The ISI leadership issued a statement on Ukraine on 15 March 2022. The statement affirmed that the ISI strongly condemns all military aggression and is committed to supporting professional work of our members. In light of the many uncertainties at that time, the ISI decided to refrain from organising or supporting statistical events in Russia and to put the work of the ISI Eurasian Outreach Committee on hold until further notice. Even then, the reaction from ISI members was mixed. Stephen Penneck, ISI President (2021-2023), summarized the responses in his March 2022 blog: “We have had a number of messages of support, recognising that this would have been a difficult decision. Some members have not been happy, some thinking the statement too weak; others too strong.”
More than two years have passed, and unfortunately, this conflict along with regional conflicts and military brutalities continue to haunt us around the world. Some ISI members have asked whether the ISI needs to respond with a statement to any new significant developments globally. Others have questioned why we have not fully lifted the temporary restrictions the ISI implemented in 2022. These are important questions that require our collective wisdom.
I brought these questions to the ISI Executive Committee in multiple meetings, sought input from the ISI Council, and spoke with several ISI members who hold strong opinions on both sides. While our members have diverging views on whether and how we should react to world events, I would like to focus on the general consensus.
We all agree that the ISI is an independent statistical organisation guided by shared values of professionalism, dedicated to promoting the responsible use of data and statistics for the common good of humanity. Our commitment is to foster a global community of members working together to achieve our common goals.
We recognise that the world faces ongoing geopolitical challenges and human rights debates, and we respect that our individual members are entitled to their own diverse worldviews. As an inclusive professional organisation, the ISI must focus on its shared values and goals to promote quality, innovation, and integrity in the practice of statistics worldwide.
While the ISI condemns all military aggression, regardless of where it occurs, the ISI Executive Committee and the ISI Council have spoken by a clear majority, deciding that future ISI statements will focus on statistical issues only.
Guided by the same principles, the ISI has decided to support the ISI Eurasian Outreach Committee in resuming its work.
I affirm that the ISI supports the excellent statistical work of our members in every part of the world. Let’s lead by setting an example of professional unity, even in turbulent times. Together, we stand to promote statistical science for a better world.
