I think we can all campaign as citizens and political activists on the
Israeli blitzkreig (and continual rights abuses in Palestine). With
regard to what we can do as psychologists, you'll see that I've sent a
link on the role of psychologists in the use of torture in occupied
Guantánamo bay. What is happeninng in the UK military, does anyone know
if there are any parallel military uses of psychology by this country?
I remember back in the 70s a group of psychologists and others did a
very effective exposé of the use of psychological methods in Northern
Ireland/6 counties.
Maybe the is is the time to update some of this work. Maybe the CP list
isn't he best place to do this, but as someone remarked (David I think)
- at least this is a placce where such ideas can be aired to a
sympathetic audience.
Mark
David Fryer wrote:
> Dear Annie,
>
> Thanks for raising again on this list concern about the current
> situation 'in the Middle East'. Personally, I would be very interested
> in collectively thinking more "about how we could act together as
> community psychologists".
>
> Like all list members I too am appalled by every loss of life, limb or
> hope - whoever is involved and wherever it happens but as a UK citizen I
> am especially appalled by the position taken by my Government on my
> behalf in relation the events to which you refer. I feel UK and US
> complicity is responsible for increased destructiveness than there would
> otherwise be. However although I feel appalled and relatively powerless,
> I do have a position of sorts, as a citizen, in relation to 'these
> events': this includes regarding the government I helped elect as having
> repeatedly betrayed core values central for me to its relatively
> progressive heritage. I also have some sense of how to act as a
> citizen: campaigning politically against the re-election of a government
> which has repeatedly betrayed its principles by waging unjust wars.
>
> Weak though this may be, when it comes to thinking and acting as a
> community psychologist I am less sure where I stand. What would
> constitute community psychological action in relation to these events?
> Indeed what would constitute a community psychological analysis in
> relation to these events?
>
> I do have critical reservations about what I see other psychologists
> doing. For example, I am uncomfortable with the statement from
> Psychologists for Social Responsibility because it seems to me that
> reference to the "violations of the human rights of children and their
> families on all sides due to the current violence in Gaza , Israel , and
> Lebanon" is a 'motherhood and apple pie' type statement hard to disagree
> with which (1) by using the term "human rights" sanitises the horrific
> nature of the indiscriminate murder, maiming and destructive terror
> underway hour by hour; (2) glosses over the vastly disproportionate
> power, capacity and actuality of violence of those involved; and (3) by
> referring to the locus of violence as 'Gaza, Israel and Lebanon'
> decontextualises the nexus of destructive forces and deemphasises the
> involvement of the bigger powers around the world in the 'corners' of
> the protagonists. As for the ceasefire campaign, (whose website my
> University based browser will not visit) I have little confidence in the
> effectiveness of email (or any) petitions after the way the mass
> demonstrations around the world by many millions of people were totally
> ignored and an antipathy towards what is really just another form of
> chain letter.
>
> So, I would be very interested in anything you or anyone else has to say
> about whether we should act together as community psychologists and -
> assuming we should - how should we do so?
>
> David
>
> David Fryer
> Community Psychology Group
> University of Stirling
> FK9 4LA
> Scotland
> +44 (0) 1786 467650 (tel)
> +44 (0) 1786 467641 (fax)
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Annie Mitchell
> Sent: 09 August 2006 11:33 pm
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] FW: Middle East
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> If, like many of us, you are concerned about the current situation in
> the middle east you might want to find ways to publicise the
> following statement from Psychologists for Social Responsibility
> (http://www.psysr.org/) eg forward to your MP or others:
>
>
>
> "Psychologists for Social Responsibility opposes the
> grievous and unlawful violations of the human rights
> of children and their families on all sides due to the
> current violence in Gaza , Israel , and Lebanon . The psychology of war
> and peace clearly indicates that continued violence in the Middle East
> is likely to beget new cycles of violence. For these reasons, an
> immediate ceasefire is a humanitarian necessity. Ceasing the violence
> now could open new options for all parties to the conflicts to address
> the underlying problems in more effective, non-violent ways. We urge the
> US Congress and President Bush to exert every effort in the United
> Nations and in every other possible public and private forum to help
> secure an immediate ceasefire on all sides. "
>
> and/ or you could sign and forward the following petition from the
> cease fire campaign .
>
>
>>
>> Dear friends, Right now a tragedy is unfolding in
>> the Middle East. Thousands of innocent civilians
>> have been killed or wounded in the bombings in
>> Lebanon, Palestine and Israel and the death toll is
>> rising every day. If the US, Syria or Iran get
>> involved, there is a chance of a catastrophic larger
>> war. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called
>> for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of international troops
>> to the Israel-Lebanon border, and been strongly supported by almost
>> every world leader. This is the best proposal yet to stop the
>> violence, but the US, the UK, and Israel have
>> refused to accept it. I have just signed a petition
>> calling on US President Bush, UK Prime Minister
>> Blair, and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to support
>> Kofi Annan's proposal. If millions of people join
>> this call, and we advertise our views in newspapers
>> in the US, UK, and Israel, we can help pressure
>> these leaders to stop the fighting. Go to the link
>> below and sign up now!
>>
>
>
>
>> http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org
>>
>
> And/ or maybe we would wish to join together in some way to issue a
> statement as UK community psychologists? Do others have any thoughts/
> suggestions about how we could act together as community psychologists?
>
>
>
> Annie
>
>
>
>
> ___________________________________________________________
>
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