ITAA GUIDELINES FOR
NOMINATIONS AND GRANTING OF
THE ROBERT AND MARY GOULDING SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AWARD:

The Robert and Mary Goulding Social Justice Award is established to give recognition to persons who have broadened the application of Transactional Analysis through their teaching, training, writing and/or direct professional work in the promotion of social justice. The nominee will have advanced through professional work and personal modeling the core principles of Redecision theory: self-determination; personal responsibility; direct action and affirming relationships. The nominee will have contributed, in their own way, by any or many of the following: disclosing unfairness, challenging injustices, protecting unfair practices, confronting perpetrators, questioning values that support injustice, enabling understanding and respect, encouraging equalitarian values, facilitating awareness of institutionalized injustices, funding social movements and even mounting public protests.

Nominations for the Robert and Mary Goulding Social Justice Award hereafter RMGSJA) are to be considered annually by the Executive Committee of ITAA or to such committee as they may appoint. The RMGSJA need not be presented each year, and in the event of more than one equally qualified nominee, the Board may make a multiple award at their discretion. The award will be presented at the annual conference of the International Transactional Analysis Association, except for those years in which the committee votes to not grant the award. The award will consist of a plaque, and/or a lifetime membership in ITAA.

2. SPECIFIC NOMINATION CRITERIA:

1. Any member of ITAA in good standing may nominate any person to receive the RMGSJA and preference will be given to nominees who are or have been members of ITAA in good standing.
2. The activities to promote social justice shall primarily have taken place while the nominee was a member of ITAA. The Award Committee may consider nominations where the nominee was not a member of ITAA during those activities or is not currently a member of ITAA due to unusual circumstances. Those circumstances would be primarily financial (perhaps a sacrifice related to their humanitarian activities) and would exclude any reason, which would otherwise prevent the nominee from being a member in current good standing.
3. The nomination itself should include a description of the nominee's background and specific meritorious contributions. Material that supports the nominee's activities, such as news articles or other publications, notices or awards from other organizations, and/or the nominee's vita should be included. Supporting materials should demonstrate a convincing pattern of notable and enduring activities and contributions, or a most noteworthy single achievement. Any evidence supporting noteworthy personal sacrifice or risk to achieve social justice should also be included with the nomination.
4. It is not a requirement that the nominee have either previously been recognized for their efforts to achieve social justice, nor that he/she be well known in the ITAA organization.

3. NOMINATION PROCEDURES:

1. The Executive Committee of ITAA or their designate (hereafter called the Award Committee) will publish a call for the Robert and Mary Goulding Social Justice Award at least one year prior to the annual ITAA conference at which the award is to be given. The Call for Nominations will be published in the Transactional Analysis Journal, The Script, as well as in other TA journals and newsletters so that all members will have an opportunity to respond. It will include a brief description of the criteria for the award and the supporting materials that must be submitted for consideration.
2. Additionally, members of the Executive Committee may directly encourage nominations by and for members who might not otherwise respond to a published Call for Nominations.
3. To be considered for a nomination, the following information and materials must be submitted, in written English and in electronic form (Microsoft Word or PDF), by the individuals, groups or organizations making a nomination to the Robert and Mary Goulding Social Justice Award Committee in care of the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than January 1:
   1. Name of Nominee
   2. A detailed description of the nature of the activities to be honored, as well as a detailed description of any personal sacrifice or risk involved in that undertaking.
   3. Supporting relevant documentation.
   4. The complete name, address and phone numbers of the person(s) making the nomination, whom the Award Committee may contact if additional information or material is required to fully consider the nomination.
4. Notification of the nominee that their name has been submitted for consideration for the Robert and Mary Goulding Social Justice Award is a courtesy on the part of the person(s) making the nomination, but it is not a requirement of the nomination process.
5. The Award Committee may require additional information or documentation from the person(s) making the nomination, prior to considering the nomination for an award. Failure to provide this requested documentation in a timely fashion might result in the nomination being exempted for consideration during that year.