Candidate Statements

STATEMENTS BY CANDIDATES FOR DIVISION OFFICES 2006

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Deborah Fish Ragin, Ph.D.

When I joined Division 48 I did not know that I would have the great fortune of working with very committed and dedicated individuals who share a vision of peace and social justice among peoples and between nations. Division 48 is my "home" within APA where I can work with others on initiatives to advance the Division's mission. I would welcome the opportunity to take a greater leadership role in Peace Psychology.

My interest in peace psychology reflects my personal and professional interest in ethnic conflicts and peace. When I joined Division 48 almost seven years ago, I was conducting research and counseling women and children exposed to domestic violence. I was reminded that while many enjoy or take for granted a home free of violence, a small but growing segment of society is not as fortunate. Domestic violence affects individuals, families and communities. I was reminded of the global scope of domestic violence when I gave a keynote address on the intergenerational impact of domestic violence at a conference in Pretoria, South Africa. Knowing the importance of this issue, I was pleased to find that Division 48 included domestic violence in its mission.

As a member of Division 48, I expanded my work in peace psychology when I became one of six APA Representative to the UN. I was proud to represent both APA and Division 48 on international issues pertaining to violence, injustice and health disparities affecting peoples of all nations. My role as an APA representative helped me to understand the enormity of the task we confront as peace psychologist, and to collaborate with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN member states, and Ambassadors to address the needs and rights of people, including the right to live in peace. Through papers, panel discussions and workshops presented at APA conferences, I helped highlight the role of peace psychologists in international and national conflicts.

As a Co-Chair of the Division's Ethnicity and Peace Working Group, I was pleased to be part of efforts to further discussions and understanding about the complex nature of ethnicity and peace both at home and abroad. Currently, I serve as the Division's representative to a newly formed APA Task Force on Diversity.

I believe that the mission of our Division "to promote peace in the world at large, within nations, in communities and families," positions us to provide leadership and expertise on issues of peace and social justice. Members of our Division have provided outstanding examples of leadership as peace psychologists through their work on international events and crises. Some of the current conflicts between ethnic, religious and political groups remind us of the seamless connection between international and national interests. And for that reason, in part, we need to balance our work by increasing our attention to domestic issues of peace and social justice. I would welcome the opportunity to use my past seven years of experience to promote the goal of peace and social justice shared by members of our Division.

James M. Statman, Ph.D.

I am truly honored to be nominated for the Presidency of Division 48 and approach the prospect of serving with great excitement, humility and, I must admit, some trepidation. For in these times when those working for peace, equity and positive social change can easily feel discouraged, it becomes ever more important to assert the mandate of our Division in our teaching, research, practice, interaction with colleagues, within the APA, through activism and in our daily lives: to present a realistic vision of a more just and peaceful world, backed by sound practice and solid psychological research.

I believe that it is our shared challenge to move peace psychology from the academic and organizational margins into the center of academic and professional discourse. As President of Division 48 I would work with divisional colleagues and reach out to many new ones, particularly graduate students and early career psychologists, minorities and international members, to strengthen, diversify and build the Division, to give us greater presence and voice within APA and to link with the many individuals and institutions that comprise our growing field of peace psychology. I will work to ensure that Division 48 is an open and welcoming place, a stimulating, vibrant, active, collaborative center for promoting peace psychology. We have much to do. To move our field forward we must begin to document and share best practice, to identify the skills, knowledge and competencies that constitute effective peace psychology, and to encourage and mentor rigorous, creative research into key issues such as state violence, socio-economic inequity, militarism, fundamentalism and terrorism. And we must bring our expertise, our constructs and methodologies into the world where they can be tested, refined and utilized.

For the past 35 years I have been working domestically and internationally (primarily in Africa) as an applied social/political psychologist. Most of this has been in chaotic and impoverished contexts: grassroots projects for youth; community development; institutional transformation; and local capacity building and empowerment projects, with a focus on underserved, marginalized and violent populations. I have recently completed working in Nigeria and South Africa to assist chronically unemployed former guerilla fighters and other ex-combatants access the psycho-social support, life-skills and career training they need to successfully enter civilian life and am currently working in Guyana using Appreciative Inquiry and conflict management methods to help address mounting ethno-political violence. My professional writing has focused on case studies that seek to describe and understand the personal and social dynamics of political conflict and change and particularly to elucidate and give voice to hidden dimensions of resistance to domination.

Since returning from South Africa in 2000 Division 48 has been my home base through which I have been able to meet and work with colleagues, present academic and applied work, and contribute, twice as program chair and as liaison to Divison 45. Should I be elected President I will happily and energetically devote myself to doing all I can to help the Division continue to prosper and grow.

MEMBER AT LARGE

Petra Hesse, Ph.D., (Associate Professor of Human Development, Wheelock College, Boston)

I have been a member of Division 48 since its inception. I have presented my work at many APA conventions, and served a term as Secretary-Treasurer from 1993-1996. Currently, I am one of the co-chairs of the Task Force on Children, Families and War.

I hold advanced degrees in child development (Ph.D., Harvard University, 1985) and international relations (M.A.L.D., Tufts University, 1985), and have been trying to integrate my educational backgrounds and training ever since graduate school. I have written about children's fears of nuclear war, about children's and adolescents' enemy images in different cultures, about German adolescents before and after reunification, and about children's reactions to 9/11. I also produced a videotape and wrote several articles and book chapters about political messages on children's television. I have been teaching courses on children's political socialization, and am developing a certificate program on working with children and families internationally, for teachers and other human service professionals in training. My current writing is about teacher training in political socialization and political education.

I have presented my work both nationally and internationally at conferences of the International Society of Political Psychology, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Research on Child Development, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Alliance for a Media Literate America. I have published in a variety of European and American publications: Psychosozial, Telemedium, International Journal of Mental Health, Young Children, and Contemporary Psychological Review.

As member-at-large, I would continue to contribute actively to Division 48. I would be interested in building alliances and partnerships with sister organizations (e.g. the International Society of Political Psychology) and organizations with compatible missions and projects (e.g. the World Organization of Early Childhood Education and the National Association for the Education of Young Children). Of course, I would also be open to developing other projects with members of Division 48.

Julie Levitt, Ph.D.

I am a clinical psychologist who has worked extensively in the area of peace building, believing that the practice of psychology includes participation in many levels of society.

My involvement as a peace psychologist has included political and community volunteerism with non-profit organizations promoting social justice. I organize programs to inform about local and national policy, serve on the boards of community action organizations, and currently work on violence prevention by collaborating with several organizations to develop legislative initiatives and educational programs.

My election twice to the National Steering Committee of Psychologists for Social Responsibility has increased my investment in peace psychology. Four years ago I sought a project that would further the field of international humanitarian assistance. That resulted in PsySR conferences in 2002 and 2003, which brought together 50-60 researchers, administrators, and clinicians from governmental and non-governmental agencies, including foreign program directors. We explored assumptions and field practices in order to develop guidelines for intervention and to identify areas for further investigation. How to engage participants and maintain momentum among participants also was studied. In August 2005 I co-chaired a PsySR program for field workers based on the findings of our conferences.

My research areas include study of survivors of trauma, particularly those who suffered during the Holocaust, with focus on resilience.

As a 48 MAL completing her first term, I have used my systems skills to assess group interaction and suggest approaches that would increase member involvement and diversity. I developed outreach materials and programming that incorporated diverse perspectives and a wide range of applications. Now I serve on the Society's Diversity Task Force, formed this year to explore the meaning of difference within the Society and how best to meet the needs of members and create an environment of and model for inclusion. I would like to complete this initiative while on the Executive Committee.

My work as a 48- Executive Committee Member, clinician, clinical researcher, peace activist, and community advocate, qualifies me for a second term as MAL. I would be most honored to serve.

Back to Division Main Page