The Forums are spaces for the paleontological community to provide opinions, criticism and suggestions to the board of the Brazilian Society of Paleontology in current affairs and interest of all paleontologists working in the country.
The highlights of these moments of discussion will be consolidated at the Closing Assembly of the XXVI Brazilian Congress of Paleontology.
In CBP 2019 two themes will be discussed:
Forum 1: Regulation respecting the practice of the profession
Message from the Brazilian Society of Paleontology on the subject released to members on February 15, 2019:
"(...) after a year of discussion among members, formation of a discussion group and conversations with others societies, such as archeology, and members of local authorities such as IPHAN, as well as legal advice for the preparation of the final product, we are pleased to release the document that deals with the regulation of our profession. in the Chamber of Deputies, by Deputy João Roma. We expected that the document will follow procedures of the internal committees, culminating with presidential sanction until March 7, 2020. We will be tirelessly working towards this, as it will be an important step for future discussions of the paleontological legal system in Brazil"
- Get to know the Act proposal by clicking here.
Forum 2: The Palaeontologist Code of Conduct
Message from the Brazilian Society of Paleontology on the subject released to members on February 15, 2019:
"After a year of discussions between members, including the formation of a Working Group, we present the Palaeontologist Code of Conduct. It includes general norms of good coexistence and work among us and which is linked to the principles of the Brazilian Society of Paleontology. We hope that these norms will be the beginning of the formalization of our profession and our activities that should undoubtedly be based on common ethical principles. We hope that each paleontologist adopt our Code in a way to increase national paleontology. "
Access SBP's proposal for the Paleontologist Code of Conduct here.
Methodology
Aiming at ensuring that as many people as possible can contribute to as many points as possible, a common practice in large meetings is the "World Cafe". The basis of this organization methodology is to have several simultaneous discussion centers (several tables and chairs), with a more specific subject of a general theme being discussed at corresponding tables, with the support of a mediator. For the process to be productive and avoid redundancies, it is critical that each table has a mediator. Afer each round, new participants at each table will be briefly informed by the mediator of what has already been discussed there.
One speaker will present the Forums proposal and justify it (says why SBP is working on professionalization / code of conduct, lists cases in which paleontologists have missed opportunities due to the lack of as proper Act, etc). Do this in up to 15 minutes at the Opening Ceremony of the event, on 10/21/2019). A document explaining the whole procedure of the Forums will circulate through the meeting during the week.
On 25/10/2019 there will be eighteen tables with eight seats, a fixed mediator and a specific agenda for each table. Seven participants will discuss the point of each table, with the mediator maintaining the agenda, making entries for speeches, maintaining the urbanity of the discussions, controlling the time, avoiding quibbling and recording the points debated in the minutes. Each forum will have at least two tables per subject of the theme in question.
Discussing participants will stay for up to 20 minutes at each table. They will therefore be able to move up to as many tables as time permits (up to 3 per hour), and to hear and debate other points for another 20 minutes at each table. A participant who prefers to continue discussing the same agenda item at the same table he or she initially sat on may continue at his / her table after the time has expired, provided no other participants are waiting to take their place.
The agenda points for each pair of tables will be:
Forum 1 - Regulation of the Paleontologist Profession (10/25/2019, from 10h30 to 12h)
Tables 1A and 1B: Advantages of Regulation;
Tables 2A and 2B : Regulatory issues; Tables 3A and 3B: Proposed Law: Training and Practice;
Tables 4A and 4B: Legislation: Enforcement.
Forum 2 - Paleontologist Code of Conduct (10/25/2019, 2pm - 4pm)
Tables 1A and 1B: Fundamental Principles;
Tables 2A and 2B: Professional Rights and Duties;
Tables 3A and 3B: Professional Activities;
Tables 4A and 4B: Case Studies 1 - Publications / Projects;
Tables 5A and 5B: Case Studies 2 - Lack of Ethics / Degrading Practices.
For the convenience of debating participants, each table will count. with coffee, water and greengrocers / petit four, and papers and pens.
At the end of each Forum the mediators will list the strengths of each table (suggestions and most frequently presented criticisms), and a panel with the strengths of each Forum will be presented to everyone in the Assembly (25/10/2019, from 4:30 pm to 7 pm), where last general considerations will be made, and from which one or more documents will be prepared. The Assembly will therefore be a moment of consolidation, not of specific discussion (the Forums will be the moment for discussions).
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A World Coffee methodology perspective can be seen here, here and here.
