From:  Andrew Phelps <no-action@cwnet.com>

To:  s-acc@yahoogroups.com

Subject:  [s-acc] national organizing, today's conditions

Sent:  Sat Sep 5 16:02 

 

Hi

I will try to put what I think in a positive framework.

I agree with Mki's critique that if we re-started the NO-LIST right now, we'd fall back into "impasse."

So to speak

  • STAGE1 was Pottstown 1986 where an FTF meeting was held to build a national organization, and the process broke down. There was serious conflict and the issues arising have been the subject of much discussion
  • STAGE2 was the NO-LIST where an internet effort to embrace the coming together of a national meeting for national organizing was put forth, starting 2002. The project as Mki said reached an 'impasse'. Instead of a general national organization, what evolved was more restricted, viz. the National Coalition of M.H. C/S Organizations.

    • I embraced the S-ACC project because I saw "grassroots advocacy" as a path forward, past the organizing breakdown of STAGE1 FTF ('dialogue failure') and the organizing breakdown of STAGE2 NO ('impasse'). I see the 'impasse' as related to the prevailing ideation which doesn't engage torture denial sufficiently and leads to problems of retraumatization and 'blending'.

    I found in the "Ethical APA" struggle against detainee torture an opening where re-thinking of the 'impasse' has been developing. Some of us have directly engaged that struggle, including myself, .., and now I'm pleased to say two "Ethical APA" psychologists Eca and Ehk (welcome, Ehk!) have also joined this list.

    We are in the process now of negotiating the framework for official support from Psychologists for Social Responsibility for this anti-torture coalition. [If you're interested personally, please write me off-list.]

    The hope for national organizing is that our "social bonding" will be sufficient so that the "next level" of this (a.k.a. "STAGE3") will produced something that comes together as an "N.O." built around grassroots advocacy. I think overcoming the "clinical gaze confusion" related to torture denial in the context of 'treatment'" will help; I also think that the excellent grassroots efforts in various locations that are going on now need to be understood and valued. Every place is different, and special, and I chose DC because my past experience there has given me some insight of what it is that's "special" there.

    Bbb is right, inasmuch as we need to develop a framework in our thinking regarding how we can proceed to national organizing at the level and with the vitality required.

     

    Andrew

       sorry, the battery is running out on my laptop