PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR AN ETHICAL APA |
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| Steven Reisner, Ph.D. |
"I am running for President of the American Psychological Association because I believe that the APA must take a principled stance against our nation’s policy of using psychologists to oversee abusive and coercive interrogations of detainees and ‘enemy combatants' at centers like Guantánamo and secret CIA black sites, that operate in violation of international law and the Geneva conventions." Steven Reisner, Ph.D. for more information go to: Reisnerforpresident.org |
| Click here to read the entire text of the Referendum. It was authored by: Dan Aalbers dan.aalbers@gmail.com Ruth Fallenbaum ruthfallenbaum@comcast.net Brad Olson b-olson@northwestern.edu |
| Click here to read the names of the 1000 original sponsors of this Referendum and/or add your name to that list. |
American Psychological Association Members Pass Historic Ban on
Psychologist Participation in U.S. Detention Facilities
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Today, the membership of the American Psychological Association (APA) passed a referendum banning participation of APA
member psychologists in U.S. detention facilities, such as Guantanamo or the CIA's secret "black sites" operating outside of
or in violation of international law or the Constitution. The Coalition for an Ethical Psychology congratulates our colleagues,
and in particular, we congratulate the referendum authors – Dan Aalbers, Brad Olson, and Ruth Fallenbaum – as well as the
activists withholding dues and otherwise protesting professional collusion with unethical behavior.
Dan Aalbers, one of the referendum’s authors, stated: "This is a decisive victory for the membership of the APA and for
human rights advocates everywhere. This new policy will ensure that psychologists work for the abused and not the abusers
at places like Guantanamo Bay and the CIA black sites. We expect that the APA's leadership will immediately take action to
ensure that psychologists are removed from the chain of command at places where human rights are violated or said not to
apply."
In recent years revelations from the press, Congress, and Defense Department documents revealed that psychologists have
played a central role in Bush administration detainee abuse. These reports conclusively demonstrate that psychologists
designed, implemented, disseminated, and standardized detention and interrogation practices that frequently amounted to
torture.
The passage of this referendum constitutes a decisive repudiation of the APA leadership's long-standing policy encouraging
psychologist participation in interrogations and other activities in military and CIA detention facilities that have repeatedly been
found to violate international law and the Constitution. In 2005, the APA's orchestrated Presidential Task Force on
Psychological Ethics and National Security [PENS] declared that psychologists' participation in interrogations in these sites
helped keep interrogations there "safe, legal, an ethical." Although APA followed this report with resolutions ostensibly
condemning participation in torture, the resolutions continued to permit psychologists to serve in sites where human rights are
routinely violated. The APA membership has now rejected APA policy in favor of one refusing psychologist participation in
the running of detention facilities operating against the law and professional ethics.
"For years APA leadership has insisted that our professions' contributions to the Bush administration detentions made things
better. It turns out that the APA membership wasn’t convinced" said Stephen Soldz, a psychologist on the faculty of the
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis and a founder of the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology.
Passage of the referendum culminates years of struggle by numerous APA members to change policies that conflict with the
best traditions of psychology as a profession. The referendum is a clear statement that APA members take seriously the
professions' highest ethical aspiration: "Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no
harm." Members are not willing to continue colluding with the Bush administration's systematic policies of detainee abuse that
often amount to torture.
Referendum proponents collected over 1,000 signatures, forcing APA to submit the policy change to a mail ballot of the entire
membership. The ballots went out on August 1 and votes received as of Monday, September 15th were counted. The
referendum passed with 8,792 [58.8% ] YES votes to 6,157 votes against. The turnout was the highest ever in APA history.
"With this vote APA members have taken a major step toward restoring unimpeachable ethical standards by prohibiting its
members from participating at sites that violate human rights and international law. But until APA communicates this new
policy to the White House, the Department of Defense and the CIA, the abuses might continue. We must assure that the
policy is implemented quickly" said Steven Reisner, a New York psychologist who is running for APA President.
Passage of the referendum is an important first step in righting APA policies that have cast shame upon the profession. The
Coalition for an Ethical Psychology calls upon APA to take additional steps to turn the organization around.
Psychologist Participation in U.S. Detention Facilities
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Today, the membership of the American Psychological Association (APA) passed a referendum banning participation of APA
member psychologists in U.S. detention facilities, such as Guantanamo or the CIA's secret "black sites" operating outside of
or in violation of international law or the Constitution. The Coalition for an Ethical Psychology congratulates our colleagues,
and in particular, we congratulate the referendum authors – Dan Aalbers, Brad Olson, and Ruth Fallenbaum – as well as the
activists withholding dues and otherwise protesting professional collusion with unethical behavior.
Dan Aalbers, one of the referendum’s authors, stated: "This is a decisive victory for the membership of the APA and for
human rights advocates everywhere. This new policy will ensure that psychologists work for the abused and not the abusers
at places like Guantanamo Bay and the CIA black sites. We expect that the APA's leadership will immediately take action to
ensure that psychologists are removed from the chain of command at places where human rights are violated or said not to
apply."
In recent years revelations from the press, Congress, and Defense Department documents revealed that psychologists have
played a central role in Bush administration detainee abuse. These reports conclusively demonstrate that psychologists
designed, implemented, disseminated, and standardized detention and interrogation practices that frequently amounted to
torture.
The passage of this referendum constitutes a decisive repudiation of the APA leadership's long-standing policy encouraging
psychologist participation in interrogations and other activities in military and CIA detention facilities that have repeatedly been
found to violate international law and the Constitution. In 2005, the APA's orchestrated Presidential Task Force on
Psychological Ethics and National Security [PENS] declared that psychologists' participation in interrogations in these sites
helped keep interrogations there "safe, legal, an ethical." Although APA followed this report with resolutions ostensibly
condemning participation in torture, the resolutions continued to permit psychologists to serve in sites where human rights are
routinely violated. The APA membership has now rejected APA policy in favor of one refusing psychologist participation in
the running of detention facilities operating against the law and professional ethics.
"For years APA leadership has insisted that our professions' contributions to the Bush administration detentions made things
better. It turns out that the APA membership wasn’t convinced" said Stephen Soldz, a psychologist on the faculty of the
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis and a founder of the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology.
Passage of the referendum culminates years of struggle by numerous APA members to change policies that conflict with the
best traditions of psychology as a profession. The referendum is a clear statement that APA members take seriously the
professions' highest ethical aspiration: "Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no
harm." Members are not willing to continue colluding with the Bush administration's systematic policies of detainee abuse that
often amount to torture.
Referendum proponents collected over 1,000 signatures, forcing APA to submit the policy change to a mail ballot of the entire
membership. The ballots went out on August 1 and votes received as of Monday, September 15th were counted. The
referendum passed with 8,792 [58.8% ] YES votes to 6,157 votes against. The turnout was the highest ever in APA history.
"With this vote APA members have taken a major step toward restoring unimpeachable ethical standards by prohibiting its
members from participating at sites that violate human rights and international law. But until APA communicates this new
policy to the White House, the Department of Defense and the CIA, the abuses might continue. We must assure that the
policy is implemented quickly" said Steven Reisner, a New York psychologist who is running for APA President.
Passage of the referendum is an important first step in righting APA policies that have cast shame upon the profession. The
Coalition for an Ethical Psychology calls upon APA to take additional steps to turn the organization around.
- Although the referendum pulls psychologists out of detention sites where human rights are being violated, we call upon
APA to take a further step and put APA policy in line with that of the American Medical Association and the American
Psychiatric Association and ban psychologists from any direct role in the interrogation of specific individuals in any
national security setting.
- We call upon the APA to initiate and fund an independent panel to investigate and create a public record regarding the
participation of U.S. psychologists in torture and other detainee abuse. The panel should also investigate organizational,
policy, and ethical policies contributing to this abuse and make recommendations for change.
- The APA should proceed expeditiously to modify its ethics code to remove clauses allowing ethical violations when
psychological ethics are in conflict with "law, regulations, or other governing legal authority."
- The APA should act quickly on ethics complaints against psychologists reported to have contributed to U.S. torture
and detention abuses.
- Finally, the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology calls upon APA members to follow up this victory by electing a
President, Steven Reisner, who is steadfastly committed to ending psychologist collusion with detainee abuse.
Links to Further References and News Sources Pertaining to Referendum and Interrogations
American Psychological Association: "APA Members Approve Petition Resolution on Detainee Settings" September 17, 2008
Soldz & Olson in opednews.com: "Psychologists Reject the Dark Side: American Psychological Association Members Reject
Participation in Bush Detention Centers" September 22, 2008
New York Times: "Psychologists Vote to End Interrogation Consultations" September 17, 2008
Associated Press: "Psychologists vote against role in interrogation" September 18, 2008
The Jurist (Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Law): "APA ban pressures US government to shut down enhanced interrogation
program" September 21, 2008
American Psychological Association: "APA Members Approve Petition Resolution on Detainee Settings" September 17, 2008
Soldz & Olson in opednews.com: "Psychologists Reject the Dark Side: American Psychological Association Members Reject
Participation in Bush Detention Centers" September 22, 2008
New York Times: "Psychologists Vote to End Interrogation Consultations" September 17, 2008
Associated Press: "Psychologists vote against role in interrogation" September 18, 2008
The Jurist (Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Law): "APA ban pressures US government to shut down enhanced interrogation
program" September 21, 2008
APA President Alan Kadzin Writes Letter to President Bush Informing Him of APA's
Revised Policies Regarding Psychologists Working in "Unlawful Detention Settings"
Thursday, October 2, 2008
In the APA's press release responding to the Referendum, they initially indicated that it would not be formally adopted as
policy until addressed by the Council of Representatives at the next APA Convention in August, 2009. However, due to
substantial and sustained pressure by the membership as a whole (and by members of Psychologists for an Ethical APA,
Withhold APA Dues, and other groups in particular) the APA appointed a Task Force to address the issue and to consider
implementing the Referendum sooner. Our own Dan Aalbers worked with this group, and helped to ensure that the results
were both expedient and also in keeping with the wording and intent of the original Referendum. As a result, please see Dr.
Kadzin's letter to President Bush.
The next steps that concerned psychologists might wish to address include ensuring that psychologists are in fact removed
from these sites in accordance with the APA's new policies (which, as the American Psychiatric Association learned recently,
may be more easily said than done), and in the longer term, ensuring that responsible parties within the APA leadership be held
accountable for the past policies and that larger steps are taken to reform the APA and make sure, as Dr. Stephen Soldz noted,
that future emergencies don't result in similar responses on the part of the APA.
Revised Policies Regarding Psychologists Working in "Unlawful Detention Settings"
Thursday, October 2, 2008
In the APA's press release responding to the Referendum, they initially indicated that it would not be formally adopted as
policy until addressed by the Council of Representatives at the next APA Convention in August, 2009. However, due to
substantial and sustained pressure by the membership as a whole (and by members of Psychologists for an Ethical APA,
Withhold APA Dues, and other groups in particular) the APA appointed a Task Force to address the issue and to consider
implementing the Referendum sooner. Our own Dan Aalbers worked with this group, and helped to ensure that the results
were both expedient and also in keeping with the wording and intent of the original Referendum. As a result, please see Dr.
Kadzin's letter to President Bush.
The next steps that concerned psychologists might wish to address include ensuring that psychologists are in fact removed
from these sites in accordance with the APA's new policies (which, as the American Psychiatric Association learned recently,
may be more easily said than done), and in the longer term, ensuring that responsible parties within the APA leadership be held
accountable for the past policies and that larger steps are taken to reform the APA and make sure, as Dr. Stephen Soldz noted,
that future emergencies don't result in similar responses on the part of the APA.
APA Membership Opts for Status Quo in Time of Change
(In Other Words, There is More Work To Be Done)
The results of the recent election for the 2010 Presidency of APA are in, and Dr. Carol Goodheart has won. The APA issued
this press release on Friday, Dec. 12, declaring the results. The APA also offers the following table showing the breakdown of
the WARE system vote, round by round. Among other things, this chart shows that the first-round margin of votes separating
Drs. Goodheart and Reisner was under 1,500, out of a total of over 18,000.
Dr. Reisner issued a message to his supporters, thanking them for their support and help in his campaign, and highlighting both
recent victories in the struggle and also further challenges ahead. In his message, he suggests that concerned psychologists,
mobilizing and working together on this issue, have become "an extraordinary force for change." In closing, he noted:
"Together we have had a huge effect, and we have further to go. What is important is that we continue claim the opportunities
given us, as engaged citizens and activist-psychologists, to improve this country and world in which we live."
Thank you, Steven!
(In Other Words, There is More Work To Be Done)
The results of the recent election for the 2010 Presidency of APA are in, and Dr. Carol Goodheart has won. The APA issued
this press release on Friday, Dec. 12, declaring the results. The APA also offers the following table showing the breakdown of
the WARE system vote, round by round. Among other things, this chart shows that the first-round margin of votes separating
Drs. Goodheart and Reisner was under 1,500, out of a total of over 18,000.
Dr. Reisner issued a message to his supporters, thanking them for their support and help in his campaign, and highlighting both
recent victories in the struggle and also further challenges ahead. In his message, he suggests that concerned psychologists,
mobilizing and working together on this issue, have become "an extraordinary force for change." In closing, he noted:
"Together we have had a huge effect, and we have further to go. What is important is that we continue claim the opportunities
given us, as engaged citizens and activist-psychologists, to improve this country and world in which we live."
Thank you, Steven!
"A Group of About 200 Psychologists" Scuttles Hopes for Brennan as CIA Director
After word began circulating regarding a possible Obama pick for CIA Director (John Brennan, a Tenet CIA alum with ties to
the Agency's "enhanced interrogation" and "rendition" policies during that time), concerned psychologists quickly signed onto a
letter drafted by Dr. Stephen Soldz. The letter called on Mr. Obama not to select Mr. Brennan, arguing that the selection would
run counter to Obama's campaign for "genuine change," and adding that we need now to move beyond and make a break with
the current administration's "dark side" policies. When Brennan announced shortly thereafter that he was withdrawing his name
from consideration, many in the media (AP, NYT, Salon, NPR) mentioned "a group of about 200 psychologists" who had raised
questions about his suitability.
After word began circulating regarding a possible Obama pick for CIA Director (John Brennan, a Tenet CIA alum with ties to
the Agency's "enhanced interrogation" and "rendition" policies during that time), concerned psychologists quickly signed onto a
letter drafted by Dr. Stephen Soldz. The letter called on Mr. Obama not to select Mr. Brennan, arguing that the selection would
run counter to Obama's campaign for "genuine change," and adding that we need now to move beyond and make a break with
the current administration's "dark side" policies. When Brennan announced shortly thereafter that he was withdrawing his name
from consideration, many in the media (AP, NYT, Salon, NPR) mentioned "a group of about 200 psychologists" who had raised
questions about his suitability.