Announcing a New Specialty Group at AAG: Critical Islands, Archipelagos, and Oceans (CIAO)

From CIAO founding members Meagan Harden, Marina Karides (Chair), Neha Kohli, and Emily Mitchell-Eaton

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the AAG’s newest specialty group, Critical Islands, Archipelagos, and Oceans (CIAO). CIAO is a scholarly and activist community committed to advancing the study of islands, archipelagos, and oceans as lived spaces and geographic forms enabling for critical thought. In the present moment of environmental injustice, capitalist failure, and the enduring realities of colonialism that work to divide us, we are dedicated to building solidarities across—and through—oceanic space.

CIAO’S vision

We envision CIAO as a dynamic space for geographers, Islanders, and others committed to social justice to convene in the co-creation of knowledge specific to islands, archipelagos, and oceans. In this spirit, we invite diverse perspectives that adopt a critical lens to interrogate the following topics:

• Migration, mobility, and transoceanic networks
• Archipelagic relationalities
• Indigenous sovereignty
• Island economies
• Oceanic borders, territorialities, and governance
• Responses to climate change
• Militarism and militarization
• Island feminism and island-based social movements
• Indigenous futurisms

These topics are starting points rather than constraints and we welcome scholarly engagement beyond these themes.

CIAO’S activities

Upon joining CIAO, members can look forward to the following activities:

• Virtual and in-person networking opportunities
• Professional development and peer mentoring
• Student travel grants
• Awards for outstanding papers and creative scholarship
• Conference activities at the AAG Annual Meeting including paper/panel sessions, social gatherings, and organized field trips.
• At AAG 2026, CIAO will sponsor:
  • A session titled “Island Feminisms: Anti-racist and Decolonial Scholar-Activist Solidarities for Social and Environmental Justice/Feminismos isleños: solidaridades antirracistas y decoloniales entre académicas/os activistas por la justicia social y ambiental”
  • A panel
  • Any relevant sessions that AAG members suggest!

CIAO’S commitments

As a Specialty Group that explicitly recognizes the colonial legacy of the geography discipline, as well as the myriad ways that academia reinforces social, political, and economic inequalities, CIAO is committed to building an inclusive space safe from discrimination and violence. In addition to the professional benefits of CIAO membership, CIAO is committed to:

• Celebrating and amplifying the voices of Islander and coastal communities; Indigenous peoples, women, people of color, and other marginalized communities
• Upholding academic freedom within CIAO activities;
• Facilitating transparent and accountable governance; and
• Aligning with the AAG’s ethics of care for creating safe space at AAG Meetings, its Statement of Professional Ethics, and Professional Conduct Policies and Procedures

Join CIAO today

We warmly invite all geographers conducting critical work on islands, archipelagos, and oceans to join the CIAO community.

1. Go to  aag.org and log in.
2. From My AAG Dashboard, click on the red “Add a Group” link in the My Communities section.
3. Review your current groups, then click the grey “Continue” button in the lower right.
4. When the Specialty Groups list appears (it may take a minute), check the box next to “Critical Islands, Archipelagos, and Oceans,” then click “Continue.”
5. Continue through the Affinity Groups and Communities of Practice screens until you reach your Shopping Cart, then proceed to Checkout. Fees are $20 for regular members and $5 for students.
6. Once payment is complete, you’ll see a confirmation message. Allow up to 15 minutes for your dashboard to update. If the update doesn’t appear, try logging out and back in—or use a private browser window to clear any caching issues.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected].

We are so excited to host this new space, and we can’t wait to build the CIAO community with you!