THE SEVILLE STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE

"The same species who invented war is capable of inuenting peace."

Support Network c/o David Adams, Wesleyan Psychology Dept.
Mlddletown, Connecticut USA. 06457

NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 2, NUMBER 3, FEB, 1988

Since the last newsletter, our world has entered a new era -
the ERA OF DISARMAMENT! The IMF Treaty signed by Reagan and Gorbachev
at the Washington Summit in December is more than just a treaty and a
symbol of detente. It is the first true disarmament treaty, actually
abolishing an entire weapon system - and the most dangerous one at
that. Its verification provisions are a model for disarmament treaties
of the future. It is within this context that our work for the
Seville Statement takes on added meaning. Disarmament cannot come
just from the politicians. It must come from the minds of men - those
who put pressure on the politicians. The Seville Statement has a
critical role to play, freeing our minds from the bondage of biological
pessimism and empowering us for the task of full disarmament.

The Seville Statement was formally included in the work of
UNESCO at its 24th Conference in November. Much of the initiative
came from the Spanish National UNESCO Commission. as described by
the enclosed note, sent to us by their Executive Secretary Isidoro
Alonso Hinojal. The Seville Statement was also introduced by
Dimitra Papadopolou as a member of the Greek delegation, as described
in her letter which is also enclosed. A new Secretary-General of
UNESCO was elected at the conference - Federico Mayor Zaragoza of
Spain. We are especially pleased to congratulate him on his election,
because he helped us prepare for the Seville Statement and is one of
our twenty signatories! We hope that UNESCO will now be able to put
its full weight behind our message!

The most recent organizational endorsement to add to our list
comes from the AMERICAN ORTHOPSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, as described
in the enclosed letter from Bianca Cody Murphy, who is a co-chair
of their Nuclear Issues Study Group. Also, the endorsement of the
Seville Statement by the AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION was
confirmed by the response to a mailed ballot to their membership.
According to a note from President June Helm, the Statement was
"passed overwhelmingly“

Both the mass media and professional publications continue to
broadcast our message. Perhaps the most unusual is the enclosed
notice in the January issue of VOGUE MAGAZINE by Carol Tavris, the
editor of their "Mind Health" column This publication resulted from
the press conference held when the Seville Statement was endorsed by
the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION last August. Also, the editors
of PSYCHOLOGY TODAV are planning a special issue devoted to peace
and disarmament which includes an article on the Seville Statement.
The most recent newsletter of PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
carries a front page story on the Seville Statement, as does the
most recent issue of the newsletter of the Committee of Psychologists
for Peace of the INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES.
Riitta Wahlstrom writes from Finland that the Seville Statement was
published in Finnish in VDIN, NO. 5, 1986. page 39. and that it is
being translated into Esperanto for Japanese “Esperantists.”