Organizational Updates 1999   23 March 1999 5 February 1999

Note! Much information in this update is now outdated!

See our home page for current details.

---

23 March 1999: Coordinator Update

Dan Aalbers

Hello,

As you probably know there has been a shifting of roles at the Radical Psychology Network. Much of the work that was done solely by Dennis Fox and Isaac Prilleltensky is now shared among the members of the RadPsyNet's coordinating committee. Dennis has agreed to keep his position as Webmaster and Treasurer for now, but he urges members to consider taking over the website and perhaps expanding it in new directions.

The rest of his responsibilities are now shared between Juliette Page, Isaac Prilleltensky, Steve McKenna, and myself (Dan Aalbers). Juliet is our new membership coordinator, Steve and I are co-coordinators and Isaac is a member of the coordinating committee. Taking note that five of us are sharing the responsibilities that were once performed by Dennis and Isaac alone gives one a sense of how much work these two have done behind the scenes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Isaac and Dennis for their work and publicly express my personal thanks to Dennis for all the support he has given me during the transition period.

---

News: Second Listserv

There will be a new low-volume listserv that only processes announcements, but not discussion. [Note: No longer functional]

---

More News: Radical Psychology Journal!

As you've no doubt noticed we've not produced a newsletter for some time now. When I was deciding which coordinator jobs to take on, I decided not to continue to produce the newsletter.

There will, however, be a new Radical Psychology Journal set to publish its first issue on the 5th of May. I will be sending out a call for submissions soon. The journal is edited by Matthew King, Shlomit Schuster, Moshe Landsman and myself. [Note: See the Journal's new website]

The journal will be web based, making it free and giving it a wide distribution. The journal will be designed much like a paper journal, allowing persons so inclined to print out the journal and distribute it among their friends. More information will follow shortly.

I am hoping that the addition of journal and the addition of the second listserv makes up for the loss of the newsletter. If anyone would like to take on the task of reviving the newsletter please let us know.

---

RadPsyNet Goals and Directions: Survey

I've included a small informal survey. It is my hope that this survey will serve two purposes. One, I hope the survey will the let the coordinators know where the members would like them to focus their energies, and, two, I hope the survey will stimulate discussion about what we are and what we plan to do:

The Survey:

1. What to you wish to get from your involvement with RadPsyNet?
2. Are you are on the email discussion list and if not, why not?
3. Would you participate in the discussion list if it was in another format such as a newsgroup, BBS, or a web-based format?
4. Have you ever used the membership list, and for what?
5. What website resources are most useful?
6. Should RadPsyNet members: (choose one)
   1. __ Form committees that work on different projects
   2. __ Identify one or two common goals and pursue those vigorously
   3. __ Work on different individual projects while keeping the ideals of RadPsyNet in mind

   If you choose 1 or 2 what should the goals of RadPsyNet or the committees be?

7. RadPsyNet Directions (these suggestions were taken from the discussion list)

   (Please number in order of preference)

   1. __ Pushing liberal and reformist psychologists to adopt more radical stances.
   2. __ Helping survivors and other mental heath consumers to organize, unionize, and lobby effectively.
   3. __ Giving marginalized groups an academic voice.
   4. __ Organizing psychologists and psychologically oriented psychiatrists to keep drug companies and other corporations out of psychology.
   5. __ Provide critiques of mainstream psychology.
   6. __ Encourage individuals and communities to take direct political action.
   7. __ Encourage psychologists in industrialized nations to take notice of "third world" psychologies.
   8. __ Create non-profit mental health collectives.
   9. __ Provide a forum for discussion, information, and mutual aid for radically oriented psychologists.
   10. Other ___________

Please email the surveys to [outdated]...

Thanks.

Dan Aalbers, RadPsyNet Co-coordinator

Up to top

---

5 February 1999: New RadPsyNet Coordinating Committee

We are pleased to announce an expansion of RadPsyNet's coordinating committee and a transfer of many organizational tasks. This structural change should stabilize the network by reducing overdependence on key individuals while providing new energy and new ideas.

Our Coordinating Committee now consists of six people [contact information]: [NO LONGER ACCURATE]

RadPsyNet has always sought to expand radical and critical ideas within psychology and beyond. Despite the lack of time we all face, many members have taken on important tasks over the past five years--for example,

• Tor Neilands created our original website;
• Donna Tabish built the Books & Reviews website section, and designed our RadPsyNet website logos;
• Jackie Klosek edited RadPsyNews for a year; and
• David Nightingale started--and still maintains--the radical-psychology-network email discussion list.

Do you have time to become more involved? Check our Help and "Fantasies" pages or contact our coordinators.

Dennis Fox 

Up to top