Psychologists for Peace
Newsletters
Peace News December 2009
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PFP joins International Psychologists for Social Responsibility
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International Congress of Applied Psychology - huge peace programme
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Special report from ICAN (the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons)
Download Peace News December 2009 
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1. From our National Convenor
Dear Psychologists for Peace,
It has been a busy few months! In Darwin at the APS annual conference, on Saturday 3rd October, we held a well-attended Psychologists for Peace forum, and our 2009 AGM. We also hosted a conversation that afternoon with one of the APS conference keynote presenters, Professor Moshe Zeidner, who spoke about how psychologists can contribute to peace in the Middle East. At the AGM, Dr. Susie Burke stepped down formally as national convenor for Psychologists for Peace, a position she has held for many years. Susie will continue to be involved in PFP, and to help with the liaison between PFP and the APS. But she is seeking more time to devote to other causes, particularly the environment/climate change, and the APS disaster recovery work. Susie's contributions and energy are deeply appreciated, and I am sure that all members will wish her well in the new and continuing projects.
At the meeting, Eleanor Wertheim was re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary, and I was elected as national convenor. I will do my best to live up to Susie's high standards! I hope that you folks will feel free to contact me with ideas and advice (not to mention, items for the newsletter!). Dr Winnifred Louis, convenor, Psychologists for Peace w.louis@psy.uq.edu.au 07 3346 9515.
2. Minister Announces Children's Peace Literature Award (press release and book summaries)
Congratulations to the South Australia PFP branch, who recently had a great success with their 11th biennial peace literature award. A copy of the media release can be found at www.groups.psychology.org.au/awards/literature/#2009. This is a tremendous accomplishment, raising the profile of peace and promoting peace values for children around Australia. Well done folks!
3. WA Youth peace art awards announced
Congratulations also to the Western Australia branch, continuing their very successful youth art award this year. A copy of the media release is pasted below. Well done again!
WA YOUTH PEACE ART AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Winners of the APS Biennial Peace Art Award 2009 were announced on Monday 7 September at a ceremony held at the Forrest Centre, 221 St George's Terrace, Perth CBD. Angus Campbell, a year 11 student at Scotch College was awarded $500 for his painting, It is what you believe it is. His school also won $500. (Angus is pictured in front of his painting with his art teacher, Stuart Earnshaw of Scotch College.) Judge Julie Dowling, a well-known Perth Indigenous artist said she was drawn to "...Angus's natural use of the canvas, in projecting his sense of inner peace for the moment that he's in. He has unconsciously captured a sense of space and an idea of peace for the viewer. You can look at this for a long time and get a sense of what he's thinking."
Second prize of $250 was awarded to Emily Harvey, a year 12 student at Sacred Heart College, Sorrento. This was judged by Perth artists Eveline Kotai. Prizes were presented by Dr Peter Underwood, the national vice president of the Medical Association for Prevention of War.
Since 2005 the Exhibition and Award have been run every two years by the WA group of Psychologists for Peace. In 2009 the award was extended to WA students in years 10-12 who were invited to submit a two-dimensional artwork on the theme of peace - inner peace, peace within the family, community or the world. Thirty seven students from 10 schools across Perth metropolitan area took up the challenge. Their work was exhibited at the Forrest Centre, 221 St George's Terrace, Perth from 8-18 September 2009.
The Exhibition and Award were proudly supported by Psychologists for Peace, the City of Perth, the Insurance Commission of WA and the Medical Association for Prevention of War with assistance from the Art Education Association of Western Australia. The expansion to 10 participating schools in 2009 was very encouraging, although members of the organising committee were disappointed that many of the art works were not created specifically for the Peace Art Award. Most participating art teachers did not use the unit outline developed specifically for the Award and the new visual arts curriculum by Genevie Baker from the Art Education Association of WA http://arted.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/2008/12/inspirations-project-stage-1cvar.pdf
The committee will review the Peace Art Exhibition & Award strategy in early 2010 to determine whether there may be more effective ways of encouraging young people and the wider viewing public to think about peace.
The organising committee is very grateful for the involvement of two new committee members, Iris Lavell and Penelope Radunovich who joined during 2009 to help with the Exhibition and Award.
Psychologists for Peace WA
WA Coordinator Manita Beskow 0419 043 768
Hon Executive Officer Jenni Ibrahim
Committee: Manita Beskow, Jenni Ibrahim, Laura Curelic, Nikola MacLennan, Iris Lavell, Penelope Radunovich
Email psychs.for.peace@gmail.com
Web http://www.groups.psychology.org.au/awards/art/
Blog http://www.psychs-for-peace.blogspot.com/
Images of the APS 2009 Peace Art Exhibition & Award at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/psychs.for.peace/PeaceArtAward2009# Become a Facebook fan of Biennial Peace Art Exhibition & Award at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Biennial-Peace-Art-Exhibition-Award and join the discussion "What can YOU do for peace?"
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
First Prize (sponsored by Psychologists for Peace, an interest group of The Australian Psychological Society)
It is what you believe it is, Angus Campbell, Y11, Scotch College, Teacher: Stuart Earnshaw
Second Prize (sponsored by the Medical Association for Prevention of War)
Tales of Peace, Emily Harvey, Y12, Sacred Heart College, Teacher: Amanda Cook
Highly Commended (the "packers' prizes" sponsored by the Psychologists for Peace WA)
Journey Beyond Oppression, June Cheetah Wegener, Y12, Perth Modern SHS, Teacher: Lyn Mazzilli
Dunes, Nadine Jaeger, Y10, Balcatta Senior High School, Teacher: Nathan Setzinger
Commended
A paper blue bird, Matthew Caudwell, Y11, Eastern Hills Senior High School, Teacher: Jessica Wormuth,
The meeting of two tribes , Maria Lebedeva, Y11, Rossmoyne Senior High School, Teacher: Mardi Howard
Unity, Georgia Brashaw, Y10, Iona Presentation College, Teacher: Lisa Fay
Return, Alex Hey, Y11, Scotch College, Teacher: Stuart Earnshaw
4. PFP joins International Psychologists for Social Responsibility
The national PFP has now joined the International Psychologists for Social Responsibility, with Susie and I as representatives to the organization. IN PSY SR is a network of groups, not individuals, but many of you involved in other social justice psychological groups may well be interested in coming on board with your organisations - and there are great resources of interest to all at the website: www.inpsysr.org/. The mission of the organisation is to coordinate and support international efforts to use psychology to understand and address pressing social issues. It was founded recently, at the European Congress of Psychology in Prague in 2007 by U.S. Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Finnish Psychologists for Social Responsibility, and the German Forum Peace Psychology.
Earlier this month I participated in an online conference of the network, with representatives of groups from Australia, Germany, Finland, the US, India, and Panama represented. The timing was gruelling - to allow members from around the world to participate, it was held from 11:30pm Saturday Nov 21 to 1:30am Sunday, Australia time! - but I was super excited by the opportunities of this new, developing network. I hope that in time, it will provide a means by which we can support psychologists in the third world directly, as well as sharing resources and networking among first world psychology groups. As usual, however, both energy and skills are needed! I was asked to relay a call through Australian PFP networks for:
- Members of other psychologists' social justice groups to publicise the existence of InPsySR to their organisations and consider bringing their groups to join the network (please see www.inpsysr.org; contact: Jancis Long jancislong2004@yahoo.com).
- Individual psychologists are invited to join working groups on Cultures of Peace (contact: Paul Kimmel plkimmel@yahoo.com); Peace Psychology Research (contact: Christopher Cohrs c.cohrs@qub.ac.uk); Peace psychology curriculum group (contact: Dan Christie christie.1@osu.edu); Peace Psychology Practitioners' group on Trauma and Reconciliation (contact: Shirin pvchr.india@gmail.com).
- Volunteers with IT skills are asked to help develop and maintain the InPsySR web site (contact: Christopher Cohrs c.cohrs@qub.ac.uk).
- Volunteers with marketing skills are asked to help develop promotional pamphlets for InPsySR (contact: Ferdinand Garoff ferdinand.garoff@gmail.com).
- The working group Peace Psychology Internships is searching for placement opportunities (contact: Christopher Cohrs c.cohrs@qub.ac.uk).
5. International Congress of Applied Psychology - huge Peace Programme
As many members will already know, next year the APS is merging its annual congress with the International National Congress of Applied psychology, to be held July 11-16 in Melbourne http://www.icap2010.com/. There will be a fabulous converge of international and national peace psychologists, and we have many events planned.
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PFP will hold its annual AGM, and we also will co-host (with Division 11 of ICAP, political psychology) a meeting of community members and psychologists representing peace groups from around the world.
- PFP members are giving many papers and symposia, including topics such as Giving peace psychology away in Australia; Reconciliation; and Forgiveness.
- International peace psychologists will be giving many exciting symposia on topics such as Peace Psychology in Asia; Collective Memory; and National and international development of Peace Psychology.
- Many participants in the successful 2009 Winter School in Peace Psychology are giving individual and joint papers on topics in peace psychology. (The winter school was taught by Dan Christie, and hosted by the Centre for Research in Group Processes at the University of Queensland.)
Altogether it looks as though it will be the biggest and most diverse gathering of peace psychologists in Australia in many years! I hope that many PFP members will be able to attend the conference and participate in the events.
6. Classic Peace Psychology text now available free
The classic peace psychology text, Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century by Daniel Christie, Richard Wagner, and Deborah Winter has been made available free by the editors. After the copyright for the edited volume (published in 2001) reverted to the editors, Dan, Richard and Deborah made the book available online for downloading at no cost to encourage course and program development in peace psychology worldwide. For a pdf file of the book, you can google "peace psychology book Christie. wagner & winter" or use the following link: http://academic.marion.ohio-state.edu/dchristie/Peace%20Psychology%20Book.html In addition, Reprint Service [reprintservice75@yahoo.in] has reprinted and published the book to accommodate those with interest in having printed copies for classroom adoption or personal use. All royalties for the book will be sent to Psychologists for Social Responsibility and Division 48 (Peace Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.
7. NGO Statement Concerning the Hiroshima Meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament
6 November 2009
The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), an initiative of the Australian and Japanese governments, held its fourth meeting in Hiroshima from 17-20 October 2009. It is expected that it will release its report in the near future. After the Hiroshima meeting, the Co-chairs (Gareth Evans of Australia and Yoriko Kawaguchi of Japan) held press conferences in which they outlined the meeting's main outcomes. Unfortunately, their comments were a great disappointment to the representatives of civil society who have engaged with the Commission over the past year. In response to the Co-chairs' comments, members of Australian, Japanese and international NGOs who have followed the ICNND process issued a statement today which can be downloaded from http://www.icanw.org/files/ICNNDHiroshimaNGOStatement6Nov09E.pdf. Information about the organisations to which the signatories belong can be found on the following web sites:
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) http://www.ippnw.org/
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) http://www.icanw.org/
ICNND Japan NGO Network http://icnndngojapan.wordpress.com/
Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) http://www.mapw.org.au/
Contacts
Australia
Teri Calder, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Mobile: +61 (0)425 230 679 Email: teri@icanw.org
Sue Wareham, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Phone: +61 (0)2 6241 6161 Email: warehams@ozemail.com.au
Japan
Keiko Nakamura, ICNND Japan NGO Network Secretariat (c/- Peace Depot)
Phone: +81 (0)45
563 5101 Email: nakamura@peacedepot.org
8. Peace Psychology academic position
Here is a weblink to a tenure track position in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago, in New Zealand: http://www.otago.ac.nz/vacancies/academic/otago006242.html.
9. Invitation to participate in school of peace building
From: Canadian School of Peacebuilding [mailto:csop@cmu.ca]
Sent: Sunday, 6 December 2009 3:08 PM
Subject: PLEASE COME - Canadian School of Peacebuilding 2010
Dear Instructors, Students and Workers for Peace,
This second annual Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), a program of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), will be held in Winnipeg, MB, from June 14 to July 2, 2010 (www.cmu.ca/csop). Three 5-day sessions, each with two or three courses running concurrently, will be offered for academic credit or for professional training for practitioners. The Canadian School of Peacebuilding has been created to serve practitioners, professionals, activists, students, non-governmental organizations and faith-based groups engaged in peacebuilding. Its goal is to serve peacebuilders around the world by bringing them together in a collaborative learning community, nurturing and equipping them for various forms of peace practice and exposing them to some of the most significant, emerging ideas and teachers in the field. Use our online application to apply: http://www.cmu.ca/csop/admission.html.
We are delighted to again be able to offer courses taught by expert and engaging instructors who are committed to peace work. Unfortunately we do not have any scholarships available this year. You are invited to join us this international gathering this summer for one or more of the following courses:
SESSION I - JUNE 14-18
Poets, Prophets and Music of Social Justice
Instructors: John Bell, with Irma Fast Dueck
Our Contested Food System: Cultivating a Just Peace
In collaboration with Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Instructors: Cathy Campbell, Martin Entz, Kenton Lobe and Ray Vander Zaag
A Cree Perspective on Non-Violence
Instructor: Ovide Mercredi
SESSION II - JUNE 21-25
Agents of Change in Intractable Conflicts: Lessons from Middle East Peacebuilding
Instructor: Marc Gopin
Peace Skills Practice
Instructor: Karen Ridd
Mennonite Approaches to Peace and Justice
In collaboration with Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Instructor: Harry Huebner
SESSION III - JUNE 28-JULY 2
International Perspectives on Restorative Justice
Instructor: Howard Zehr
Thriving in a Firestorm: Congregational Peacebuilding
In collaboration with Congregational Peacebuilding Partners
Instructor: Lois Edmund
For more information, go to our website at www.cmu.ca/csop or e-mail csop@cmu.ca.
What you can do:
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Take a course (or two or three) in this year's school. Register and pay online or download a brochure and application and registration from at www.cmu.ca/csop.
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Forward this information to your own networks of contacts. Contact us at csop@cmu.ca to get an electronic version of the brochure, application, and poster that you can forward to your contacts.
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Contact us for more information on how peace, justice and development organizations or academic programs can become no-cost affiliates or no-cost academic programs of the CSOP.
Sincerely,
Jarem Sawatsky Valerie Smith
Director, Canadian School of Peacebuilding Assistant Director, Canadian School of Peacebuilding
10. Invitation to apply for peace and conflict research award
From: inpsysr-research@googlegroups.com
Subject: [inpsysr-ppresearch, 15] Fwd: Early Career Award
2009 PEACE PSYCHOLOGY EARLY CAREER AWARD
SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF PEACE, CONFLICT, AND VIOLENCE (DIVISION 48)
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIO
Purpose and Eligibility
The Early Career Award recognizes scholars in peace psychology who have made substantial contributions to the mission of the society, which is "the development of sustainable societies through the prevention of destructive conflict and violence, the amelioration of its consequences, the empowerment of individuals, and the building of cultures of peace and global community." Nominees should have made their contributions within six years of receiving a graduate degree and need not be members of Division 48.
Award
The recipient will receive $500 and recognition at the awards banquet at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. Recipients are also invited to give an address at the convention.
Criteria for Selection
Scholarship (quantity and quality of publications) and activism (breadth and impact of teaching, training, fieldwork, policy work, etc.), are primary considerations. Generally, the scholar/activist model is most desirable but in exceptional cases, the recipient may emphasize scholarship or activism.
How to Apply
Self-nominations are welcome. In addition, senior scholars are encouraged to identify nominees who meet the criteria for the award. The nominee should arrange to have the following submitted electronically:
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A cover letter outlining relevant accomplishments to date;
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Selected copies of most significant and relevant publications or other evidence of scholarship;
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A current curriculum vitae;
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Two letters of support.
Members of the Early Career Award Review Committee are Dan Christie, Kathleen Kostelny, Susan Opotow, and Sylvia Susnjic. All files should be sent Dan Christie, Chair of the Peace Psychology Early Career Award Committee, at christie.1@osu.edu.
Deadline
Applications must be received by 31 December 2009.
11. Special report from ICAN
15 December 2009
SPECIAL REPORT FROM ICAN
This is a special update exclusively for partners of the campaign to bring you news of the pending ICNND report and related stories.
Breaking news: nuclear report out on today!
Today, Tuesday 15 December, Australian Prime Minister Rudd and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will receive the major report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). Sponsored by both governments, the report "Eliminating Nuclear Threats" will be presented by the Commission's Co-chairs former Foreign Ministers Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi. The report is set for release in Tokyo at around 4pm-5pm Australian time.
In response, ICAN Australia will:
- Provide a comprehensive statement in response to the report, with a shorter briefing and press release for media and partners.
- Join with other NGOs in Japan and elsewhere to release a joint statement on the report.
All these materials will be on the ICAN website from around 5pm EST Tuesday. If partners to ICAN Australia would like to discuss any of the points in the releases, please contact Dimity Hawkins on 03 9347 4795 or 0422 612 702 throughout Tuesday.
Premptive Media on the ICNND report:
Dimity Hawkins from ICAN was quoted in Monday's Age online - in part, "This commission report will be a welcome contribution to the debate but if it allows for the retention of weapons by any state we'll just keep perpetuating the problem with proliferation." Please see the article in full here: "PM to campaign against nuclear weapons" http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/pm-to-campaign-againstnuclear-weapons-20091213-kq8t.html
David Noonan (ACG) and Greens Senator Ludlam were quoted in todays Age: "Report seeks a cut in nuclear stockpile" http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/report-seeks-a-cut-in-nuclearstockpile-20091215-kshz.html
ICAN Australia expects an opinion piece in the Canberra Times this morning also written by Dimity Hawkins and James Norman. (Not online at time of sending)
See also:
The Australian "Nuclear focus to Tokyo visit" 14 Dec 09 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/nuclear-focus-to-tokyovisit/story-e6frg6nf-1225809980195
The Age "Urgent call for nuclear arms cull" December 14, 2009 http://www.theage.com.au/national/urgent-call-for-nuclear-arms-cull-20091213-kqih.html
The Australian "Nation given N-bomb warning" 14 December 09 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/nation-given-n-bombwarning/story-e6frg6nf-1225809977267
The SHM: "Report tells of growing nuclear risk" December 14, 2009 http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/report-tells-of-growing13nuclear-risk-20091213-kqgk.html
ASPI: muddying the waters:
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) today released another report titled "A delicate issue: Asia's nuclear future" This report is deeply concerning, especially on the eve of the release of the ICNND report which will attempt to outline a way forward on nuclear disarmament. One question raised in the executive summary of the report is "In extremis, might Australia build its own nuclear arsenal?" As outlined by Tilman Ruff, ICAN Chair in an article in the Age online on Monday, "I think it would be extremely regrettable and really very stupid and dangerous for Australia to flirt again with the idea of developing its own nuclear weapons. It would completely undermine our credibility on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and it would remove any shred of justification or credibility for arguing that other states either should disarm or shouldn't develop their own nuclear weapons."
See the report here: http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=236&pubtype=-1.
See full transcript of the ABC article here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/14/2771237.htm)
Tilman was also interviewed on the World Today, Radio National at midday on Monday on this - see here: http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2770750.htm
What you can do:
Our Prime Minister needs to feel the heat on this issue as he stops off in Tokyo on his way to Copenhagen today to launch the ICNND report. The time for nuclear disarmament is now.
ICAN Australia urges all partners to prepare a media release in response to the ICNND report, to be released around 5pm on Tuesday 15 December. If I can help to inform your work on this, please call 03 9347 4795 or 0422 612 702.
Here's to 2010!
We wish all partners and friends to ICAN Australia a very happy and safe festive season, and look forward to working with you all in 2010. It promises to be a huge year! Look out for ICAN's "nuclear exchange" workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in February 2010! More info coming soon to all partners.
With warm regards
The ICAN Australia team
Dimity Hawkins
Campaign Director
ICAN Australia
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN)
ph: +61 (0)3 9347 4795
f: +61 (0)3 9347 4995
m: 0422 612 702
e: dimity@icanw.org
w: www.icanw.org
skype: Dimity_iCAN
12. Invitation to apply for Peace Women awards
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Consultative Status with United Nations ECOSOC, UNCTAD and UNESCO
Special Consultative Relations with FAO, ILO and UICEF
International Headquarters Geneva Switzerland
WILPF Queensland Branch
2010 PEACE WOMEN AWARDS
WILPF was founded in The Hague in 1915 and the 2010 WILPF Peace Women awards celebrate the 95th birthday of WILPF, which works in over forty countries towards disarmament, the peaceful resolution of conflict, and the social transformation which enables the realization of social, economic and political equality for all regardless of sex, race or religion. The awards recognise the talents and dedication of women whose activities have promoted peace in the local, national and/or international arenas. The awards are open to any woman who has lived in Queensland for a significant part of her life and who has made a lasting contribution to peace in one or more of the following ways:
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Working towards disarmament and non-violent solutions to international conflicts.
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Promoting women's and girls' human rights
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Confronting any form of discrimination whether it be on the basis of race, gender or religious affiliation Helping to build peaceful communities
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Promoting economic justice
Four Peace Women awards will be given in the following categories:
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Volunteer Community Work
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Business/Professional
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Government/NGO
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Arts or Sports
CLOSING DATE FOR NOMINATIONS IS 31 MARCH 2010
Want a nomination form? Email wilpf.qld@wilpf.org.au or call Vicky Henry 3369 4004 or Norma Forrest on 3207 7929 Peace Women Awards Luncheon
There will be a special Peace Women Awards Luncheon on 28 April 2010, at which all nominees will be acknowledged and the four winners will be announced. The luncheon will be held at COTAH, Southbank Institute of Technology, South Brisbane from noon to 2.00pm. For more information about the luncheon and reservations, please contact WILPF at the email address above.
