCE administration and European Cemeteries Route activities 2022 / 2023

European Cemeteries Route Manager, Mr Dušan Vrban, presented:

• ASCE analysis and strategy
• IT upgrades (CRM system)
• New version of Artour app and completely new European Cemeteries Route app

4. Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2024

SC member, Mr Miquel Trepat, presented the theme of the WDEC 2024 - "Cemeteries for environmental sustainability and committed to the fight against climate change."

5. Schools on cemeteries

SC member, Mrs Andreea Pop, presented past and current activities and achievements of the project Schools on cemeteries.

6. Research and science

SC member, Mrs Andreea Pop, presented past and current activities and achievements in the field of Research and science.

7. Communications

SC member, Mrs Renate Niklas highlighted the importance of communication and higher engagement on all available communication platforms (website, social tools, etc.) to be more visible.

8. New members and significant cemeteries

SC members, Mrs Melissa La Maida and Mr John Moffat, presented the new members and significant cemeteries of ASCE as well as new European Cemeteries Route members.

9. Financial report

ASCE president, Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek, presented a review of the financial status and situation of ASCE.

10. Elections

ASCE members voted for the new ASCE president and steering committee members. Among candidates, members voted for following:

• Lidija Pliberšek, Maribor, Slovenia (president)
• Melissa La Maida, Bologna, Italy (SC member and vide president)
• Miquel Trepat Celis, Barcelona, Spain (SC member and vide president)
• Renate Niklas, Vienna, Austria (SC member)
• Valérie Madoka Naito, Dresden, Germany (SC member)
• Thodoris Tzoumas, Skiathos, Greece (SC member)
• Wenche Eriksson, Oslo, Norway (SC member)
• Andreea Pop, Bucharest, Romania (SC member)

Newly elected president Lidija Pliberšek nominated new delegated representatives:

• Theodora-Virginia (Rania) Dalli, Kifissia, Greece
• Gábor Móczár, Budapest, Hungary
• Sara Carlquist, Stockholm, Sweden
• Ian Dungavell, London, United Kingdom

10. AGM 2024

Mr. Martin Ernerth presented an overview of the previous meetings. Then Mr Móczár Gábor Attila introduced the proposal to host the AGM 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.

11. Conclusion

Closing speech by Mr Ian Dungavell.

A new chapter in preserving European cemetery heritage

Introductory thoughts of ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, at the beginning of a new 4-year mandate.

Dear members, partners, and supporters of ASCE,

I am extremely proud and grateful that, at this year's elections in Mantua, Italy, I was given the opportunity to continue the presidency of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe. The trust you have placed in me fills me with immense gratitude. It is a trust I do not take lightly, and I pledge to proceed serving our shared mission with persistent devotion.

Twenty years ago, we embarked on a journey that was then relatively unknown. United with the same goal - the protection and promotion of the cultural heritage resting within European cemeteries - we started with just seven founding members. Today, with immense pride, I can say that we have grown into an organization with 180 members, a result of the hard work, dedication, and passion of each individual member. Our journey has been long but astonishingly successful.

The development our organization has experienced during this period has been remarkable. We established a clear vision and strategy that has been honed and perfected over the years. One of the key changes we have achieved is the professional administrative management of the organization and the digitization of our processes. We realized that in order to succeed and grow, it was essential to keep pace with the trends of the digital age. Today, we can proudly boast of the professional and digital support that enables members to actively participate in projects and contribute to our common goal.

Throughout, we have strived to strengthen the relationship between the presidency and the members. In the past, many of us pondered what ASCE could offer them. Today, we have reached a point where our members are empowered. They no longer ask what the organization can do for them but instead question what they can do for ASCE shared mission.

Our passion and dedication have led us to a moment where we can leverage this recognition to make our broader environment and institutions contemplate what they can do to assist and collaborate with us in preserving and showcasing the cultural heritage of European cemeteries. It is crucial for significant institutions, ministries, institutes, and others to integrate our mission into their operations. Our organization is prepared for this challenge, and with great optimism, I believe that together, we will fulfil our mission in the best possible way.

So, thank you for being part of this exceptional community. Thank you for your trust, dedication, and unwavering belief in what we do. May the next four years leave another important mark in the story of ASCE.

Lidija Pliberšek, M. Sc.
ASCE president

Elections candidates 2023

We present you the list of candidates for president and Steering Committee 2023.

Elections 2023

The elections will take place at the ASCE Annual General Meeting on Thursday, September 21st, 2023, starting at 17.00. 

Location:  TEA headquarters, Via Giuseppe Taliercio 3, 46100 Mantua, Italy

Participation is allowed to ASCE members only.

List of candidates

According to ASCE charter and calls for candidates we have prepared the list of candidates for Steering Committee and president. List is presented by alphabetical order by countries and within country by name. Please note that each member has a presentation in the link attached to their name.

Country	Town	Name	Candidate for
Austria	Vienna	Renate Niklas	SC member
Germany	Dresden	Valérie Madoka Naito	SC member
Greece	Kifissia	Theodora-Virginia (Rania) Dalli	SC member
Greece	Skiathos	Thodoris Tzoumas	SC member
Hungary	Budapest	Gábor Móczár	SC member
Italy	Bologna	Melissa La Maida	SC member
Norway	Oslo	Wenche Eriksson	SC member
Romania	Bucharest	Andreea Pop	SC member
Slovenia	Maribor	Lidija Pliberšek	President
Spain	Barcelona	Miquel Trepat Celis	SC member

Elections call 2023

Call for candidates for Steering Committee and president of ASCE.

4 years have passed since the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ghent in 2019 when the current president and steering committee members were elected to manage our association.

At this year's AGM in Mantua new elections will take place and all members have the right to candidate for steering committee or presidency.

Note: candidacy is possible for ASCE members only!

In order to apply you should follow the next procedure:

Applying for Steering Committee

To apply for the steering committee of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that you must keep the format and design. Do not use your own designs or change the font sizes. The form will be presented to all members with voting rights in the same format as it is prepared.

Keep in mind that members of the Steering Committee are expected to fulfill certain obligations that require commitment, self-initiative, and time. Therefore, before applying, please read what your assignments as a Steering Committee member will be:

• regional covering for the SC
• hours and other resources requirements
• reporting about your region
• manage and encourage members of the region to participate
• gather new members / exclude the nonactive ones

Steering Committee limits

According to the ASCE charter, steering committee is limited to 1 representative from each country. In case of more than 1 candidate, delegates of the Assembly can vote only for 1 member.

Applying for president

To apply for president of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that there are 3 slides and you may use any format and design. You will have 5 minutes time for presentation to members at the AGM.

Sending your form

You should send your filled out form to secretariat@significantcemeteries.org by June 30, 2023.

Elections candidates 2019

We present you the list of candidates for president and Steering Committee 2019.

According to ASCE charter and calls for candidates we have prepared the list of candidates for Steering Committee and president.

Elections will take place at AGM 2019 in Ghent at 09:00.

You can see the candidates on the embed map below by clicking on their icons or in the following list. Please note that each member has a presentation in the link attached to their name.

List is presented by alphabetical order by countries and within country by name.

Country	Town	Name	Candidate for
Austria	Vienna	Renate Niklas	SC member
Germany	Berlin	Martin Ernerth	SC member
Germany	Berlin	Olaf Ihlefeldt	SC member
Greece	Skiathos	Thodoris Tzoumas	SC member
Italy	Bologna	Melissa Lamaida	SC member
Romania	Bucharest	Andreea Pop	SC member
Slovenia	Maribor	Lidija Pliberšek	President
Spain	Barcelona	Miquel Trepat Celis	SC member
United Kingdom	Liverpool	John Moffat	SC member
United Kingdom	London	Ian Dungavell	SC member

Elections call 2019

Call for candidates for Steering Committee and president of ASCE.

4 years have passed since Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bucharest in 2015 when current president and steering committee members were elected for managing our association.

At AGM in Ghent new elections will take place and all members have the right to candidate for steering committee or presidency.

Note: candidacy is possible for ASCE members only!

In order to apply you should follow the next procedure:

Applying for Steering Committee

To apply for steering committee of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that you must keep the format and design. Do not use your own designs or change the font sizes. The form will be presented to all members with voting rights in the same format as it is prepared.

Applying for president

To apply for president of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that there are 3 slides and you may use any format and design. You will have 5 minutes time for presentation to members at AGM.

Sending your form

You should send your filled out form to secretariat@significantcemteries.org by May 31 2019.

Elections candidates 2015

We present you the list of candidates for president and Steering Committee 2015.

According to ASCE charter and calls for candidates we have prepared the list of candidates for Steering Committee and president.

Elections will take place at AGM 2015 in Bucharest at 11:00.

You can see the candidates on the embed map below by clicking on their icons or in the following list. Please note that each member has a presentation in the link attached to their name.

List is presented by alphabetical order by countries and within country by name.

Country	Town	Name	Candidate for
Austria	Vienna	Beatrix Czipetits	SC member
Germany	Berlin	Martin Ernerth	SC member
Germany	Berlin	Olaf Ihlefeldt	SC member
Greece	Skiathos	Thodoris Tzoumas	SC member
Italy	Bologna	Melissa Lamaida	SC member
Norway	Oslo	Wenche Eriksson	SC member
Serbia	Belgrade	Bojana Kisin	SC member
Slovenia	Maribor	Lidija Pliberšek	President
Spain	Barcelona	Jordi Valmana	SC member
United Kingdom	Liverpool	John Moffat	SC member

Elections call 2015

Call for candidates for Steering Committee and president of ASCE.

4 years have passed since Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Vienna in 2011 when current president and steering committee members were elected for managing our association.

At AGM in Bucharest new elections will take place and all members have the right to candidate for steering committee or presidency.

Note: candidacy is possible for ASCE members only!

In order to apply you should follow the procedure:

Applying for Steering Committee

To apply for steering committee of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that you must keep the format and design. Do not use your own designs or change the font sizes. The form will be presented to all members with voting rights in the same format as it is prepared.

Applying for president

To apply for president of ASCE you should fill out the form at this link. Please note that there are 3 slides and you may use any format and design. You will have 5 minutes time for presentation to members at AGM.

Sending your form

You should send your filled out form to secretariat@significantcemteries.org by June 30th 2015.