Psyche, Science, and Society

Emergency: Sign Australian psychologist petition!

September 17th, 2007

Dear Psychologist Readers,
Our colleagues in the Australian Psychological Society (APS) have been running into difficulties on the interrogation/torture issue much as we have with the APA. Please sign their petition, and distribute it as far and wide as possible. The APS convention is in a week, possibly even this week, and it’s important to show large international support.

The Petition reads:

In light of a letter (can be read here) from our colleagues at the University of Wollongong, Australia, appearing in “Letters to the Editor” of InPsych, dated 10 September 2007 and subsequent investigation regarding the standpoint of past president of the APA, G. P. Koocher - invited as keynote speaker to the Australian Psychologists Society’s Conference in Brisbane, this petition is made.

There appears to be neither an APS policy with respect to torture nor APS members’ involvement in government sanctioned torture.

Hence, no formal organisational response to the APA is possible, even if the APS wished to do so.

Therefore, we ask other APS Members, and sympathising colleagues internationally, to join with us in petitioning the APS Board to take urgent action to:

establish an APS policy on torture and its members’ involvement in any activity that could be classified as supporting torture in line with the United Nations policy on Human Rights and

resolve how the APS should respond to the APA with respect to its policy regarding its members’ involvement with torture.

To sign the petition, go to http://criminologyonline.swahs.uq.edu.au/

Over on the right hand side of the screen, go to ORF – Online Research Facility.
Then use this password - apsconf

Entry Filed under: APA, Australia, Interrogation, Psychology, Torture