Dear fellows,
I agree that a statement would be a signal of our position towards the
facts, both as community psychologists and as individuals. If research
is still a socially relevant profession (living in Italy it happens to
doubt it), as researchers, dealing with people and the globalized
society, we have to take a stand and assert ourselves.
Moreover, we have to be aware of what is going on, not only at
present, but framing the present in the historical process. This means
considering that: "Europe for centuries was the most savage place in
the world. The level of savagery was so extraordinary that they
developed both the means and the culture to conquer the world. And a
large part of the reason for the savagery was the attempt to impose
the nation-state, which is extremely unnatural; it breaks up people
who have natural connections, it imposes unity on people who are not
unified, whether by language or culture or anything else. It takes a
lot of violence and brutality to impose a rigid frame on complex,
fluid organisms like human societies."
Noam Chomsky in Rabbani M., "Reflections on a Lifetime of Engagement
with Zionism, the Palestine Question, and American Empire: An
Interview with Noam Chomsky and Mouin Rabbani", Journal of Palestine
Studies, Vol 41, no. 3 (Spring 2012), p. 92.
(http://www.palestine-studies.org/journals.aspx?id=11394&jid=1&href=fulltext)
So, in taking a stand on the issue, it's foundamental not blaming only
Israelis, but considering the political responsibilities of
International Peace Corps, european and non-european countries:
"Demonstrating their passionate “yearning for democracy,” the US and
Israel, backed by the timid European Union, at once imposed a brutal
siege, along with intensive military attacks." See more on:
http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20121104.htm.
I'm quoting Chomsky a lot for the efficacy of his words, of course you
can find many more witnesses, journalists and reporters.
I consider the following particularly clear:
“The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas.
It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about
achieving peace.
The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use
lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless
civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to
ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.
Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb
densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and
slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no
navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no
command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it
is murder.
When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to
defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any
military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are
crushing. You can’t defend yourself when you’re militarily occupying
someone else’s land. That’s not defense. Call it what you like, it’s
not defense.”
(http://antiwar.com/blog/2012/11/18/it-is-not-a-war-it-is-murder/)
Sorry for making it so long. I am ready for a statement.
Hope to hear more from the group.
ANNA ZOLI, PhD Europaeus
Human Sciences - Behavior and Social Relations Sciences
Dep. of Political Sciences, Communication and International Relations
University of Macerata, Italy
Fellowship 2013 at York St. John University, Faculty of Health & Life
Sciences, York, UK
Phone: 0039 349 0707889
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Citando Mark Burton <[log in to unmask]>:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 9:32 PM
> Subject: GAZA
>
> This is what we said in 2009 when Gaza's civilians were being bombed
> by the occupying power.
> http://compsy.org.uk/Position%20statements%20and%20media%20releases.html
>
> It's happening again.
> More than 100 dead.
> Hospitals damaged.
> Families cowering in fear.
> Many many homeless.
> And the blockade means a shortage of medicines and other vital supplies.
> Warships shelling Gaza and rockets landing without warning. 80% of
> Gaza's population are refugees or their descendants.
> Confined in a small area - probably the most crowded on earth.
> There are no smart bombs - always collateral damage.
> The Nakba goes on.
> Beyond the deaths and wounds, imagine the psychological damage.
> BBC as usual giving biased reporting.
> Don't believe me - read this from the mainstream Independent
> http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-true-gaza-backstory-that-the-israelis-arent-telling-this-week-9596120.html
> Are community psychologists up for making another statement and
> getting maximum publicity and traction for it?
>
>
> From: Mark Burton
>
> Scholar-Activist.
>
> Visiting Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University
>
> 37 Chandos Rd South Chorlton Manchester M21 0TH, UK
> Telephones:
> +44 (0)161 881 6887 landline
> +44 (0)777 594 9479 mobile
> skype name: markburton52
>
> http://steadystatemanchester.net Steady State Manchester
>
> http://libpsy.org Liberation Psychology Network
>
> http://www.compsy.org.uk Community Psychology UK
>
> http://uncommontater.net personal blog including information on my
> publications
>
> http://houghendhall.org Friends of Hough End Hall
>
> ___________________________________
> There is a twitter feed: http://twitter.com/CommPsychUK (to post
> contact Grant [log in to unmask]
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>
Anna Zoli
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