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Hi Rachael, I cant speak for others of course and the list archives would reveal the actual posts but in brief, as I recall it, a debate occured after it had been suggested we endorse the second international conference of CP (2iccp) held in Lisbon. (You might recall there was discussion about a logo and the Ken Sprague fish were suggested). I think there were two main sets of considerations debated at the time. First was whether we are 'just' a collection of individual people who happen to have joined a list or whether we constitute some sort of collective entity. Related to this was how any decision could be reached in practice on any given issue given those who post have such diverse positions and the positions of the majority who don't post is unknown. Second was the merit or otherwise of the particular conference which it had been suggested we endorse - one reservation here was whether we might endorse something inconsistent with community critical psychology as we understand it. One fear here was that although called 'international', 2iccp would actually be a marketing event for US community psychology and thus a vehicle for intellectual and cultural colonisation. (Personally I think that fear was largely borne out). I think the situation has moved on since then however. First, many at the Edinburgh UK CP conference seemed to want to moving towards establishing a collective identity for CP in the UK built out of the list. Second, endorsing a European Community Psychology Association Conference in France may be less contentious than the Lisbon meeting. The ECPA has a number of features which might make it attractive to us: you can join it without any credentials in psychology, it has a critical interest group, it has members who speak Spanish and Portuguese who are well versed with the community psychology in central and South America and it already took a collective stand against the involvement of psychologists in torture etc). Personally I am a member of ECPA and whilst of course I have reservations about it in a number of respects I support its activities and I am working for the conference and would be happy if it could be endorsed (even though I argued against the endorsement of 2iccp). However I do think that the list membership very seldom speaks with one voice about anything and that there are currently no satisfactory ways to ensure any decision is collectively endorsed. I am unsure where we go from here but think many of us want to go somewhere!. David ________________________________ From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rachael Fox [[log in to unmask]] Sent: 25 September 2008 09:34 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] European community psychology conference, Paris 2009 Hi David, Can you explain to us a little bit about why people felt it was wrong to endorse the conference at Lisbon (the 2nd International Community Psychology one?) and also whether there might be differences in this European conference – is this conference something we might be more likely to want to endorse in some way or are there more general reasons for not wanting to be ‘partners’? Rachael ________________________________ From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fryer Sent: 24 September 2008 21:22 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] European community psychology conference, Paris 2009 Dear everyone, as mentioned at the Edinburgh UK CP Conference, the ECPA (European Community Psychology Association) will be convening a conference of European Community Psychology in Paris late in 2009. (I am on the organising committee). The local organiser is Thomas Sais of the French Community Psychology Association (Assoc. Française de Psychologie Communautaire). Thomas has emailed me as follows: "In order to be legitimated to the eyes of the potential financers, could you please tell me if your national CP associations (or psychologists' association) would like to be mentioned as "partners" of the congress, without necessarily financing it ? That would be very helpful right now (I'm asking for sponsorships everywhere)." We in the UK do not have a national CP association ... the closest we come to it is the UK CP Network. I am assuming that previous discussion regarding 2iccp at Lisbon has set a precedent for us - as a network or list or whatever - not becoming 'partners' or 'endorsers' but thought I would bring this request to the list anyway, even though it is a trivial matter compared to some issues on which many of us would like to be able to have a collective voice. Anyone disagree that I should reply to Thomas and say that we do not have a body such as national CP association which could legitimately be a partner? Of course whether or not a UK CP association were a partner, CPs from the UK will be very welcome at the conference and I will keep you posted re further details as they emerge David ________________________________ Academic Excellence at the Heart of Scotland. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. ___________________________________ COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK. To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask]) ___________________________________ COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK. To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask]) -- Academic Excellence at the Heart of Scotland. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. ___________________________________ COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK. To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])