Guidelines for Consideration of Proposed Public Statements, to include Motions from the Annual Business Meeting

Adopted by AAA Executive Board May 2004

1. The Board should be strategic in selecting matters on which to speak out (i.e., don’t waste your powder on matters on which the organization has little hope of making an impact).
2. Public statements should address matters of clear common professional interest and concern to the Association’s membership or public statements should be issued only on matters about which the Association’s members have special knowledge and or expertise.
3. The statement itself should include language that demonstrates such special knowledge. Thus, to the extent possible, the statement should present anthropological findings, conclusions or recommendations on the matter being addressed.
4. Public statements should make a contribution to better public understanding of the matter being addressed.
5. Public statements should specify their intended audience.
6. If the statement seeks action, it should specify upon whom such action is urged and detail the action being sought.