The General Assembly of the International Federation for Railway Culture and Leisure (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Artistiques et Intellectuelles de Cheminots -FISAIC) was held in Aarhus, Denmark, from 28 September to 1 October 2023.
The meeting was opened by the General President, Kurt Neuwirth, with Bjarne Jensen, Chair of Danish Railway Leisure (Jernbanefritid) giving the welcome speech.
Roman Štěrba addressed current developments within the individual technical categories of Music, Photo, Film & Video, Bridge, Choir, Art, Folklore, Railway Heritage & Railway Model, Esperanto (IFEF), Philately (CIP), and Radio Amateurs (FIRAC).
The General Assembly approved the 2022 Accounts, the 2022 Annual Report and the Auditor’s Report, as well as the proposed budget for 2024.
Reports from individual national associations showed that many innovative and inspiring activities were made available to the railway community.
On behalf of the board, Neuwirth gave this statement:
“I would like to thank you for your active contribution and for the applications to host upcoming events. Once again, it has been proven that with commitment and dedication, we will always manage to organise excellent events, and thus continue to offer our railway workers the opportunity to show their creativity in various sectors. Without all these people, such as painters, photographers, singers, musicians, folklorists, harmonists, video and radio hobbyists, philatelists, Esperantists, rail modellers and bridge players, with us acting as a link to them, these events would not be possible. Because art and culture need community, it is not only important to maintain and preserve what has been created, but also to develop further and discover new things.
And as always, we have to remember the FISAIC motto: “One for all, all for one”.
FISAIC is the International Federation for Railway Culture and Leisure. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UIC on 1st December 2016. FISAIC aims to promote and support cultural activities for railway personnel of all nationalities in their leisure time, establish relationships between the creative railway personnel of national associations and unions in order to organise cultural events, and contribute to the development of cultural understanding and activities. FISAIC was founded in Strasbourg in 1952 under the motto “One for another and not against each other”.
(Source: SZCZ)
