President's speech:
"In the Chart of our Association we have a special category of membership: that of Honorary members. We have used this in the past only once. Klaus Kunzmann has been nominated Honorary member in the first years of life of Aesop. Now that Aesop is approaching its adulthood I have been discussing with Exco and Corep about the opportunity to nominate new honorary members with the intention of recognising those scholars who have put a particular effort in the development of Aesop in terms of ideas, organisational activity and representation of the Association in the external world. Corep has accepted this idea and we have decided that one honorary member for each term of presidency should be recognised in order to give a sense of continuity and of constructing a new tradition.
Therefore it is my turn. Having the opportunity of nominating a second Honorary member among the many distinguished scholars who have contributed to the development of Aesop I haven't had many doubts. Among the most distinguished "founding fathers" of Aesop we have had only one "founding mother": Patsy Healey. She has been the one who, with the care of a mother, has probably contributed most to our growth: in the group who has conceived the same idea of Aesop at the beginning of the '80s, being President between 1994 and 1996, launching various working groups, introducing the best paper prize, and providing Aesop always with new ideas and suggestions. Now that still very young she has retired from active academic life she continues to be involved in practice and research in a more essential way showing with all her energy the way to follow for all the scholars of our association.
I, myself, have been asked by Patsy in 1994 to chair the working group on planning research and this has been the beginning of my commitment in Aesop. It is a great honour for me to ask now Patsy Healey to become our Honorary member continuing to be linked to the association she has contributed to create and strengthen.
Sandro Balducci
