GEOG4PAL

Communication from AAG

Letter to AAG members dated August 12, 2025

Dear AAG Members:

This message serves as official notice of a special member meeting scheduled for October 3rd, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET. Specifically, this meeting is occurring in response to a recent member petition asking AAG “to endorse the campaign for an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions, and for financial disclosure and divestment of any AAG funds invested in corporations or state institutions profiting from the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.” Our Bylaws state that if more than 10% of members sign a petition with a valid call, then AAG will host a special member meeting.

As the governing body for the AAG, Council has the legal and ethical obligation to make decisions like the ones called for in the petition. For all decisions, Council conducts due diligence beforehand by considering a range of factors such as legality, feasibility, cost, etc. Typically, this process happens at Council meetings and membership is not included. However, in this case, Council will engage in a transparent and inclusive process, first sharing a draft report and then inviting feedback from the membership over 60 days. In this way, the best interests of the organization and members can be duly considered and incorporated in the final report before any future deliberations or decisions by Council.

During this member meeting, AAG staff will:

The special meeting will remain open for the 60-day comment period, during which AAG staff will update the draft to reflect any changes or alternate views. At the end of the comment period, the report will be finalized and sent to Council for further consideration.

AAG is committed to principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion outlined in the JEDI strategic plan and adopted by the organization in 2020. AAG is also opposed to both Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. We are, first and foremost, dedicated to creating venues for discussion of academic ideas and journals to host peer-reviewed papers.

Please join us on October 3rd to learn more about this transparent and inclusive process. More details about how to attend the meeting will be shared a few days prior to the event. Your participation in this process will help ensure that the AAG Council, the governing body for AAG, has all the necessary information and perspectives to make future decisions related to this issue.