Psychologists for Social Responsibility: Against Psychology in Torture
Dear HumanDHS network friends
Please find below information from Roy Eidelson regarding the resolution of PsySR limiting psychological work to within human rights contexts only.
Kind regards
Brian Ward
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I am writing to let you know that Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) has endorsed a “YES, I APPROVE” vote on the petition ballot referendum recently mailed to all American Psychological Association (APA) members. We have also produced a brief video that explains why we strongly urge APA members to support this important resolution by voting “I APPROVE.” The video can be viewed on our website at http://www.psysr.org/ voteyes or directly on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=-GDH4V8A_Qc .
The resolution concludes this way: “Be it resolved that psychologists may not work in settings where persons are held outside of, or in violation of, either International Law (e.g., the UN Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions) or the US Constitution (where appropriate), unless they are working directly for the persons being detained or for an independent third party working to protect human rights.” The entire resolution is included at the end of this email and is also available at http://www.psysr.org/ voteyes .
We encourage you to watch our brief video, and we would greatly appreciate your forwarding this email and video link to your APA colleagues . We are eager to reach as many APA members as possible–as quickly as possible since the voting deadline is now less than a month away. Please help us disseminate this message to your own personal colleagues and to group listservs to which you may have access (e.g., APA division listservs, other psychology-related listservs, state psychological association listservs, university department email lists, etc.). If you are an APA member and you have misplaced your ballot, you can obtain another by emailing Garnett Coad at gcoad@apa.org .
Thank you!
Roy Eidelson
P.S. I realize that not all of you are APA members, but you likely have friends and colleagues who are. Finally, I apologize if this is a duplicate mailing. Thanks again.
Roy J. Eidelson, Ph.D.
President-Elect, Psychologists for Social Responsibility
http://www.psysr.org
eidelson@psysr.org
FULL TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION
Whereas torture is an abhorrent practice in every way contrary to the APA’s stated mission of advancing psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare.
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Mental Health and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture have determined that treatment equivalent to torture has been taking place at the United States Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. [1]
Whereas this torture took place in the context of interrogations under the direction and supervision of Behavioral Science Consultation Teams (BSCTs) that included psychologists. [2, 3]
Whereas the Council of Europe has determined that persons held in CIA black sites are subject to interrogation techniques that are also equivalent to torture [4], and because psychologists helped develop abusive interrogation techniques used at these sites. [3, 5]
Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross determined in 2003 that the conditions in the US detention facility in Guantánamo Bay are themselves tantamount to torture [6], and therefore by their presence psychologists are playing a role in maintaining these conditions.
Be it resolved that psychologists may not work in settings where persons are held outside of, or in violation of, either International Law (e.g., the UN Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions) or the US Constitution (where appropriate), unless they are working directly for the persons being detained or for an independent third party working to protect human rights [7].
Footnotes
[1] United Nations Commission on Human Rights. (2006). Situation of detainees at Guantánamo Bay. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/16_02_06_un_guantanamo.pdf The full title of the ‘Special Rapporteur on Mental Health’ is the ‘Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’.
[2] Miles, S. (2007). Medical ethics and the interrogation of Guantanamo 063. The American Journal of Bioethics, 7(4), 5. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://ajobonline.com/journal/j_articles.php?aid=1140
[3] Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense: Review of DoD-Directed Investigations of Detainee Abuse. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/abuse.pdf
[4] Council of Europe Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (2007). Secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees involving Council of Europe member states: second report. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http//assembly.coe.int//Main.asp?link=http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc07/edoc11302.htm
[5] Eban, K. (2007). Rorschach and Awe. Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://www.vanityfair. com/politics/features/2007/07/torture200707
[6] Lewis, N. A. (2004, November 30). Red Cross Finds Detainee Abuse in Guantánamo. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/politics/30gitmo.html? oref=login&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1101831750-
[7] It is understood that military clinical psychologists would still be available to provide treatment for military personnel.
Roy J. Eidelson, Ph.D.
Eidelson Consulting
www.eidelsonconsulting.com
610-513-8685