11.03.2017.

1999StatementonHumanRights

1947StatementonHumanRights
1999StatementonHumanRights

1999StatementonHumanRights
DeclarationonAnthropologyandHumanRightsCommitteeforHumanRightsAmerican
AnthropologicalAssociation

AdoptedbytheAAAmembershipJune1999

ThisDeclarationonAnthropologyandHumanRightsdefinesthebasisfortheinvolvementoftheAmerican
AnthropologicalAssociation,and,moregenerally,oftheprofessionofAnthropologyinhumanrights.
CommentsandqueriesfrommembersregardingtheDeclarationscontentarewelcome.

Preamble

Thecapacityforcultureistantamounttothecapacityforhumanity.Cultureisthepreconditionforthe
realizationofthiscapacitybyindividuals,andinturndependsonthecooperativeeffortsofindividualsforits
creationandreproduction.Anthropologyscumulativeknowledgeofhumancultures,andofhumanmental
andphysicalcapacitiesacrossallpopulations,types,andsocialgroups,atteststotheuniversalityofthe
humancapacityforculture.Thisknowledgeentailsanethicalcommitmenttotheequalopportunityofall
cultures,societies,andpersonstorealizethiscapacityintheirculturalidentitiesandsociallives.However,
theglobalenvironmentisfraughtwithviolencewhichisperpetratedbystatesandtheirrepresentatives,
corporations,andotheractors.Thatviolencelimitsthehumanityofindividualsandcollectives.

Anthropologyasaprofessioniscommittedtothepromotionandprotectionoftherightofpeopleand
peopleseverywheretothefullrealizationoftheirhumanity,whichistosaytheircapacityforculture.When
anycultureorsocietydeniesorpermitsthedenialofsuchopportunitytoanyofitsownmembersorothers,
theAmericanAnthropologicalAssociationhasanethicalresponsibilitytoprotestandopposesuch
deprivation.ThisimpliesstartingfromthebaselineoftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsand
associatedimplementinginternationallegislation,butalsoexpandingthedefinitionofhumanrightsto
includeareasnotnecessarilyaddressedbyinternationallaw.Theseareasincludecollectiveaswellas
individualrights,cultural,social,andeconomicdevelopment,andacleanandsafeenvironment.

DeclarationonAnthropologyandHumanRights

TheAmericanAnthropologicalAssociationhasdevelopedaDeclarationthatwebelievehasuniversal
relevance:

Peopleandgroupshaveagenericrighttorealizetheircapacityforculture,andtoproduce,
reproduceandchangetheconditionsandformsoftheirphysical,personalandsocialexistence,
solongassuchactivitiesdonotdiminishthesamecapacitiesofothers.Anthropologyasan
academicdisciplinestudiesthebasesandtheformsofhumandiversityandunityanthropology
asapracticeseekstoapplythisknowledgetothesolutionofhumanproblems.

Asaprofessionalorganizationofanthropologists,theAAAhaslongbeen,andshouldcontinue
tobe,concernedwheneverhumandifferenceismadethebasisforadenialofbasichuman
rights,wherehumanisunderstoodinitsfullrangeofcultural,social,linguistic,psychological,
andbiologicalsenses.

Thus,theAAAfoundsitsapproachonanthropologicalprinciplesofrespectforconcretehumandifferences,
bothcollectiveandindividual,ratherthantheabstractlegaluniformityofWesterntradition.Inpractical
terms,however,itsworkingdefinitionbuildsontheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights(UDHR),the
InternationalCovenantsonCivilandPoliticalRights,andonSocial,Economic,andCulturalRights,the
ConventionsonTorture,Genocide,andEliminationofAllFormsofDiscriminationAgainstWomen,and
othertreatieswhichbringbasichumanrightswithintheparametersofinternationalwrittenandcustomary
lawandpractice.TheAAAdefinitionthusreflectsacommitmenttohumanrightsconsistentwith
http://humanrights.americananthro.org/1999statementonhumanrights/ 1/2
11.03.2017. 1999StatementonHumanRights

internationalprinciplesbutnotlimitedbythem.Humanrightsisnotastaticconcept.Ourunderstandingof
humanrightsisconstantlyevolvingaswecometoknowmoreaboutthehumancondition.Itistherefore
incumbentonanthropologiststobeinvolvedinthedebateonenlargingourunderstandingofhumanrightson
thebasisofanthropologicalknowledgeandresearch.

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