On Tuesday, 26 May 2015, 11:13, "Chamberlain, Kerry" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Click to view this email in a browser
|
| |
|
| | | | |
| | | | |
|
|
|
In the wake of the most recent revelations that senior executives at the APA colluded with the CIA and Bush Administration in support of torture, now is a critical time for us to demonstrate widespread solidarity. Let's demand real transparency and accountability at the APA, a comprehensive exploration into how this superlative breach of professional ethics came to be normalized at the top levels of our profession, and a sincere and open process of institutional reform in order to restore public trust in psychologists.
APA has commissioned an independent investigation of allegations the organization was complicit in the CIA’s torture program. But there are indications the report arising from this investigation, the Hoffman report, might be held by APA in secrecy for internal review for an extended period. We must not let this occur.
Here are 2 small things you can do today:
1) Sign this petition on Change.org : http://tinyurl.com/krx3c5b. The petition is titled, "Release to the public and to Congress, immediately upon its completion, the Hoffman report investigating APA complicity with the Bush administration’s torture program." All, not just psychologists, are asked to sign this petition (See full content below)
2) Share the below Open Letter From Academics (and other prominent individuals) with your academic colleagues and kindly ask them to sign. Deans, department chairs, presidents of organizations, politicians, and other well-known individuals are especially needed. If you will sign the letter, please send your information to [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask], including: Name,Degree,Title/Affiliation, and Email.
Please distribute both the petition and Open Letter to anyone who you think might be interested and appropriate to sign. Thanks so much for your support and action.
Sincerely,
Yosef Brody
President
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
1) Petition Content:
We are calling for transparency, accountability, and reform at the APA, the world’s largest organization of psychologists. The APA should fully commit to holding accountable anyone that the Hoffman report deems responsible for complicity with the Bush torture program.
We also, in solidarity with the Psychologists for Social Responsibility, call for the formation of a distinguished panel of experts in psychological, research, and medical ethics; organizational dynamics; and international law. This panel should be appointed by an independent and authoritative body in order to ensure thoroughgoing reform.
We further call, following Robert Jay Lifton, for “a proper confrontation” (in a legal context) of how the use of torture became legitimated among professional psychologists at the highest level of government. We demand a complete account of how this use of torture evolved and was rationalized at every level; and of how we as a nation can confront our participation in violating human rights; and how we may begin to move forward in an ethical way.
The public turns to psychologists for healing; the APA must act to restore public trust. We stand with Hippocrates. We stand against the misuse and abuse of power by helping professionals.
For more information, see http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/01/us/report-says-american-psychological-association-collaborated-on-torture-justification.html
Sign this petition: http://tinyurl.com/krx3c5b
2) Letter Content:
Nadine Kaslow, Ph.D.
Chair, Special Committee
American Psychological Association
750 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Dear Dr. Kaslow,
We, the undersigned, are writing to you in your capacity as Chair of the Special Committee appointed to coordinate with Mr. David Hoffman regarding his independent review of allegations that the American Psychological Association (APA) was complicit with the CIA and White House in furtherance of the Bush administration’s torture program. We respectfully and unequivocally call upon the APA to release the report being prepared by Mr. Hoffman to Congress and to the public, immediately upon its receipt by the APA.
It is our understanding that the APA intends for the Hoffman investigation report first to be received and reviewed by your Special Committee, followed by Board review, and finally by review by the Council of Representatives before the report is made available to the public. While such a process may be understandable in ordinary circumstances where the Board can be assumed to be impartial and the matter is primarily of in-house concern, the current circumstances are far from ordinary, impartiality cannot be assumed, and the matter is very much a public, and perhaps government, concern.
Indeed, evidence in a report published April 30, 2015 in the New York Times suggests that the APA’s complicity involved at least six senior staff members up to the Deputy CEO, and several past and current members of the Board of Directors. If these charges are substantiated, this would raise serious questions about the culpability of the APA’s CEO and Board, and at a minimum represent a profound failure in their oversight responsibilities. Given the serious concerns about the APA’s previous lack of transparency regarding these allegations, failure to release the report upon its completion will further undermine trust in the integrity of the APA and in its ability to represent the profession of psychology. We note that Senator Dianne Feinstein and members of the intelligence community have already expressed concerns about allegations in the report published in the New York Times. Sen. Feinstein is on record as saying, “I understand an independent review has been commissioned by the APA and look forward to reviewing its conclusions. This is a stark reminder that torture can corrode every institution it touches, including medical and psychological professions.”
Given the vital importance of Mr. Hoffman’s investigation, the need for transparent accountability, and the likelihood of necessary reparative actions in response to his report, we consider it essential that the APA release the report to Congress and to the public immediately upon its completion. This is a matter of grave concern not only for the APA and its members, but also for the psychological profession, the health professions as a whole and the broader public. Failure to do so will only have the appearance of further delay, concealment, and obfuscation and will perpetuate harm already done to the APA and the psychology profession.
***www.psysr.org ***
Renew Your Membership Today!:www.psysr.org/renew
|
|
| |
|
| If you no longer wish to receive emails from PsySR, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe |
| Psychologists for Social Responsibility
122 S. Michigan Avenue
National Louis University, c/o Brad Olson
Chicago, Illinois 60603
US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy. |
| | |
<!--#yiv2697106889 _filtered #yiv2697106889 {font-family:"MS Gothic";panose-1:2 11 6 9 7 2 5 8 2 4;} _filtered #yiv2697106889 {font-family:"MS Gothic";panose-1:2 11 6 9 7 2 5 8 2 4;} _filtered #yiv2697106889 {font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} _filtered #yiv2697106889 {font-family:"Trebuchet MS";panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4;} _filtered #yiv2697106889 {panose-1:2 11 6 9 7 2 5 8 2 4;}#yiv2697106889 #yiv2697106889 p.yiv2697106889MsoNormal, #yiv2697106889 li.yiv2697106889MsoNormal, #yiv2697106889 div.yiv2697106889MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", "serif";}#yiv2697106889 a:link, #yiv2697106889 span.yiv2697106889MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv2697106889 a:visited, #yiv2697106889 span.yiv2697106889MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv2697106889 p {margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", "serif";}#yiv2697106889 span.yiv2697106889EmailStyle20 {font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#7030A0;}#yiv2697106889 .yiv2697106889MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;} _filtered #yiv2697106889 {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#yiv2697106889 div.yiv2697106889WordSection1 {}-->
******************************************************
You are currently subscribed to the mailing list for the
International Society of Critical Health Psychology.
To mail to the list, send a message
To: [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe from this list send a message
To: [log in to unmask]
with the following in either the subject or the body of your email:
UNSUBSCRIBE ISCHP <your email address>
If you know someone who would like to subscribe to this list, advise
them to send a message
To: [log in to unmask]
with the following in either the subject or body of your email:
SUBSCRIBE ISCHP
End
___________________________________
The list is jointly managed by David Fryer [log in to unmask] and Grant Jeffrey [log in to unmask], either of whom are able to deal with queries.
To unsubscribe or to change your details on this COMMUNITYPSYCHUK list, visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
