ICOM Paraguay 2023 | Museum Leadership in Climate Action

MPR 2023 Conference:
Roñembyaty Paraguáipe/See you in Paraguay!

ICOM-MPR is pleased to announce our collaboration with international committees ICMAH, INTERCOM, and ICTOP for our 2023 annual conference hosted by ITAIPU Binacional, Museo de ITAIPU Tierra Guaraní and ICOM-Paraguay in Hernandarias, Paraguay, November 15 – 17, 2023. The theme is “Museum Leadership in Climate Action.” We will be inspired not only by colleagues of different professions but also by the magnificent natural beauty of the ITAIPU Biosphere Reserve, the renowned Iguazu Falls, and the enduring cultural heritage of the Guaraní.

Call for articles and papers are open now. We invite our MPR colleagues around the world to think about how museum communications, marketing, public relations, community relations, fundraising, membership, and audience research, and related areas are integral to museum leadership and play critical roles in how all museums can make climate action a top priority.

* Roñembyaty Paraguáipe: Guaraní translation to “see you in Paraguay” or “see you in heaven.”

Last call for papers and articles: Have your say.
Share your work, projects and ideas.

This eco-friendly conference will focus on in-person participation at the venue in Paraguay with an emphasis on sustainability. We welcome a diversity of submissions that can inform the sector on what is being done and what needs to be done by museums and cultural heritage sites in response to the challenges of the Anthropocene, the geological epoch when human activity started to have a significant and negative impact on our planet’s climate and ecosystems.

As leaders in the museum and cultural heritage sector, we must be knowledgeable and proactive in modeling and advocating the shift towards more sustainable and climate-friendly solutions for our museums, communities, and world. What kinds of skills and competencies do we need to acquire? What is the new curriculum for the museum sector at the university level and continuing training? What new perspectives, policies, practices, and programs should we adopt? How do we inspire and support innovative solutions? How do we educate and engage donors, partners, communities, and younger generations? How can we effectively communicate what we are doing? How do we know when and if we are making a difference?

All proposals submitted will be assessed for relevance to the conference topic by a review committee of representatives from the organizational bodies and will be published with ISBN, in English and Spanish as an e-book edition.

Event venue: ITAIPU Binacional and ITAIPU Guaraní Land Museum.

ITAIPU Binacional is the world’s largest generator of renewable clean energy, binational property of Paraguay and Brazil, and located on the Paraná River, within the limits of the city of Hernandarias on the Paraguayan side. ITAIPU is the engine of Paraguay’s technological, social, cultural, and environmental development, promoting various communitarian, inter-institutional, and multinational projects, seeking to contribute to creating a sustainable society. Its area of ​​influence makes up the ITAIPU Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO in 2017.

The ITAIPU MUSEUM was created in 1979 to house the samples from the archaeological, historical, anthropological, and flori-faunistic research carried out in the departments of Alto Paraná and Canindeyú during the construction of the dam and the creation of the reservoir. Over the years, it has become one of the country’s leading museums, carrying out conservation, research, and educational programs to promote the region’s cultural and natural heritage.

The meeting will take place at the Visitors Reception Center of ITAIPU, located in Hernandarias, Paraguay.

How to get there

The ITAIPU Guaraní Land Museum is strategically located in the Triple Border area (Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina), so it can be accessed through any of the international airports of Foz do Yguazu (Brazil), Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay). Some hotels offer free transfer services from the airport to the accommodation.

From Asunción (Paraguay)

By plane to the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. To travel to Ciudad del Este, you can take a connecting flight to the Guaraní International Airport or travel by bus (different companies leave almost every two hours from the Asunción Terminal to the Ciudad del Este Terminal; for safety and comfort reasons, we recommend traveling with the company Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Bus tickets can be purchased online at www.nsa.com.py, or the Terminal). The journey by land takes approximately 5 hours.

From Ciudad del Este (Paraguay)

By plane to the Guaraní International Airport. Currently, this airport is only receiving connection flights from Asunción: https://www.paranair.com/en-us/home-english-2/

From Foz de Iguazú (Brazil)

By plane to Cataratas International Airport. There are different options to get to Ciudad del Este or Hernandarias, either by taxi or by bus.

From Puerto Iguazu (Argentina)

By plane to the Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport. There are different options to get to Ciudad del Este or Hernandarias, either by taxi or bus.

Accommodation

In Ciudad del Este and Hernandarias, various accommodation options have varied prices and services. Family hostels are also available, with breakfast service included, at a lower price.

The organization will release a list of recommended hotels with special price rates for participants of the conference.

Visa requirements

Depending on the country of origin, visa requirements may exist to enter Paraguay. Check here the local requirements. If you need a letter from the organization for the visa application, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sanitary requirements

Proof of vaccination for COVID-19 is not currently required to enter Paraguay. We will let you know if the situation changes in the following months.

Through Resolution SG No. 040/2022, the Ministry of Health establishes that all national or foreign travelers from risk areas: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela, must be vaccinated against Yellow Fever and have the International Vaccination Certificate.

The personnel of the transport company may require the presentation of the International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever at the time of the purchase of the ticket or by officials of the surveillance area of ​​the Ministry of Health before carrying out the migratory procedures.

Pre and post-conference cultural program

The organization will be communicating about cultural and touristic activities to be carried out in the days before or after the conference. Some of these activities may have a fee paid by the participant.