ICP Newsletter – Summer 2021

ICP at Dr. Florence Denmark’s 90^th Birthday Celebration

Josephine C. H.  Tan, President

Several members of the ICP joined many individuals within the international psychology community in a Zoom meeting to celebrate Dr. Florence L. Denmark’s 90^th birthday which fell on January 28^th.  Dr. Denmark is an exceptionally distinguished psychologist of world-wide renown for her work in international psychology, women’s studies, ageing, and general psychology.  She has received numerous high honors and awards in recognition of her contributions to psychology.  She was the 88^th President of the American Psychological Association, and has served in many leadership roles in a variety of psychological associations.  She is a very strong supporter of the ICP, having been a member for several decades, served as the ICP President in 1990, and is one of distinguished ICP’ers who guided our organization in its development and growth.  She is also one of the namesakes on the ICP Denmark-Gunvald award that celebrates feminist research and service. She served on the ICP Board for many years, and is currently its Parliamentarian as well as the ICP Main Representative to the United Nations.

During the two hour  birthday celebration, colleagues, friends, students, and family members shared memories and traded stories that acknowledged the very substantial contributions that Dr. Denmark has made and continues to make to our discipline.  For those of a younger generation, it was inspiring to hear how Dr. Denmark and women colleagues of her generation struggled and persevered for many years to be considered as equals to male psychologists, and blazed the trail for other women psychologists who came after them.  Her experiences led her to valuing the importance of mentoring and helping students to develop to their best potential.  She actively encourages others to aspire to levels that they might not have otherwise considered, and continually expresses full confidence in their ability to succeed.  A huge number of students – women and men – have benefitted from working with Dr. Denmark and value her mentorship and encouragement as they have established productive careers of their own.  She has been exceptionally generous with her time and sharing of resources with everyone, and continues to do so to this day.

Dr. Denmark remains an exceptional role model and an inspiration to so many of us.  She continues to teach, write, present, and advocate to this day.  The ICP extends its best wishes to Dr. Denmark for continued health and success!

Global webinar saluted Florence Denmark at 90 years

Elaine Congress & Harold Takooshian, IMCES

On January 27, 2021, over 50 revelers from as far as Austria joined to celebrate online the joyous 90^th birthday of beloved international psychologist Florence L. Denmark. Florence is known internationally as a teacher, researcher, author, mentor and, of course, a co-founder and past-President of APA Division 52.

For two hours, doyen Florence shared memories with grateful family, friends, colleagues and students–sharing many photos, a toast and virtual birthday cake. Despite 10 months of austere covid lockdowns across many regions, these celebrants were awash in warm wishes and memories with Florence and each other, and heard two poems saluting Florence (by Drs. Elaine Olaoye and Ani Kalayjian).

Florence can be most easily reached by email, at fdenmark@pace.edu . For a link to the joyous 130-minute recording, edited by Anna Stauber, check https://tinyurl.com/y4rqwbhf ,  or contact webinar host Elaine Congress at Congress@fordham.edu .

Human Rights Go Local: What Works

Vera Luckgei, ICP UN Representative in Vienna

How can human rights be implemented at the local level?  What are the best strategies to find out human rights are granted at the local level?  How can policymakers and academics work together on this complex and important issue?

These questions were discussed in the first edition of “Human Rights Go Local – What Works: Field-proven Research Methods on Human Rights”, which took place on February 1-9, 2021 and is planned to take place regularly from now on.

The Academy and subsequent conference were held at the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at the Local and Regional Levels under the auspices of UNESCO at the University of Graz. Due to the current situation a visit to the first European human rights city Graz, Austria, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, was possible only digitally. The event was co-organized by the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Human Security in Graz, Austria, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

During the academy, human rights experts and practitioners, academics, policy makers, public administrators, representatives of the civil society, international and regional organizations came together for an interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. Together they created the outcome document “Building Bridges between Local Governments and the Scientific Community to Promote Human Rights”. Fourteen recommendations for local governments worldwide to strengthen human rights in their communities were written down. Local authorities are requested to base their key policies on research on human rights at their local level and to promote field proven human rights research methods in their environment. It is emphasized to reevaluated existing data with a focus on marginalized groups to leave no one behind.

The closing conference on February 9 with more than 300 participants were introduced by greetings from Austrian politicians and voices around the world. Afterwards Morten Kjærum head of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law presented the newly created document to the public and moderated the following high-level panel discussion. Under the slogan “Building Bridges between Local Governments and Science to Promote Human Rights” Michael O’Flaherty, FRA Director, Nada Al-Nashif, OHCHR Deputy, Gabriela Ramos, UNSECO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, Siegfried Nagl, Mayor of Graz and Gerd Oberleitner, UNESCO Chair for Human Rights and Human Security.

There was a broad discussion, based on very concrete local political experiences gained in the Human Rights City Graz over the last 20 years, about possibilities of cooperation between politics and science, addressing current human rights demands. It was underlined that there is a massive data gap concerning human right violations on local levels in many areas around the world. To generate missing data cooperation’s between local authorities, scientists and affected groups are needed. It was pointed out that it is very important to conduct research together with affected communities not only about them in order to create valuable knowledge that reveals structures behind local human rights violations.

The newly created document might be of relevance to all ICP members who are engaged in research on human rights violations and in finding solutions to reduce these. It can be used to foster co-operation between researchers in the field of psychology and local authorities and therefore support the process of putting research into action.

Global webinar reviewed the ICP video on NGOs at the UN

Harold Takooshian, IMCES, Florence L. Denmark, ICP, & Elaine Congress, ICP

Back in 1981, on the 40^th anniversary of the founding of the International Council of Psychologists, ICP registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the United Nations. ICP was only the second psychology NGO at the UN (after the Association for Women in Psychology in 1976).  For 40 years now, ICP continues be an active voice of psychology at the UN.

In 2000, a team headed by ICP past-President Selma Sapir produced a unique, 35-minute video on the role of “NGOs at the UN.”  Here, Sapir interviewed a dozen legendary NGO founders who worked with the original League of Nations, the new UN, and activist Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1940s. Each of these pioneers limned the vital roles and importance of NGOs at the UN. As Esther Hymer noted: “The United Nations would not be here today if it were not for the initial support of the NGOs . . . who garnered public support for the UN and its diplomats.”

“Since the United Nations was formed in 1945, what is the history of NGOs at the United Nations?”

On January 28, 2021, 48 psychologist and students from Los Angeles to Geneva convened for a three-part global webinar to review this question.

First,  a webinar screened this “forgotten” ICP video on “NGOs at the United Nations.”

Second, six diverse experts served as discussants for 5 minutes each, offering their views on the video, and the current status of NGOs.  (a) CUNY Professor Emeritus Walter Reichman spoke about the work of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAPP), which focuses on issues like global mental health and “decent work.” (b) Psychotherapist Allyn Enderlyn of Webster University-Geneva reviewed her current work with the United Nations in Geneva. (c) Ambassador Hamid Al-Bayati frankly voiced the reservations that many diplomats share about working with NGOs, and why they should cooperate more with NGOs, through student internships and other collaborations. (d) Tara Pir, a past-President of ICP, is the founding Director of the Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Education Services (IMCES) in Los Angles, which is a leader in global collaborations and evidence-based cross-cultural services. (e) Ani Kalayjian is a past Treasurer of ICP, and the founding Director of ATOP www.MeaningfulWorld.com, and introduced several of her ATOP fellows and interns, who each described their own personal research projects with the UN.  (f) Leslie Popoff, President of the Psychology Coalition at the UN (PCUN), described on-going PCUN projects, including the 14^th annual Psychology Day at the UN this April 15.

Third, vigorous conversation flowed for 30 minutes, as diverse participants from the USA and Europe met for the first time, and exchanged experiences about their NGOs. This webinar survived an unexpected two-minute “zoom-bombing,” with blaring music that would make even heavy-metal fans cringe.  A 90-minute recording of this webinar appears at: https://tinyurl.com/y4bm7quw

This series was the first of a  group of global webinars held in spring 2021, cosponsored by several organizations: PCUN, IMCES, ATOP, Fordham Psi Chi, Manhattan Psychological Association (MPA), and six APA divisions (10, 34, 42, 46, 48, 56). This series was made possible by a mini-grant from the American Psychological Association’s CODAPAR, to increase psychologists’ involvement in the UN and global issues.

The next webinar was  in February and was  being organized by John Fraser of APA on the topic of “food insecurity.” Other webinars were held in on March and April.  For details on future webinars, or to join this free listserv, contact Professor Harold Takooshian at takoosh@aol.com  .

Announcement of a New ICP Special Interest Group:
Decolonising Psychology & Psychology Decolonising Society

Polli Hagenaars, Naomi Koerner & Élison Santos

We are pleased to tell readers about a new Special Interest Group dedicated to decolonising psychology and examining ways in which a more globally-informed psychology can be a catalyst for decolonising minds and societies. We invite ICP Members to join a safe forum to engage in an open discourse. Members need not be “experts” in the area—any ICP member or student member interested in developing their awareness, knowledge and understanding, and in transforming knowledge into action, is welcome.

Readers may have noticed that we have used the term “decolonising” rather than “decolonisation of.” We consider decolonising a process that actively involves exploring our own awareness and understanding of the influences of colonisation not only on psychology as a discipline and profession, but also on our minds, behaviour and relationships; on indigenous populations; on various institutions and on the environment. It is about taking responsibility and deconstructing and repairing what has gone wrong by colonisation. We have chosen to use the term “decolonising” rather than “decolonisation of” to recognize this process.

Decolonising puts human rights, equity and justice at the core. We see it as a practice that begins with decolonising our ways of thinking and our attitudes. Referencing the seminal ideas of Frantz Fanon (1925-1961), Maldonado-Torres (2017) wrote, “Attitude is key in the decolonial turn and the decoloniality of not only psychology but also knowledge, being, and power more generally.”

Through this interest group on decolonising, we will examine ways in which (unequal) socio-political power structures, now and in the past, have shaped psychology as a discipline and as a profession. We will critically analyse the ways in which theories, knowledge and practices developed in colonial contexts, are re-produced and hinder a more globally-informed exchange among psychologists across international lines. We will explore the continued effects of colonial power structures in the work of psychologists as educators, practitioners, researchers, mentors, administrators, and human beings.

We will consider how to move from knowledge about colonial influences on psychology as a discipline, to ethical decolonial practices and reparative actions, actions psychologists can take to combat and dismantle (post-) colonial influences (structural, institutional, epistemological) inside and outside their discipline and profession, to ensure that the principle of the equal inherent Dignity of each person is upheld (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).

We plan to send you a formal invitation along with a survey, to learn more about your perspectives and experiences with regard to colonialism and decolonising—we are interested in multiple global perspectives. The upcoming ICP virtual conference (October 22-24, 2021) will include programming on the topic of ‘Decolonising’ as well as a Networking Café wherein attendees can explore the topic further through discussion and exchange.

Feel free to contact us via email. We also have an online discussion forum that ICP members can now join. We invite questions, comments and expressions of interest.

Polli Hagenaars (Netherlands, ICP Director-at-Large): polli.hagenaars@gmail.com
Naomi Koerner (Canada, ICP Member): naomi.koerner@ryerson.ca
Élison Santos (Brazil, ICP Director-at-Large): elisonsan@gmail.com

Reference:

Maldonado-Torres, N. (2017). Frantz Fanon and the decolonial turn in psychology: From modern/colonial methods to the decolonial attitude. South African Journal of Psychology, 47, 432 – 441.

STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

Congratulations to all of the student award winners from ICP2020!  It so exciting to see the work that students are doing within the area of psychology. Their work is both innovative and inspirational.   Three student award winners from ICP2020 submitted a summary of their work for the Newsletter.  Daniel Balva’s work highlights the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities.  It raises important areas of concern such as accessibility, activities of daily living, quality of life, and systems of care.  Next, Yunung Lee presents the analysis of a scoping review of the history of psychology in Taiwan.  In particular, she discusses the marginalization of Indigenous peoples of Taiwan, foreign spouses, and people living in poverty.  Finally,  Shenae Osborn’s work addresses domestic violence and the “unseen abuses” and  “invisible scars” endured by women in violent interpersonal relationships.

Each one of these presentations provide thoughtful and important contributions to work in the areas of human rights and social justice.

Daniel BALVA

Summary of Work:

Persons with disabilities form the largest minority in the world, yet continue to remain marginalized on various levels and in various sectors across the globe. As history has shown, during worldwide disasters and pandemics, the disability community has frequently been overlooked and underserved, and we have especially observed this during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with Jose “Joey” Tapia-Fuselier, our poster, “The Response to COVID-19: The Impact on Disability Communities Across the World” highlighted the impact of the pandemic on disability communities around the world and focused on strategies psychologists can utilize to address community needs and foster culturally responsive care.

Our work stressed the impact of COVID-19 on concerns related to accessibility, activities of daily living, quality of life, and systems of care. While such areas continue to be affected by the pandemic, it has been our hope to raise more awareness about important considerations and courses of action for psychologists to foster, contribute to, and advocate for the mental and physical care as well as general wellbeing of our clients.

While much of the world has seen advances in technology and forms of service provision across technological platforms, it is essential that we also recognize continued disparities that hinder accessibility and digital literacy. This is especially important for psychologists who provide services including telehealth or telemedicine. For this reason, our work has also focused on providing information about such disparities in addition to the need for psychologists to advocate for equitable access to healthcare services and the removal of health system-created barriers to accessibility.

Biography:

Daniel Balva (he/him/his) is a 3rd year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia. He has a strong passion for global mental health, multiculturalism and international social justice concerns, juvenile justice, and disability awareness— all of which form the basis of his research interests, leadership involvement in various organizations, and international collaborations and engagement.

Shenae Osborn

“The Unseen Abuses”

The Unseen Abuses was inspired by personal circumstances for which I later realized is a reality for too many women across the globe. The abuses that do not leave visible scars, bruises, or broken bones but do leave lasting mental scars is something that needs heightened awareness and support. Many women stay in abusive relationships because they are threatened by their perpetrator, belittled to feel they are nothing without them. The fear and anxiety that is caused by a perpetrator keeps a victim in the relationship, imprisoned. At a certain point of the relationship, the victim cannot see themselves without their perpetrator because they have become so dependent on them. Most times the perpetrator is a narcissist, so others see him as charming. This creates further confusion for the victim because their experiences, their abuse, their pain, and scars cannot be seen so telling another the truth is even more difficult. Victims are often not believed or simply told they are misunderstanding the situation. When victims are believed, the ramifications for unseen abuses are significantly less, almost laughable so the victim prevents further humiliation.

As a mother of three boys, I see that social media is becoming the primary form of communication. Social media is filled with judgment, harassment, and false information which we are all vulnerable to. Too many people get away with harming others, verbally, mentally and emotionally which inevitably causes psychological distress. Awareness and support for women and girls across the globe is a necessity. All abuses matter and should be taken seriously whether they can be seen or not. I hope to inspire others through my advocacy efforts. I was inspired to create a website called Dare Me to Speak at https://linktr.ee/daremetospeak where anyone can find more information on abuses, sign petitions to make a change and feel support. Just because it can’t be seen, doesn’t mean it does not exist.

Biography

Shenae Osborn is a United Nation intern at Fordham University. Her personal experiences have taken her from living in New York City shelters to graduating with a master from Fordham University. Shenae aspires to focus on advocacy for violence against women and children across the globe and create international policy changes especially when it comes to the unseen abuses.

Yuning Lee

Summary of the work: The Contemporary Psychological History of Social Minorities in Taiwan. 

Applying a scoping review method, Yunung reviewed and analyzed a total of sixty-four research papers regarding the psychological history of social minorities in Taiwan. Among the small body of literature, she identified three groups of marginalized people in Taiwan’s history of psychology; Indigenous peoples, foreign spouses, and those living in poverty. Within the group of Indigenous Peoples, she identified four salient themes, a) mental well-being of seniors and youth b) parenting stressors in non-traditional families, c) trauma recovery via Indigenous-healing, and d) identity struggles

For the group of foreign spouses, she identified two main themes, a) foreign spouses’ cross-cultural adaptation, and b) the adjustment and well-being of children of foreign spouses.  Theme one is comprised of , a) bi-cultural conflicts and cross-cultural adjustments, b) marital and familial conflicts, as well as domestic violence, c) attitudes toward sex, d) parenting challenges and e) mental health interventions

Finally, for the group of people living in poverty, the predominant these was struggles faced by women  This these had  two subthemes, a) struggles with anti-contraception  beliefs held by men  and b) participating in sex-work as a survival strategy, paid/unpaid labor. A second theme was about women as laborers, with 3 subthemes,  a)  dual roles as laborers and mothers/wives, b) struggle for dignity, and c) emotional health.  

Concomitant and divergent themes across the three groups were explored. Common themes were the impact of stigma, lack of resources, conflict between majority and minority cultures, and identity struggles.  On the other hand, there were unique theme within each group, an asset for healing from trauma for Indigenous peoples; cross-cultural struggles among foreign spouses, and underemployment for people living in poverty.

In general, research on social minorities in Taiwan is scarce. Indigenous peoples and foreign spouses has received more scholarly attention than people who live in poverty. Many of the articles found did not demonstrate academic rigor and were published in minor journals which contributes to  the invisibility and marginalization of these groups. Lack of resources, social stigma, and identity struggles intersect which in turn reflects and reinforces the tensions and conflicts with mainstream Taiwanese culture.

Biography

Yunung Lee is a registered counseling psychologist in Taiwan. She works mainly at the community psychiatry clinics and counseling centers with people from all walks of life. Her specialties include cross-culture adaptation, cross-generational conflicts and reconciliation, weight and eating-related issues, and identity issues. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at McGill University in Canada.