President Levant reported on the APA response to the Tsunami Disaster. In addition to the $100,000 for general relief already allocated, Council voted another $150,000 for mental health needs of the victims. There was also a call for nominations to a Task Force to investigate the ethical involvement of psychologists in the prison in Guantanamo. This could be one of the most significant activities of APA, with significant public policy implications. Dr Levant also presented his 4 presidential initiatives: 1. "Making Psychology a Household Word," 2. "Healthcare for the Whole Person," 3. "Enhancing Diversity in APA," and 4. "Evidence Based Practice."

Div 42 Council Rep Melba Vasquez reported on the Task force on Enhancing Diversity in APA. She spoke about the ways in which marginalized groups perceive APA as unwelcoming and presented various strategies to make APA more welcoming. The report from the Task Force also includes a conflict resolution model for use in situations where conflict arises between or among groups.

Norman Anderson, PhD, CEO, reported on the changes in the accounting procedures at APA as the organization moves from print to electronic products, and how APA hopes to increase our revenues from these products.. Also discussed was the possibility of receiving a substantial tax abatement for APA if we elect to hold our annual convention in DC every third year.

Back Row: Glen Ally, Armand Cerbone, Michael Murphy, Katherine Nordal, Jeffrey Barnett, Douglas Haldeman, Rita Dudley-Grant, Robert Resnick, Carol Goodheart. Front Row: Lenore Walker, Alan Entin, Jean Carter, Melba Vasquez, Lisa Grossman, Stanley Graham, Tommy Stigall.

One of the most moving and intense discussions was the report of the APA delegation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001. There was concern that the UN Declaration which was adopted at the meeting was anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli in tone. While the US and Israeli delegations walked out of the meeting, the APA delegation did not. They were not supporting the Declaration; rather, they stayed to have mental health language included in the Declaration, which they achieved. However, some members of Council thought the UN Declaration should not be appended to the APA delegation report, fearful it would be seen as endorsing the anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli position. Sandra Shullman, PhD, a member of the APA Board of Directors, gave a summary presentation of the work of the APA Council Task Force appointed last August to address this controversy, with comment from the APA delegation chair Corann Okorodudu, PhD. One recommendation from the Task Force was that APA would appoint a Task Force to write a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish discrimination specifically, and a resolution against prejudice and discrimination in all forms. Members of Council shared very personal stories and incidents about discrimination towards them as African Americans and as Jews. Dr Vasquez was moved to comment about how the discussion helped her develop "deeper levels of compassion and an increased connection with my Jewish colleagues." Council finally voted to receive the APA report, after discussing what it means to accept the report, and the UN Declaration will be appended to the report, with some educational annotation to paragraphs within the Declaration that are offensive to some Jewish members of Council. It will include an introduction that explains the controversial issues and concerns. It was concluded that APA needs to establish an organizational structure to become better prepared to engage effectively in global issues and world events at all APA leadership levels. There was a consensus that we need to move anti-racism, multiculturalism, diversity and religious pluralism forward in the organization and learn from the process and continue the discussion of these important issues.

A number of business items related to our interests were passed:

• A resolution opposing capital punishment for mentally ill individuals with a persistent mental disability, including mental retardation;
• Clinical Geropsychology was approved as a proficiency in professional psychology;
• Guidelines for education and training at the doctoral and postdoctoral level in consulting/organizational psychology were approved;
• A resolution that Gender Identity be included as a category in the definition of diversity in the APA Bylaws, which will be sent to the membership for a vote;
• Reimbursement of Council Representatives at a higher rate which will make it easier for smaller states and divisions to be able to afford to send Representatives to Council meetings;
• More funds were allocated for the TF on Psychoactive Medications for Children and Adolescents;
• Creation of a TF on Gender Identity , Gender Variance, and Intersex Conditions was passed;
• Creation of a TF to study the Sexualization of Girls;
• A resolution supporting an increase in federal dollars to the VA with mental health concerns, especially as related to the war in Iraq;
• Funding to support the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron in Ohio

Lisa Grossman( 2nd from left), Membership Chair, enlists 3 Council Representatives to join Division 42. From left: John Norcross, Lisa Grossman, Diane Salter and Linda Knauss

The last item on the agenda: Voting on the petition to create a new division, the Division for Animal - Human Interaction. The petition had met the initial requirement of having sufficient APA members sign a petition in support of the formation of the division. However, opposition came from several different sources. Primarily, there was 1) concern about potential conflict with existing divisions and interests of animal researchers and comparative psychologists, 2) opinion that the goals of the proposed division were already being met by other divisions, and 3) belief that it lacked sufficient theoretical underpinnings and existing body of knowledge to justify the creation of a new division, in addition to the usual arguments about any new division competing with existing divisions for members and convention program time. Although it received a majority vote, it did not receive the 2/3rds vote needed to pass and the petition for the creation of a Division on Human - Animal Interaction failed.

For more information about any of the items contained in this report, please contact either myself or any of the Division 42 Council Representatives.

P.S. While our Division has the largest number of Council Representatives, your influence and practitioner interests are very extensive in Council. Many of the Council Reps from other divisions, states and providences and territories are also among the governance structure of Division 42. We assembled as many of them as we could for the photograph which accompanies this report.

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