At the conclusion of over 10 years of distinguished effort, APA recognizes the past participants of the Ethics Committee/Ethnic Psychological Associations’ Joint Ethics Initiative (Initiative) for their outstanding contributions to psychology at the intersection of ethics and culture. This Initiative supported intensive programming that provided a supportive platform for EPA participants to voice how the APA Ethics Code posed challenges to culturally—informed practice within their communities. It significantly and meaningfully contributed to national awareness and understanding of the unique challenges diversity and culture pose to ethical practice. The work of the EPA participants led the Ethics Committee, when launching the revision process to create a transformational new Ethics Code for APA, to emphasize the fundamental importance of culture and diversity in ethics, and the need to include collectivist, as well as individualistic, viewpoints.
Following a request made by the Society of Indian Psychologists in 2011 to support their efforts to offer feedback on the APA Code via a Commentary, the Ethics Committee established the initiative with the APA Board of Directors’ support. The committee requested that Linda M. Forrest, EdD, the off-going Ethics Committee chair, continue to participate as liaison to provide encouragement and assistance to the initiative. The Initiative provided a podium for psychologists working within communities of color; offered thought-provoking, critical guidance to psychologists in the field seeking to become more culturally aware; and demonstrated the important of grounding APA’s Ethics Code in a culturally-inclusive framework. As a result of their commitment to the Initiative, EPA members and, in recent years, the Ethics Committee chair or member(s), presented culturally-informed ethical perspectives at APA’s annual convention to provide necessary guidance to psychologists working across diverse ethnic and cultural communities.
A list of the past participants of the initiative, as well as their EPA, are listed on the APA Ethics Office webpages and attached to this citation. In the future, an archive containing their work will be added as a resource for others regarding the intersection of ethics and culture.
The leadership by the past participants in the Ethics Committee/Ethnic Psychological Associations’ Joint Ethics Initiative is an exemplary illustration of their commitment to fostering ethical discourse and decision-making that reflects cultural values and competence. In recognition of their commitment and work with the Initiative at the intersection of ethics and culture, it is with great pleasure that I, Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD, 2021 APA president, honor the past participants of their initiative with this Presidential Citation.