The International Society for Folk Narrative Research (ISFNR), which will convene in Melbourne in two years' time for its thirteenth congress, is self described as "a Scientific society whose objectives are to develop scholarly work in the fields of folk narrative research and to stimulate contracts and the exchange of views among its members". This mission statement stresses alike the international purpose and the method of achieving it, by means of its academy-like nature, of membership by election and what were long the very personal nature of exchanges of Euro-centred views - those most easily achieved by the fact that only the 1995 conference in Mysore had been held out of Europe, and this despite its having executive members who 'represent Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America', as well as some others.