ABOUT ARNA

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MISSION

The mission of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA) is to provide a collegial, practice-oriented, and professional development space where practitioners and students of action research across the Americas can come together to share ideas and develop initiatives that will strengthen the position of action and participatory research in the diversity of communities around the globe.

ARNA was initially organized in 2012 by five “action research network initiators” with a vision to support and promote a wide variety of forms of participatory research that would be shared to increase and honor the wide diversity of knowledge production, knowledge dissemination and knowledge democracy for critical, social, educational and environmental issues in the Americas and beyond.

ARNA is a professional membership-based organization whose members are committed to taking action locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to promote action research that is conducted with a commitment to honesty, integrity, inclusiveness, multi-vocality, engagement and achievement within sustainable democratic societies.

VISION

  • Thus, we envision multiple layers of collaborative action where
    Local action research efforts improve professional practice, leading to a
    demonstrable greater good for all participants in our community;
    Practitioner inquiries, where appropriate, are coordinated and celebrated
    across regions, extending the benefits of the inquiry to wider constituencies;
  • Action research methodologies are respected as culturally activated voices;
  • These action research methodologies and findings are shared within and between nations to
    form openly accessible data bases of practitioner inquiries and to inform
    policy decisions;
  • Action researchers from diverse points of the Americas and around the world come together both virtually and physically to share action research methodologies and findings and help one another in promoting local, regional, national, and international agendas supporting all respected action and participatory forms of research.

VALUES

In our efforts to engage in meaningful cycles of observation, reflection, action, and
public presentation, we affirm our commitment to the values of:

  • Honesty in sharing what we have learned with wider audiences;
  • Integrity in gathering and analyzing data;
  • Inclusiveness so that all may benefit from action research efforts;
  • Multi-vocality of diverse participants and their unique perspectives;
  • Engagement of multiple stakeholders in the research process;
  • Achievement and/or enhanced professional role;
  • Sustainability of limited and renewable human and material resources;
  • Democracy as an imperfect but preferable choice to guide inclusive decision-making.

HISTORY

ARNA was initially organized in 2012 by five “network initiators” with a vision to support and promote a wide variety of forms of participatory research that would be shared to increase knowledge production, knowledge dissemination and knowledge democracy for critical, social, educational and environmental issues in the Americas and beyond.

As we move forward, we will use this site to document the history of ARNA. Check out some of our previous conference information.

» View Reports from Past Conferences

2020-2025 Strategic Priorities & Initiatives

 The ARNA Executive Committee and Coordinating Group approved the following strategic priorities and initiatives to guide the future direction of the network over the next five years led by the following ARNA members.

Strategic Priority #1
Through the use of action research-based knowledge mobilization, position ARNA as a global leader in exploring democratized knowledge production as a basis for public discourse and public policy and as a core contributor to shaping a 21st century progressive political agenda that is inclusive and humanistic.

  • Initiative 1A: Develop ARNA KMb action plan in support based on Strategic Priority #1 and implement a minimum of two phases of the plan.
  • Initiative 1B: Redesign and reenergize the knowledge democracy website (https://knowledgedemocracy.org), with a clear and active link between this website and arnawebsite.org, and produce updates and reports for the knowledge democracy website that highlight work on Strategic Priority #1.
  • Initiative 1C: Encourage Develop multi-network support and involvement and a joint proposal for a 2nd Global Assembly for Knowledge Democracy to be convened by 2025.

Strategic Priority #2
Realign annual conference structure with ARNA mission, vision, and strategic priority #1, providing expanded opportunities for virtual participation across the Americas and around the world in the leading action research organization of the western hemisphere.

  • Initiative 2A: Revise master conference template.
  • Initiative 2B: Create Conference Advisory Committee.
  • Initiative 2C: Develop increasingly more effective virtual conference experience.

Strategic Priority #3
Expand ARNA western hemisphere active membership to 250+ members with greater ongoing participation in action research communities (ARCs), Proceedings publications, on-site and virtual annual conference participation, and other ARNA sponsored events.

  • Initiative 3A: Grow Latin American membership base with Puerto Vallarta project.
  • Initiative 3B: Grow North American membership base with link to Montreal.
  • Initiative 3C: Expand Sponsorship opportunities for growing membership base.

Strategic Priority #4
Develop increased capacity for internal institutional leadership, providing expanded opportunities and planned mentorship via ARCs, Proceedings Committee, Conference Planning, and new ARNA initiatives.

  • Initiative 4A: Enhance active ARCs.
  • Initiative 4B: Recruit additional editorial and conference planning leaders.
  • Initiative 4C: Identify strategic planning priority and initiative chairs.

KEY INITIATIVES

For 2015-16 ARNA will continue to develop a number of key initiatives. As new members become active in ARNA’s working groups, new initiatives also will emerge.

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION

ARNA is committed to engagement with a variety of strategies for knowledge engagement to bridge gaps between research, policy and practice in crucial social domains. Our work includes:

  • Continuing the development of the ARNA family of websites, in particular increasing the movement of action research into active use in education, youth work, and human services in general
  • Producing the first e-Proceedings from an ARNA conference (the 2014 Conference) and developing plans for the publication of proceedings for ARNA 2015
  • Establishing exploratory committee for bilingual Journal of Action Research in theAmericas

MULTI-VOCALITY

ARNA recognizes that ‘voice’ in action research is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Based on that recognition, ARNA is committed to:

  • Continuing to build capacity for inclusivity in relationship to using the languages of the Americas in ARNA conferences, special events, and publications
  • Practicing solidarity in relationship to diverse forms of knowledge production and mobilization, including practitioner-research, participatory research, youth participatory action research, etc.
  • Holding ARNA’s annual conference in diverse regions of the Americas
  • Beginning to explore the diversity of perspectives among ARNA members regarding applications of action research and participatory research in relationship to the  challenging socio-political and geo-political issues of our times.

THE ACTION RESEARCH COMMUNITY OF ARNA -- THE ARC

We understand that our network is stronger when members feel engaged and when our work is approached through collaboration and the sharing of common interests. In that regard, ARNA recognizes the importance of:

  •  Nurturing good working relations for all tasks and assignments
  • Assisting all members who wish to be active with finding avenues for involvement
  • Continuing to develop the network’s capacity for community building among action researchers across the Americas, including recruiting new members to ARNA
  • Increasing the quality of communications amongst ARNA members but also the level of communication as outreach to members of the wider action research community

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Leadership Structure. ARNA participation has grown and we believe that a structure is now needed that allows for more input on the network’s operations and more engagement with the ARNA Strategic Priorities. In that context, a two-tier leadership structure has been developed.

The ARNA Executive Committee shall consist of 5-members who meet monthly. The group’s composition shall include:
  1. The ARNA Chair
  2. The ARNA Treasurer
  3. The Chair of the Members, Sponsorships, and Affiliations Working Group
  4. The Chair of the Knowledge Mobilization Working Group
  5. The Chair of the Web Development & Technology Working Group

The ARNA Coordinating Group shall consist of the following members who meet every other month:

  1. The 5 members of the ARNA Executive Committee (listed above)
  2. At least one of the upcoming conference co-chairs
  3. One member active in working groups formed by members with an interest in particular areas of practice related to action research (e.g. Early Childhood Education Working Group and School Counseling Working Group) and selected through an annual election among ARNA members
  4. A representative from the ARNA en Español Working Group
  5. An AERA Action Research SIG Liaison
  6. The CARN representative to ARNA
  7. The Editor of the Canadian Journal of Actioin Research
  8. One non-chair member of an operational working group, selected through an election among ARNA members

ARNA Constitution (rev. Sept 2018)

Please click below to download the ARNA Constitution (draft) for review.

» ARNA-ConstituciónBorrador_ESP_Sept2018.docx

» ARNA-ConstituciónBorrador_Portugues_Sept2018.docx

» ARNA-ConstitutionDraft_ENG_Sept2018.docx

» ARNA-ConstitutionDraft_French_Sept2018.docx