This statement is a call to action from the board of the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology.
The Association for Political and Legal Anthropology board urgently calls upon AAA staff and the AAA Executive Committee to share all relevant information regarding the 2024 Annual Meeting in Florida by February 15. Decision making processes—including site selection, financial considerations, and the conditions under which a change in location would be deemed necessary—should rightfully be transparent to membership. Furthermore, the association’s response plans for potential medical or security emergencies in Florida should also be transparent to membership.
The concerns raised by members of our community have not been adequately addressed—neither at the Business Meeting in Toronto, nor subsequently. Meanwhile, AAA members, sections, and section leaderships will need to decide soon whether to attend the meetings and, if so, how to do so in a way that is politically and ethically responsible—and above all, safe.
APLA also asks AAA leadership to hold listening sessions to hear the concerns of members and to address relevant questions.
Association for Political and Legal Anthropology 