International Federation of Vexillological Associations

The study of flags, or vexillology, was formalised by Whitney Smith in 1957.{{cite news|last1=Vulliamy|first1=Elsa|title=Which flag is it? Take our quiz to find out|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/puzzles-and-games/quizzes/can-you-recognise-these-flags-a6774121.html|work=The Independent|access-date=March 13, 2016|date=December 15, 2015}} He then moved to organize various flag organisations and meetings including the first International Congress of Vexillology in 1965{{cite news |title=Consider Vexillology |url=https://semioticon.com/semiotix/2013/05/consider-vexillology/ |access-date=March 13, 2019 |work=SemiotiX |publisher=Semioticon |date=May 2013 |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428053450/https://semioticon.com/semiotix/2013/05/consider-vexillology/ |url-status=dead }} and International Federation of Vexillological Associations.

The FIAV was provisionally organized on 3 September 1967, at the Second International Congress of Vexillology held in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, and officially created on 7 September 1969, at the Third International Congress of Vexillology held in Boston, Massachusetts, US.

The vexillological symbols were created by vexillologist Whitney Smith and then adopted by the FIAV in the early 1970s.{{Cite web |title=FIAV Flag Information Symbols |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf-fis.html |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=www.crwflags.com}}

FIAV has a three-person Board consisting of a President, Secretary-General, and Secretary-General for Congresses.{{cite web |title=FIAV Constitution |url=http://fiav.org/constitution/ |date=2009-09-11 |publisher=FIAV |access-date=March 13, 2016}} The Board manages the current affairs of FIAV and convenes the biennial sessions of the General Assembly, which are held during each International Congress of Vexillology. The FIAV General Assembly is composed of a delegate from each of FIAV's members. The General Assembly elects the Board and is responsible for setting policy.

The current members of the FIAV Board are:

• Željko Heimer (President)
• Bruce Berry (Secretary–General)
• Graham Bartram (Secretary–General for Congresses){{cite web |title=FIAV Officers |url=http://fiav.org/current-officers/ |date=2009-09-11 |publisher=FIAV |access-date=March 13, 2016}}

Office of FIAV President was previously held by:

• Louis Mühlemann, 1969 to 1973 (20px {{Flag|Switzerland}})
• Ottfried Neubecker, 1973 to 1981 (20px {{Flag|Germany}})
• Hugh Boudin, 1981 to 1993 (20px {{Flag|Belgium}})
• William G. Crampton, 1993 to 1997 (20px {{Flag|UK}})
• Michel R. Lupant, 1997 to 2019 (20px {{Flag|Belgium}})

Louis Mühlemann was also the honorary president from 1973 to at least 1988.

The current members of FIAV are:{{cite web |date= |title=FIAV Membership List |url=http://fiav.org/current-members/ |access-date=August 14, 2022 |publisher=FIAV}}

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File:XXI ICV flag display.JPG

The International Congress of Vexillology is a week long biennial conference. A Congress consists of vexillology presentations, FIAV's General Assembly and flag display tours.{{cite news|last1=Koziol|first1=Michael|title=World experts fly the flag in Sydney|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/world-experts-fly-the-flag-in-sydney-20150901-gjc9yg.html|access-date=March 13, 2016|work=Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=September 1, 2015}}

Since 1969, FIAV has sponsored the biennial International Congresses of Vexillology (ICV) with assistance of a local organizing committee.{{cite news |last1=Mercer |first1=Phil |title=What do our flags say about us? |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150714-what-do-our-flags-say-about-us |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=www.bbc.com |date=14 July 2015 |language=en}} The Congresses have been held in:

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• Muiderberg, Netherlands (1965)
• Zürich and Rüschlikon (1967)
• Boston (1969)
• Turin (1971)
• London (1973)
• IJsselmeer (1975)
• Washington, D.C. (1977)
• Vienna (1979)
• Ottawa (1981)
• Oxford (1983)
• Madrid (1985)
• San Francisco (1987)
• Melbourne (1989)
• Barcelona (1991)
• Zürich (1993)
• Warsaw (1995)
• Cape Town (1997)
• Victoria, British Columbia (1999)
• York (2001)
• Stockholm (2003)
• Buenos Aires (2005)
• Berlin (2007)
• Yokohama (2009)
• Washington, D.C. (2011)
• Rotterdam (2013)
• Sydney (2015)
• London (2017){{cite web|url=http://www.icv27.co.uk/|title=ICV27 - London 2017|website=27th International Congress of Vexillology|publisher=Flag Institute|access-date=9 August 2017|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829170225/http://www.icv27.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}
• San Antonio (2019){{cite news |last1=Biediger |first1=Shari |title=Dixie Flag Stitches Banners with Pride and Patriotism |url=https://therivardreport.com/dixie-flag-stitches-banners-with-pride-and-patriotism/ |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=Rivard Report |date=July 4, 2019}}
• Ljubljana (2022){{cite web|url=https://www.icv29ljubljana.com|title=ICV29 - Ljubljana 2022|website=29th International Congress of Vexillology|publisher=Heraldica Slovenica |access-date= 15 July 2022}}
• Beijing (2024)

{{div col end}}

ICV 31 is planned to be held in Paris, France in 2026.{{cite web |url=https://fiav.org/icv-list/ |title=International Congresses of Vexillology |website=FIAV |access-date= June 18, 2024}}

The FIAV flag was initially designed by Klaes Sierksma and slightly modified by the organizing committee of the Second International Congress of Vexillology. The flag was introduced on 3 September 1967. Its description is, "On a blue field, extending horizontally from hoist to fly, two yellow halyards forming two interlaced loops." The knot formed is a sheet bend. The color blue is defined as Pantone Matching System U293 and the color yellow is defined as Pantone Matching System U123. Flags for the three officers were approved in 1999, having been designed by the former FIAV president, William Crampton.{{cite web| title=FIAV - Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques| url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/vex-fiav.html| publisher=Flags of the World| date=9 September 2011| access-date=2013-08-27}}

Many awards and medals are given out to members of the FIAV or members of an FIAV associated Organization for various reasons.{{cite web |url=https://nava.org/awards-and-honors/ |title = Awards and Honors |website= North American Vexillological Association |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817234405/https://nava.org/awards-and-honors/ |archive-date= Aug 17, 2021 }}

The two medals that come with post-nominals are the LAUREATES OF THE FEDERATION who get LF and the FELLOWS OF THE FEDERATION who get FF.

In 1989, FIAV established The Vexilon, an award given for the most important contribution to vexillology in the two years before an International Congress of Vexillology. As of 2024, 17 awards have been given out to notable vexillologists such as William Crampton, Whitney Smith, and Alfred Znamierowski.{{cite web |url=https://fiav.org/the-vexillon |title = The Vexillon |date = July 14, 2023 |website = International Federation of Vexillological Associations |access-date = May 21, 2024}} Frederick Brownell, who designed the South African flag,{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427035455/http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27155475 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27155475 |archive-date=2014-04-27 |title=Fred Brownell: The man who made South Africa's flag |access-date=May 21, 2024 |date=26 April 2014 |work=BBC News}} received the award twice.

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• {{Official website|https://fiav.org/}}

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Category:Organizations established in 1967

Category:Vexillological organizations

Category:Organizations based in Houston

Category:International organisations based in London