CommunityPsychologyUK

Bringing Society To Psychology

Community Psychology Network Meeting - Psychologists Against Austerity

Event Details

Time: August 27, 2014 from 6:30pm to 9pm
Location: Kings Cross, London
Street: 126 York Way,
City/Town: London N1 OAX
Website or Map: http://www.starofkings.co.uk/
Event Type: campaign, and, network, meeting
Organized By: Sally Z
Latest Activity: Aug 21, 2014

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Event Description

Psychologists Against Austerity Meeting - we're launching a campaign! Next meeting Weds 27th August - all welcome!

A recent meeting of the London Community Psychology Network on the topic of austerity brought up some suggestions for a project that we, as psychologists, could engage in concerning austerity. We are emailing to ask if anyone is interested in being involved or has any suggestions for it.

Our plan is to launch a very specific campaign against the cuts, inequality and scapegoating that have been constructed as ‘Austerity’ using a clear campaign manifesto. We could give the campaign a finite time period by having it run between the end of the summer and the 2015 general election.

Come and help us plan and launch this campaign. It's just starting!

See further details in the Comments Section below.

ALL WELCOME!

We have a reserved space at The Star of Kings pub in Kings Cross. This will help us save money on venues etc!

Comment Wall

Comment by Sally Z on August 21, 2014 at 23:25: Our plan is to launch a very specific campaign against the cuts, inequality and scapegoating that have been constructed as ‘Austerity’ using a clear campaign manifesto. We could give the campaign a finite time period by having it run between the end of the summer and the 2015 general election. In order to be realistic and to make people feel it’s worth coming on board we don’t have to necessarily append ourselves to grand narratives of change (such as changing policy or changing psychological practice) rather -

‘through collaboration with other community partners, play an active and progressive role in public understandings of austerity between now and May 2015’.

This could involve writing public letters, getting into the national media, collecting names via a petition, using criticalpsychological forms of knowledge to publicly challenge the various pronouncements which will form part of the lead in to the general election.

The key functions of this campaign could be to

•         Contribute to awareness raising of the damage of austerity

•         Publically challenge, counter and deconstruct austerity myths using, where possible, national media

•         Work with the BPS on a possible public statement

•         Use the London Network NING to collate relevant critical research and evidence

•         Focus on ‘toxic societies’ rather than damaged people

•         Enrol as many psychologists as possible through a petition. We could publicise it through the BPS, UK CP andLondon network lists and recruit through the BPS, UK CP and London network lists.

•         Undertake a mapping exercise of organizations (eg Taxpayers Against Poverty, The People's Assembly and NEF) in order to link the campaign with relevant progressive organisations to contribute to alternative visions for our public services

Importantly the campaign is to help us as a network of psychologists - to not just talk critically - but to act critically as well.