The Members’ Programmatic Advisory and Advocacy Committee (MPAAC), under the new leadership of Gabriela Torres, Emily Metzner, and Carolyn Rouse as chair and co-chairs respectively, voted to request a name change of the committee. The Executive Board unanimously approved the name change and going forward, MPAAC will now officially be called the Anthropology Advocacy Council (AAC).
While MPAAC has been around for a few years, the goal of the change is to simplify the name so the Council can provide the most value for our members. The AAC, convened by the AAA Executive Board, will still be responsible for the implementation of the Association’s education, advocacy and advisory program related to Anthropology and each of the following ongoing issues and engagements: Ethics; Human Rights; Labor and Workforce; Public Policy; Anti-Racism and Social Justice; Gender Equity; Practicing, Applied and Public Sector; Student Interests; and World Anthropologies.
This year, AAC will focus its collaborative work on three key areas:
- Developing strategic directions to strengthen the value proposition of the contribution anthropology makes in the workforce and higher education.
- Completing a white paper on anthropology’s role in reparations for harmed populations.
- Engaging the association in addressing the problems of scholars and cultural heritage at risk in conflict and war zones.
The AAC has worked on a number of important matters, including revising the AAA’s Guidelines on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault, issuing Guidelines for Mitigating the Uneven Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Anthropologists, and the ethical issues anthropologists face today. The AAC will continue to be responsible for planning four sponsored panels for the AAA Annual Meeting, finalizing the sexual harassment policy, and reviewing statements from the AAA when relevant.
What’s on your mind?
The original committee was convened in 2017 for the purpose of responding to AAA member needs and interests. In keeping with the values of collaboration, dialogue, diversity, equity, solidarity, and transparency, the committee would like to hear from our members regarding particular topics or issues they’d like to see addressed. Visit the AAC webpage to learn more about the Council, as well as the respective seats and their contact information.