ICAM is committed to the framework of social accountability as outlined in our Guiding Principles. As part of this commitment and to reflect social accountability as a key priority of our congress, an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR) Advisory Group was established. This group is comprised of Canadian and international members representing equity deserving groups and will help shape ICAM as a space to address issues of social justice, fair treatment of persons from structurally marginalized groups and challenge the enterprise of academic medicine to address its responsibilities with respect to social justice.

The role of the ICAM EDI-AR Advisory Group is to advise the ICAM Planning Committee on EDI-AR as related to the congress scientific program, peer review processes, accessibility for diverse participation and on trauma-informed discussion of congress scientific offerings.

Understanding that ICAM needs oversight of its activities with respect to EDI-AR, the group adopt the following principles:

• Nothing about us without us: In processes of congress program design, peer review of submission, priority will be given to voices of persons traditionally excluded from such processes, and, for specific tracks related to the health and health professions education for persons from structurally marginalized groups, will be led by academics from those groups. 
• The centrality of peer review which respects principles of EDI-AR:  Peer review is the central process by which excellence is judged, and those engaging in it must have an understanding of the principles of EDI-AR in assessing the value of new knowledge and contributions. 
• Accessibility for diverse persons’ participation in the conference: ICAM should be maximally accessible to persons from diverse groups, including but not limited to those with disability, and international participants from parts of the world where income may make the cost of attendance prohibited 
• Trauma-informed discussion and debate: Issues discussed within the congress are done so with a high respect for freedom of expression and academic freedom.  The environment of such discussions must be stewarded by all as potentially having participants with direct experiences of the issues being discussed.  Therefore, such discussions must be done in a trauma-informed way. 
• A stance of humility and quality improvement: The congress organizers may not always get it right but commit to having processes of feedback and quality improvement with respect to EDI-AR, within a stance of humility. 

See the Group Membership list.

We would like to thank all the members of this group for their valuable contributions to ICAM. Addressing issues of social justice, fair treatment of persons from structurally marginalized groups, considering equity, respecting diversity and designing inclusive processes are key components to a socially just congress on academic medicine.