[psych-hr] Re: policy recommendations emerging from IPEDEHP discussion

Dear Ann and Marcy,

As I am slow to respond I will do it directly to you as these reflections
may be incorporated in your discussions at the APA convention - I wish you
good luck - I really enjoyed participating on the Division 48 activities
last year and hope this year will be as good or better.

My comments to the policy proposals.

I agree with all the 5 points in the document. I think that interactive
techniques, weight on affective materials and materials that can be used in
different contexts are quite important for a training program to be
effective. I also think that community support and networks are absolutely
necessary, for an implementation of what has been learned. I would
therefore suggest that a policy plan could include both some points
regarding content of training, where 1, 2 and 5 seem vital, and the
preferred or necessary context for it to happen, or as conditions to
followup, like points 2 and 3. 

But there as some points I would add and that I think are important for any
training program. Although it has been discussed and taken into the IDEPEHD
work I think it is worth emphasizing within this present discussion as well.

And that has to do with power, violation of human rights, and oppression -
I think that an important part of the training must include some kind of
theoretical or ideological understanding of why human rights are not
respected world wide - not that there is any simple answer to this - but it
is definitely not primarily for lack of knowledge. One could say that
knowing about the human rights are important for people to be able to CLAIM
their rights, but the powerholders do not disrespect them out of ignorance
but out of power  and position.

I think that being able to live with experiences of repression and human
rights violations, and to be willing to fight this abuse, has to do with
understanding the situation one is in, the power structure and whose
interest it is to keep other people in ignorance. A lot of the psychology
developed in South America, with weight upon consciousness raising has to
do with this point - to be able to fight for one's rights and dignity, one
has to be conscious on many different levels - also knowing the impediments
that are working against one's exercise of human rights. An important part
of training should thus be to be aware of the social forces working against
human rights, -  that they are not granted, once you know about them or
understand them. 

Human rights are not given, they are fought for - and I think this element
must be stressed stronger in the policy recommendations. If not they may be
too idealistic and perhaps not give people a sufficient preparation to the
disappointments that one may meet on the way - and I think this is true
even if we are talking about people with active  experiences from human
rights violations. 

Well this is a general point that perhaps may be included in our furhter
interactive discussion, but for now I wanted to send you these thoughts in
preparation for the APA convention.

Finally - as I have written to Marcy, I will try to use some of the
experiences form Peru in a course on Human rights and organized violence in
Nicaragua.

I wish you luck. 

Best regards from Nora