Humanitarian Organizations
Robert Fettgather has completed Hospice Training with Hospice of the Valley. He is a counselor, educator, writer and activist residing in Grass Valley, California. Robert Fettgather holds a doctorate in psychology and master degrees in both psychology and education.
Residing in Grass Valley, California, Robert Fettgather has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Mission College in Santa Clara for more than four decades. During his tenure, he has instructed various courses, including developmental psychology and abnormal psychology. Robert Fettgather has a strong interest in issues of peace and social justice.
In the realm of healthcare, numerous organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders, strive to alleviate suffering and advance humanitarian causes. Established in 1982, Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR), headquartered in Chicago, is among these groups dedicated to fostering positive outcomes for individuals and communities.
Initially formed by a concerned group of psychologists troubled by the looming specter of nuclear conflict, PsySR took shape through public gatherings following screenings of “The Day After,” a television movie depicting the aftermath of an ICBM attack on the United States. Additionally, it lent support to movements opposing nuclear proliferation. Over time, PsySR expanded its focus beyond nuclear disarmament, creating educational materials like curricula addressing the portrayal of adversaries in media imagery. Members also provided guidance to families of soldiers deployed in the Persian Gulf and advocated for the safeguarding of witnesses to war crimes in conflict zones like Rwanda and Yugoslavia. Furthermore, PsySR contributed to international forums discussing women’s rights issues.
Although PsySR now addresses a wide array of contemporary social concerns, its inception in 1982 was galvanized by one paramount issue: the global peril posed by nuclear armament. Despite the passage of time, the influential publication “Using Psychology to Help Abolish Nuclear Weapons: A Handbook,” released by PsySR in 2005, remains pertinent today. Authored by Marc Pilisuk and Jamie Rowen, this handbook underscores psychology’s significant role in advancing nuclear disarmament efforts. By examining human reactions to imminent threats and actual attacks, among other psychological phenomena, the handbook extrapolates these insights to inform policies and strategies concerning nuclear armament. PsySR continues to endorse this position, particularly in the current climate marked by heightened nuclear tensions, dedicating a section of its website to its promotion.
