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Anthropologist Receives Major Award for Human Rights Activism

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Joslyn O.

On May 13, 2012, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives will present the Second ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism, in the amount of $100,000, to Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation, and Kate Doyle, Senior Analyst of U.S. policy in Latin America at the National Security Archive.  The award ceremony will take place at the Museum of the City of New York.

“Both Doyle and Peccerelli are indefatigable defenders of human rights who have played a seminal role in the fight against impunity in Latin America,” said Sebastiaan Faber, Chair of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA).

A determined and creative researcher-activist, Doyle has spent twenty years working tirelessly with Latin American human rights organizations and truth commissions – in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Peru- to obtain the declassification of U.S. government archives in support of their investigations.

Peccerelli is an innovative forensic anthropologist whose work has been instrumental to the first-ever conviction of Guatemalan military forces for crimes against humanity.  As founding director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG), Peccerelli leads a team that, over the past fifteen years, has exhumed hundreds of mass graves filled with victims of Guatemala’s civil war.

The ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism, one of the largest human rights awards in the world, is granted annually by ALBA and the Puffin Foundation.

“The award is designed,” said Puffin Foundation President Perry Rosenstein, “to give public recognition, support, and encouragement to individuals or groups whose work has an exceptionally positive impact on the advancement and/or defense of human rights.  It is intended to help educate students and the general public about the importance of defending human rights against arbitrary powers that violate democratic principles.”

The ALBA/Puffin Award is part of a program connecting the inspiring legacy of the International Brigades – the 40,000 volunteers who helped fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War – to international activist causes of today.  Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón received the first ALBA/Puffin Award in May 2011.

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Preserve the NEH and Title VI/Fulbright-Hays Program Budgets – Contact your Members of Congress

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Joslyn O.

Today’s guest blog post is a letter written by the Interim Executive Director of the National Humanities Alliance, Duane Webster. Please help by contacting your congressional member today!

Dear Colleague,

Please help support the humanities by taking a few minutes to contact your Members of Congress and ask them to sign two important Dear Colleague letters currently circulating in the House of Representatives.

National Endowment for the Humanities

Representative David Price (D-NC) is circulating a Dear Colleague letter in support of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  The letter, addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies, requests $154.3 million for NEH in FY 2013.  This is the same level requested by the President.  A copy of the letter is available here.  Please ask your Representative to sign this letter.  Click here to send an email today.  The Alliance has set up a template message for you to customize. You can also contact your Representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The deadline to sign the letter is March 16.

Title VI/ Fulbright-Hays International Education and Foreign Language Programs

Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) is circulating a Dear Colleague letter in support of Title VI/ Fulbright-Hays International Education and Foreign Language programs.  The letter, addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education, requests no less than $75.729 million for these programs.  This is the same level requested by the President. A copy of the letter is available here.  Please ask your Representative to sign this letter.  Click here to send an email today.  The Alliance has set up a template message for you to customize. You can also contact your Representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The deadline to sign the letter is March 14.

Thank you for your assistance with these important issues.  The signatures on these letters will provide an important record of support for federal humanities funding in the House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

Duane Webster

Interim Executive Director
National Humanities Alliance

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2012 Annual Meeting & Humanities Advocacy Day

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Joslyn O.

March 19-20, 2012
The George Washington University & Capitol Hill
Washington, DC

Online registration for the 2012 NHA Annual Meeting and Humanities Advocacy Day is open!  Make plans now to attend this important annual event and connect with a growing network of humanities advocates from around the country.

Deadline ($100): March 1, 2012.

Schedule at a Glance
SUNDAY, MARCH 18
One Washington Circle Hotel – (4:00 PM – 9:00 PM)

  • Humanities Grants Overview
  • Advocacy Training

MONDAY, MARCH 19
GWU Marvin Center & Capitol Hill – (8:30 AM – 7:30 PM)

  • NHA annual membership meeting
  • Presentations of current work in the humanities
  • Panel discussion on the role of the humanities in undergraduate education
  • Luncheon and keynote address with Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead
  • Humanities funding and policy briefing
  • Capitol Hill reception

TUESDAY, MARCH 20
Capitol Hill – (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)

  • Congressional office visits
  • Debriefing

For complete details, click here.

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American Anthropological Association Position on Dissemination of Research

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Joslyn O.

The AAA’s role is to be vigilant when it comes to proposed legislation that aims to limit dissemination of research, and that may disproportionately protect private over public interests. At the same time, AAA’s role is to protect the sustainability of our publications program, for anthropology as a whole and for individual authors.  We continue to investigate models that both support broad dissemination of knowledge and a sustainable publishing program.

To this end, the Executive Board has adopted the following motion:

Acknowledging the Association’s commitment to “a publications program that disseminates the most current anthropological research, expertise, and interpretation to its members, the discipline, and the broader society,” but also the need for a sustainable publication strategy, and building on the Association’s support for a variety of publishing models, the AAA opposes any Congressional legislation which, if it were enacted, imposes a blanket prohibition against open access publishing policies by all federal agencies.

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Call for Oral statements – 50th Session of the Commission for Social Development

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Joslyn O.

NGOs in general and special ECOSOC consultative status may make oral presentations during the general debate at the Commission for Social Development.

NGOs in general and special consultative status with ECOSOC interested in making oral statements are urged to do so by 30 January 2012. Please send us your oral statement by email at ngo@un.org with the subject “CSocD 2012 – NGO Oral Statement” indicating under which agenda item your organization wish to address the Commission.

Please note that the number of oral statements to be delivered at the session will depend on the time available. There is no guarantee that your oral statement will be made. Oral statements should not exceed three minutes. (i.e., about two pages double-spaced using font size 12).

NGO representatives are advised to not orally present statements that are produced as documents of the Commission (written statements). Since those statements are available to members of the Commission, it seems redundant to read them. Due to time constraints, refraining from reading written statements allows other NGOs to have their views heard by the Commission. This contributes ultimately to enriching debates at the Commission.

Oral statements are made according to the program of work of the session. NGO representatives are encouraged to make brief and concise presentations.

The Provisional annotated agenda and proposed organization of work, E/CN.5/2012/1: English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语

For additional information, please click here.

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New Task Force on Climate Change

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Joslyn O.

The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) is proud to announce the creation of the Task Force on Climate Change, an effort to bring anthropology’s contributions to issues of environmental concern into the spotlight, and increase its engagement with current research, policy discourse and the communities they study worldwide.

While geophysical scientists and governmental bodies decry climate changes and the resulting ecological effects, anthropologists’ sociocultural and archeological interpretations are not as well known. Because of the specialized nature of their academic training (including extensive fieldwork, as well as expertise in biology, linguistics, and ethnography) anthropologists are uniquely positioned to interpret from multiple scales and perspectives and bring a new view to the effects that our changing environment have on livelihoods, identities and culture. Many anthropologists also study the asymmetries in global power dynamics and the inequities associated with global climate change policies and responses.

Appointed by former AAA President Virginia R. Dominguez, the members of the Task Force include Chair Shirley J. Fiske, Susan A Crate, Heather Lazrus, George Luber, Lisaa Lucero, Anthony Oliver-Smith, Ben S. Orlove, Sarah Strauss and Richard Wilk. Two additional members are likely to be appointed.

The Task Force has outlined an action plan for its activities for the next three years, which includes producing guiding documents to recognize, promote and develop anthropological contributions to global climate change-related issues; promoting engagement of the AAA and anthropologists in general with public policy agendas and the greater public interest, utilizing media and outreach modalities to reach beyond the discipline; supporting anthropologists and anthropology students who are interested and engaged in climate research across all sub-disciplines of anthropology, by promoting public and professional exchange of ideas and networks, providing forums to listen and learn, and producing guidance documents on human dimensions of climate and climate change; and Provide the AAA with proposed actions and recommendations to support and promote anthropological engagement with climate change.

“I am pleased that the AAA has taken this action to get members of our discipline focused on our potential to contribute in a significant way to current policy debates surrounding climate change,” Task Force Chair Shirley Fiske said in a statement released on Monday. “In the face of increasingly widespread and directional environmental shifts linked to this phenomenon, there is no better time for anthropologists to make their voices heard.”

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An Open Letter to the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Joslyn O.

AAA is an active member of the World Council of Anthropological Associations (WCAA). The following was received by WCAA’s chair, Professor Thomas Reuter. Read this open letter addressed to the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation and consider signing it in support of our European colleagues.

An Open Letter to the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation,
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

“Horizon 2020: Social Sciences and Humanities research provides vital insights for the future of Europe”

A policy-oriented European research programme such as Horizon 2020 must have at its heart the needs of Europe’s diverse and complex societies. It must enable European societies to understand and to adapt to current and future transitions – in culture, in demography, in the economy, in the environment, technology etc. – and to develop creative responses. It must generate new knowledge and enrich democratic debates about societal choices.

While for many questions, natural, human and social sciences need to join forces, there are also important societal and economic transformations, which can be described as Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)-centered challenges: they regard areas as diverse as education, gender, identity, intercultural dialogue, media, security, social innovation, to name but a few.
Similarly, only SSH research can address many of the key behavioural changes and cultural developments which provide the backdrop to the EU’s current approach to “Tackling Grand Societal Challenges”, such as for example changing mindsets and lifestyles, models for resilient and adaptive institutions, or the evolving position of Europe in a global context.

A diverse and European-minded SSH research environment can offer those analyses, insights and tools that are necessary to critically explore opportunities for and assess threats to sustainable societies.

The undersigned therefore request the inclusion of:

  • a substantial and independent SSH-centered research programme (Challenge “Understanding Europe…”) into the new Framework Programme Horizon 2020;
  • SSH- research into the programme development and implementation of all other Grand Societal Challenges, such as climate change, energy, food, health, security, or transport;

Daring to shape the Europe of the future does indeed require some bold decision. In the immediate context of the new Framework Programme Horizon 2020 the requirements are

  • for the Challenge “Understanding Europe…”: a dedicated budget of 5 Bio. Euro;
  • for the diversity of approaches: a deliberate effort to involve in policy-relevant programmes leading SSH research from across the whole of Europe and beyond;
  • for the sustainability of the research thus supported: involve diverse and forward-looking perspectives from different cultures, backgrounds and schools of thought to stimulate critical reflections and to better anticipate future societal challenges.

We are convinced that the European Commission and the European Parliament as well as national governments and parliaments will agree that a climate of sustainable and inclusive innovation in Europe can only be established, if European societies are conscious of their opportunities and constraints – this knowledge is generated by Social Sciences and Humanities research.

We are looking forward to building a European Research and Innovation Area where constructive exchanges mutually enrich society, policy and scientific research.

Join the already more than 22,000 signatories in support of this letter by clicking here.

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New website – Indians of the Midwest, Past and Present

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Joslyn O.

The D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies announces the recent launch of a permanent, multimedia educational website, titled “Indians of the Midwest, Past and Present,” that is designed to engage and inform a broad audience about recent research by anthropologists and other scholars on tribal sovereignty; hunting, fishing, and gathering rights; casinos and other tribal businesses; treaties; identity; museum collections and repatriation; and stereotypes and their uses.  Loretta Fowler (Professor Emerita, Anthropology Department, University of Oklahoma) is the ethnohistorian and editor for the project.  The website includes video interviews with anthropologists Raymond DeMallie,Nancy O. Lurie, Larry Nesper, and Dawn Scher Thomae.  Also on the site are 43 essays, 700 illustrations, videos that highlight Native perspectives, maps, timelines, readings, quizzes, annotated bibliographies, and an Ask A Question feature that allows visitors to send questions to and receive answers from scholars.  In October, Timothy Pauketat and Grant Arndt were among the scholars who  answered visitors’ questions.  “Indians of the Midwest, Past and Present,” which is made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, focuses on contemporary issues as they affect Native people in the Great Lakes area and explores how these issues have roots in the complex histories and cultures of the region.

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Petition to meet with Governor Scott

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Joslyn O.

Recently, Governor Rick Scott of Florida was quoted in the Herald Tribune as saying that he wanted to devote state funding resources to encourage students to graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering and medical degrees, noting “the state doesn’t need any more anthropologists.”

We ask that you join this petition to have Gov. Scott meet with representatives from the Florida anthropology community as well as our colleagues in humanities and social sciences, who are also threatened by his comment about anthropologists.  The goal of the meeting would be to initiate a proactive dialogue about our particular diverse contributions to the scientific advancement, economy, and well-being of Florida. We will be collecting signatures for the next two weeks, and plan to submit our request on Monday, October 31.

Thank you for joining this petition, and helping us underscore the value of humanities-related and social science research and study not only in Florida, but nationwide.

To sign the petition, below, add your name to the reply box below along with any constructive comments you have for the Governor.

Thank you for joining our petition, and helping us underscore the value of humanities-related research and study not only in Florida, but nationwide.

Utilize the Free Speech Anthropology Forum to continue the discussion on this topic and follow the member coverage of Governor Rick Scott.

Filed under: Advocacy, Anthro in the Media, Association Business, Commentary | Tagged: , , , | 6 Comments »

Is Governor Scott asking for an anthropologist exodus in Florida

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Joslyn O.

In an interview on “The Marc Bernier Show” on WNDB-AM in Daytona Beach, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott favors spending money on science and math degrees; however, was quoted saying that Florida “doesn’t need a lot more anthropologists in this state.” Read Michael C. Bender’s entire post on The Buzz – a political blog of the St. Petersburg Times

As a political leader with significant national and international influence, we at the American Anthropological Association think it is unfortunate that Governor Scott would characterize anthropology in such a short-sighted way. As a discipline that has a rich and robust history, anthropology has made numerous contributions to the study of cultures both foreign and domestic, and has helped us understand humankind. Anthropologists are leaders in our nation’s top science fields, from groundbreaking discoveries in public health to homeland security, and anthropologists work in various arenas, due to the diversity of the field in science and the humanities.

Download (.pdf) the official response to Governor Scott from the American Anthropological Association: http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policy-advocacy/upload/Letter-to-Gov-Scott.PDF

Blog readers, what do you have to say to Governor Scott?
Drop us a comment or leave your blog link and we’ll post it here.

 

Filed under: Advocacy, Anthro in the Media, Commentary | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

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