514 International Psychology
VISAS AND FLAGS
Another potential conflict was quietly resolved during the
preparatory phase for the 1980 Congress in Leipzig. At the
1978 Congress of the International Association of Applied
Psychology (IAAP) in Munich, a member of the German
Democratic Republic (GDR) Program Planning Committee
informally asked one of the two APA representatives to IUP-
syS about possible APA reactions, if, for unforeseen reasons,
it should prove impossible at the last minute to grant visas to
colleagues from a country with which the GDR did not then
have diplomatic relations (meaning Israel). After consulta-
tion with IUPsyS officers, the GDR colleague was reminded
that at the time of the 1966 Moscow Congress, the USSR,
under similar circumstances, granted over 100 visas to psy-
chologists from Franco Spain. Moreover, the IUPsyS consti-
tution states specifically that a host country is obligated to
grant visas to colleagues from all IUPsyS member associa-
tions. Should visa problems prevent travel of some col-
leagues, it could probably be expected that numerous U.S.
psychologists would cancel their plans to come to Leipzig. It
was hoped that this discussion of what was deemed a trial
balloon would resolve the matter.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the January 1980
banishment of Nobel Prize–winning physicist and human
rights advocate Andrei Sakharov resulted in a worsening of
international tensions. The U.S. government threatened to
boycott (and eventually did) the Olympic Games in
Moscow and ordered a freeze on cultural and scientific
exchanges with the Soviet Union. International protests
were mounting. The APA Council was raising questions
about U.S. participation in the Leipzig congress. The visa
problem for Israeli psychologists had not been resolved.
It was in this tense atmosphere that the APA asked its
German-speaking IUPS representative, Henry P. David, to
visit Berlin for personal consultation with the congress pres-
ident and secretariat.
The APA representative was warmly received on arrival
in Berlin at the end of February 1980. During dinner at the
home of the congress president, it was noted that the only
foreign troops then occupying Afghanistan were Russian,
that the proposed U.S. sanctions did not apply to any other
country, and that an editorial in the March APAMonitor
would urge U.S. psychologists not to boycott the Leipzig
congress. The congress president was pleased and an-
nounced that arrangements had been completed for issuing
visas to Israeli psychologists on arrival in the GDR. How-
ever, the flag of Israel would not be flown with those of
other IUPsyS member countries. Although there was no
mention in the IUPsyS constitution about displaying flags,
the APA representative noted the likely protests such action
would entail, leading to embarrassment for the union. It
was eventually agreed that only the host country flag would
be flown or displayed at the congress. When asked whether
APA would invite representatives from all member coun-
tries to its usual reception, the reply was that, since the
congress would be in Leipzig and not in Moscow, Soviet
colleagues would be invited. In case of any unanticipated
problem, the reception would be canceled. Soviet col-
leagues did not, however, respond to the APA’s reception
invitation.
The Leipzig congress was a success. There were no com-
plaints about visas or the absence of national flags. When the
IUPsyS joined the International Council of Scientific Unions
(ICSU) in 1982, it accepted the responsibility of ensuring that
all congresses and meetings under its auspices would be
convened in conformity with ICSU’s Statement of the Free
Circulation of Scientists. Based on the International Bill of
Human Rights, the ICSU statement stipulates that scientists
have the right and freedom to participate in international sci-
entific activity without regard to citizenship, religion, creed,
political stance, ethnic origin, race, color, language, age, or
gender.PSYCHOLOGISTS’ EVOLVING STAND ON
SOCIAL ISSUESIn the post–World War II era, social issues outside the labora-
tory became major areas of applied psychological research
(e.g., Cantril, 1949). Klineberg (1964, 1967) noted the pio-
neering efforts of Claparède in Switzerland and Flugel in
England in supporting psychological approaches to conflict
resolution in international relations. He went on to summa-
rize the endeavors of the World Federation for Mental Health
and the contributions of psychologists led by him in the
UNESCO project “On Tension Affecting International
Understanding.” In 1965, Klineberg fostered “An Appeal to
Psychologists,” urging the wider dissemination of relevant
information available to psychologists and encouraging fur-
ther research through “close and effective cooperation” with
colleagues in other countries.
In subsequent years, psychologists increasingly recog-
nized their responsibility to participate in social policy re-
search and service activities with longer-term potential for
affecting the well-being of society. The etiological impor-
tance of socioeconomic conditions influencing human be-
havior received more attention than in earlier years (e.g.,
David 1986; Kennedy & David, 1986). In his presidential