Psychology for human rights
Note: This opinion piece reflects my own personal views and not those of any group with which I am affiliated. I was not present at the meeting I describe below. Last weekend, the 180-member governing Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association held its annual midwinter meeting in Washington, DC. In a series of crucial …
Continue reading “APA’s Council Meeting: Human Rights Win, Fear Loses”
An outrageously misleading petition titled “Antisemitism/Anti-Jewish Hate within the American Psychological Association” is now circulating among psychologists and related health professionals. Drafted by leaders of a group that calls itself “Psychologists Against Antisemitism,” the petition is long on accusations and generalizations but shamefully short on clarity and evidence. The petition authors claim that they “have documented …
The American Psychological Association (APA) — one of the world’s largest organizations of healthcare clinicians, researchers, and educators — contends that it “prioritizes human rights advocacy” and “encourages psychologists to support and advocate for populations at risk of human rights violations, including marginalized populations both domestically and globally.” But if APA leaders want to truly honor that commitment, …