GEORGES BAUMGARTNER Nominated by: Kazuo Abiko Seconded by: Suvendrini Kakuchi

Candidate for President

Georges Baumgartner

Fellow FCCJ Members,

The FCCJ is a uniquely valuable institution. For six decades, our Club has been the world's window on a country that is little understood abroad. In a society where news is too often managed by bureaucrats, we provide an independent forum for alternative and marginalized voices. We stand out among the best press clubs serving media around the world. We are a diverse and vibrant community that is nourished by the personal warmth and care of our dedicated staff.

To lose this club, built over the course of 65 years, would be a tragedy of historic proportions. To ensure that does not happen we need to immediately restore sound governance and take steps create a new, sustainable basis for the future, especially considering the looming changes to the "shadan hojin" law.

This is a challenging time for the FCCJ. In the context of severe recession, the traditional business model of journalism is eroding worldwide, Japan is declining as a focus of global interest and Tokyo's foreign community is shrinking.

At a time when proactive evolution is an urgent imperative, our governance has been paralyzed, distracted by the agenda of a clique obsessed with interpersonal animosities. The result has been chaotic administration, a toxic atmosphere among our core membership and strained our relations with staff. I say, "Enough!" It's time to forget stupid quarrels that have been conclusively dealt with by investigative panels. We need to focus on the urgent imperatives facing our club.

If you are among those who are fed up with toxic club politics, let me explain why I am qualified to stand as FCCJ President, why I feel a duty to serve, and what I aim to achieve if elected.

As a journalist for Swiss TV and radio, and Radio France, I have been a member since 1982. As Treasurer from 2000 to 2005 I took our finances from chronic deficit to consistent surplus. I understand the workings of this club in minute detail. I feel compelled stand for the presidency because I am deeply obliged to this club for its support throughout my career and want to pass on that legacy to the next generation of journalists.

These are my priorities:

Good governance - I will restore rationality and civility to our Board and General Membership Meetings, sanctioning troublemakers if necessary. Adhering to sound accounting principles, I will see resources are allocated wisely to ensure the long-term survival of the Club.

Transparent communication - I will open the workings of the Board to greater scrutiny by the Membership, via detailed monthly reports on the FCCJ website. I will also ensure the Board communicates more transparently with staff.

Events that make news - PAC events are our "crown jewels." We need to re-energize PAC with more events, especially high-profile speakers. As hosts, we must return to professionalism (a moderator's role is not to boost his own ego). We need to move beyond passive hosting to disseminate the content we create, perhaps streaming live video of events. Value for Membership - FCCJ's future depends on the value we deliver to our members - across all categories and constituencies:

* Our core constituency since 1945 has been freelancers and "lone-wolf " correspondents whose work depends on Club services. As times are very tough for these people we must find ways to help. Our website and Number 1 Shimbun should introduce our members' work to editors worldwide. In particular, we must deliver more value to photographers, who are quitting the club at an alarming rate.
* We must seek new ways to deliver value to those working for the wire services.
* We need to reach out to women and to Asian journalists, acknowledging that we are too often centered on Western, English-speaking men.
* The same is true with our "silent majority," the many Japanese media veterans who have returned from overseas. We need to make greater efforts to include them in club affairs.
* We must also open our doors to and mentor young journalists.
We must be more inclusive and deliver greater value to all members. While maintaining journalistic control of professional matters, we need to include Associates and Professional Associates in governance, particularly in the Human Resources and Finance areas. To grow membership and revenues, we must be creative in developing fresh value propositions:
* Reach out to internationally minded people in business and academia
* Pursue alliances with the various national chambers of commerce
* Show PR departments why media-relations event budgets are better spent here than at a hotel.

Fairness for staff - A politicized workplace has negatively affected employee morale in recent years. Some Board members have manipulated staff to further their own agendas. This must end. We must open a new dialogue between the Board and staff, transparent, formally structured and based on mutual respect.

With sound governance, civility, transparency and a creative and open-minded approach to problem-solving, we can ensure the FCCJ's future for decades.

I ask also that you evaluate candidates for other positions in terms of their willingness to support the agenda I propose. We need a Board on which all are pulling in the same direction.

If you have any questions, I am at the club most weekdays and will be happy to sit down with you. Let's work together to renew our club.