The World Anthropological Union (WAU) 2025 Congress, Unearthing Humanity: Critical and Urgent Epistemic Redefinitions in World Anthropologies, stands as a crucial intellectual gathering in an era marked by profound global transformations. As the boundaries of human experience continue to shift under the weight of technological advancements, environmental crises, and sociopolitical upheavals, anthropology is uniquely positioned to engage with the intricate dynamics of cultural, social, and ecological change. The WAU 2025 Congress invites scholars, practitioners, and activists to collectively interrogate and redefine the epistemic foundations of the discipline, addressing the urgent need for inclusive, ethical, and innovative approaches to understanding humanity in its diverse and interconnected forms.

At the heart of the WAU 2025 Congress is a recognition of the uneven power dynamics that have historically shaped anthropological knowledge production. The emphasis on epistemic justice foregrounds the voices of those historically marginalized, advocating for methodologies that dismantle Eurocentric frameworks and integrate pluralistic, indigenous, and localized epistemologies. This endeavor is complemented by critical reflections on the discipline’s colonial legacies, as explored in tracks such as “Decolonizing Methodologies” and “Histories of Anthropology.” By embracing diverse ways of knowing and prioritizing collaborative approaches, the WAU 2025 Congress seeks to not only interrogate the past but to envision a future in which anthropology serves as a tool for global equity and mutual understanding.

Simultaneously, the WAU 2025 Congress highlights the interdisciplinary potential of anthropology in addressing the most pressing challenges of our time. Tracks such as “Anthropology of Climate and Environment” and “Global Challenges and Local Realities” underscore the role of anthropologists in navigating the tensions between global systems and localized experiences, while themes like “Technology and Society” examine the anthropological implications of digital transformation. These discussions, enriched by the diverse perspectives of participants from around the world, aim to expand the discipline’s theoretical and practical horizons. Unearthing Humanity thus calls for a collective reimagining of anthropology’s purpose and possibilities, emphasizing its role as a critical, reflexive, and transformative lens on the human condition.