News Archive 2012
Message for Division 48 Members Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Dear Members of Division 48:
I want to express on behalf of the division leadership our concern and support for everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy. This was truly a most devastating disaster and we know that many of you are still coping with the damaging effects of the storm and all of the hassles that followed. This has been a very painful season for so many people trying to recover from the hurricane and other adversities, and now we are coping with another tragedy in which so many lives were lost in Newtown, Connecticut. Many, and perhaps all of you, have surely been doing all you can to help others while coping with your own losses as well. Along with and alongside those who are most directly affected, members of this division have been donating their time and financial resources to assisting with the storm recovery and the psychological effects that accompany catastrophic events. On behalf of our division I want to recognize your courage and strength, and thank you for all you do to make this world a better place.
Now I want to announce the results of some recent votes held by the Executive committee.
The division leadership have voted to waive the annual dues for all members affected by Hurricane Sandy. Here is the wording of that motion:
I move/propose that we waive dues for individuals in the national disaster areas who were significantly hit by the storms. Members should simply write Linda Heath, our membership chair, asking for a waiver for 2013 (no further verification should be needed or required). The president or EC, as a whole, should send a e-letter to all members expressing our concern and support for members in the affected region.
Linda Health is your Membership Chair and can answer questions about how this works.
The division leadership have voted to create a permanent fund to support future dues waivers related to financial hardship.
Here is the wording of that motion:
I move/propose that we create a permanent fund whereby individuals could write confidentially (again, to the membership chair) if they needed a dues waiver for a year related to financial hardship. This "account" would be funded by donations. We would advertise this fund and regularly encourage individuals to donate so that others may maintain their memberships, even in times of hardship.
Membership Chair, Linda Health, will eventually be able answer questions about how this works.
There are more announcements coming, but since these 2 are related to a time-sensitive issue, I am separating them from other announcements and getting them out first.
Gil
Gilbert Reyes, Ph.D.
2012 President
Division 48: Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Peace Psychology)
Vote to Amend APA Bylaws to Provide Voting Seats on Council
for the Four National Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations
Kathleen H. Dockett
48 COR Representative
By now you should have received the APA Bylaws amendment to provide voting seats for the four ethnic minority psycho logical associations (EMPAs) on the APA Council of Representatives. The Bylaws amendment ballot was mailed November 1st. Ballots must be returned by December 17th. We urge you not to throw your ballot away. Your vote is important. Please take a few moments to cast your ballot now.
The Division 48 Executive Committee (EC) has endorsed this Bylaws change. In the spirit of honoring APA’s and Division 48’s priorities to increase diversity in membership, in governance, and in our ability to address the needs of an ever increasing diverse society, we urge you to join us in supporting this amendment.
Currently the four EMPAs have observer status on Council. This amendment would provide the associations with voting rights and responsibilities. It will ensure ethnic minority representatives’ presence in the formal infrastructure of APA’s Council of Representatives; it will enhance our perspectives on diversity. Importantly it will not negatively affect the current structure of the apportionment balloting system. The amendment adds 4 additional seats to Council and does not introduce competition for seats.
For full details please see the special website developed to educate the membership http://www.empavote.com/ and the statement on our website that addresses Q & A’s (https://peacepsych.org/newsletter.htm). For your convenience, the statement on our website also appears below.
We are asking advocates to support passage of the amendment. You can support by forwarding this email, sending personal e-mails, and calling colleagues to encourage their vote.
In peace,
Kathleen H. Dockett
48 COR Representative
Highlights of the Proposed Amendments to Provide Voting Seats on Council for the EMPAs
Highlights:
APA Council of Representatives was strongly in favor in its support of this amendment.
The ethnic minority psychological associations’ (EMPAs’) missions include the advancement of the science, practice, and education in psychology.
Increasing diversity in membership and governance is an APA priority.
The seats from the four EMPAs are added to the current 162 seats on Council and will not affect the current structure of the apportionment balloting systems. Council’s role is to support APA’s mission to “advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.” Diversity figures prominently in achieving this mission.
Each Council representative from an EMPA is a dues-paying member or Fellow of APA and in good standing.
The campaign to educate the APA members about the national EMPAs and getting members to vote on this issue is currently underway; the proposed amendment was only defeated by 129 votes in 2008.
Important Questions and Answers
Q1: Who are the national ethnic minority psychological associations and why did the Council of Representatives decide to provide seats to them?
A: The groups consist of the Asian American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, National Latina/o Psychological Association, and Society of Indian Psychologists. Each of these national organizations was established 20 to 40 years ago, along with APA and the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (APA Division 45), form the Council of National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests (CNPAAEMI). The Presidents (or their designated representatives) of those associations have met twice a year for over 15 years. A basic assumption in the historical design of representation on the APA Council of Representatives is that the APA is strongest when a diverse and wide range of perspectives is included, and this strategy is one step toward inclusion. The APA Council of Representatives determined that the provision of seats to the national ethnic minority psychological associations would serve to advance the relationships between APA and the ethnic minority psychological associations, which was formally initiated at the Opening Ceremony of former APA President Richard M. Suinn’s 1999 convention. More importantly, increasing ethnic minority diversity in APA membership and governance has been identified by Council and other governance groups as an APA priority. This amendment would directly address this priority and continue to ensure that APA’s representation nationwide reflects the changing demographics in the U.S.
Q2: Would the APA Council’s Representatives from these groups be required to be APA members?
A: Yes, just as Division, State, Provincial and Territorial representatives are required to be APA members, these members would be required to be dues-paying members as well.
Q3: Do these associations reflect the mission of the APA or are they simply political entities?
A: The missions of the four associations include the advancement of science, practice, and education in psychology. Members of the four ethnic minority associations are scientists, educators, and practitioners, many of whom have much to offer APA in regard to all areas of psychology, including the growing field of ethnic minority psychology. More importantly, increasing ethnic minority diversity in APA membership and governance has been identified by Council and other governance groups as an APA priority. This amendment would directly address this priority. Three of the associations have scientific journals, and all have engaged in public policy advocacy related to critical psychological issues in ethnic minority communities.
In addition, the increase of ethnic minority diversity in APA governance has been identified by the APA Council of Representatives and other governance groups as an APA priority. Moreover, the vision statement of the APA underscores the association’s desire to serve as the primary resource for all psychologists and as an effective champion of the application of psychology to promote human rights, health, well-being and dignity.
Q4: Why should we vote for the Bylaws amendment for a third time? What will our members think if they have to vote for the same (or similar) amendment yet again?
A: The amendment, which requires a 2/3 plurality, was only defeated by 177 and 129 votes in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Only about 12% of the eligible APA members cast their ballots for the 2008 election. With Council’s support and participation, we are launching a national “get out the vote” grassroots campaign to inform and educate APA members about this initiative, the mission and contributions of the four national ethnic minority psychological associations, and the importance of casting their vote in support of the Bylaws change. Further, past history indicates that APA members are not necessarily offended by being asked to vote for something 3 times. This has been a most successful strategy of many elected Presidents of APA — progressively sensitizing members to their vision and increasing the visibility of their concerns through multiple presidential candidacies.
Q5: Will other ethnic group societies be encouraged to join Council in the future? Where would this inclusivity stop?
A: The Society for Indian Psychologists, National Latina/o Psychological Association, Asian American Psychological Association, and Association of Black Psychologists are the only extant national associations of ethnic minority psychologists in the United States and the only ethnic minority groups recognized by the US government. Ethnic minority psychologists remain a very small percentage of US psychologists. These four groups, in existence for 20-40 years, have been meeting twice a year for over 15 years via the Council of National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests, which includes APA Division 45. It is a unique coalition of Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations.
Q6: Should APA seek to extend an invitation to other groups/associations to accept a seat on the Council of Representatives?
A: If other ethnic minority psychological associations seek a seat on the APA Council of Representatives, the APA may, at its discretion, subject those associations to the rigorous governance review, comment, and deliberations that the national ethnic minority psychological associations and aspiring new divisions have undertaken.
Q7: I have heard that some of the national ethnic minority psychological associations include members who are not psychologists? Why should such members be able to vote for their Association’s APA COR representative?
A: Current APA Bylaws permit persons who hold the APA membership status of “Associate Member” for 5 or more consecutive years to acquire APA voting rights. APA Associate members are persons with a Masters’ degree (or its equivalency) in psychology. Many divisions currently have persons with such status who are not ethnic minorities.
Q8: Why do we give the four ethnic minority psychological associations voting seats on the APA Council of Representatives when I have to "fight" for one for my Division/State through the apportionment ballot?
A: All of the 54 Divisions, 50 US states, 6 Canadian provinces, and 4 US territories are allocated one or more seats on Council every year (total of 162 seats based on the 10 apportionment votes that all APA full members are allowed to distribute). The four ethnic minority groups would add 4 seats (for a total of 166) and would not be part of the apportionment system. The current allocation of seats would not be affected. Should this proposed amendment pass, it would not impact SPTAs and Divisions by increasing the number of people fighting for a limited numbers of seats.
Society Members Featured in July/August 2012 Monitor on Psychology
Psychology's Peace Builders
A truth seeker in Africa; putting the evidence in peace building; radio messages for peace; an Australian activist; race and education; training tomorrow’s peace psychologists; intractable conflicts.
Members of APA’s Div. 48 (Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence) are conducting research and working in the field to understand how conflicts arise and to help end violence.
“Our concern is how to get communities peaceful and how to keep them sustainable,” says Julie Meranze Levitt, PhD, past president of the division. Here are a few examples of psychologists working internationally and domestically for a more peaceful world.
Announcement: Call for Nominations, Peace and Conflict Editor, 2013-2016
Nominations are now being accepted for the next Editor of Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. The editor will start in June 2013. First review of the nominations will begin September 15, 2012. (Click for further information)
General Call for Papers | Special Call for Student Papers - Deadline is December 1, 2011
120th Annual Convention
Orlando, FL, August 2-5, 2012
http://www.apa.org/convention/proposals.aspx
STUDENT APPLICATION FOR PEACE PSYCHOLOGY TRAVEL AWARD
2012 APA CONVENTION
We welcome your application for a travel award up to $500 to attend the APA Annual
Convention. Awards are available to graduate and undergraduate student members
of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Division 48), who are
presenting their research at the APA Convention
The Application Deadline is Friday April 13, 2012
