Index & Editorial

Abstract

As our readers know, this journal is published by Associazione Italiana Colore. The fact that it is diamond open means that it is free even for authors. This is a distinctive element of its publisher, a non-profit association, which stands in contrast with the many science predators present worldwide today. It is worth mentioning that in September 2021, the Associazione Italiana Colore organized the AIC2021 14th Congress pursuing the same ethical principles.

The International Color Association (AIC) Congress is a unique multidisciplinary event that brings together scholars and professionals from various fields. It has been held every four years since its inception in 1969. In 2021, it was hosted in Italy, for the first time, organized by the Associazione Italiana Colore. The Covid19 pandemic imposes multiple constraints all over the world. In Italy, the state's laws and the safety rules of the previously chosen Venue (Ca' Granda, Università degli Studi di Milano) prohibited any socializing, which is one of the fundamental reasons for the participation in presence. Moreover, due to travel-related risks and restrictions, the Associazione Italiana Colore, in agreement with the AIC, has decided to organize the AIC 14th Congress online in compliance with the program elements required by the AIC rules: Opening Ceremony, Awards, AIC General Assembly, AIC Study Groups Workshops and Closing Ceremony.

In AIC2021, which should have been in presence, we wanted to create an Ethically Sustainable Congress, thinking about young people, retired people, and professionals who cannot afford to spend too much to attend a Congress. This was our leading idea since 2016 when we proposed Italy to AIC EC in Santiago. Following this idea, the early registration fee available since 2020 for the 14th AIC Congress was about half that of the previous Congress. On January 5th, 2021, in agreement with the AIC, it was decided that, due to Covid19, the AIC 14th Congress should be held online. Therefore, it has agreed to halve further the early registration fee, which is less than a quarter of the previous Congress, lower than the fee of students and the single-day fee of the previous congresses. With a fee equivalent to what used to be the registration of a single day, now participants could follow in the entire five-day Congress. To achieve this goal, the AIC2021 Congress is organized and directly administered by Associazione Italiana Colore, a non-profit association. Associazione Italiana Colore could have decided to delegate the organization and administration of the Congress to a company specialized in the organization of events, but this would have more than doubled the current registration fee even for an Online congress and would also have added VAT (+ 22% in Italy). For a 5-day online Congress, this would have resulted in doubling the registration fee. This has been possible thanks to the volunteer work of the members of the Associazione Italiana Colore in the organizing committee, which I want to acknowledge and thank.

Maurizio Rossi
CCSJ Editor-in-chief
Full professor of Design
Politecnico di Milano