Friedman, Howard. “IPPNO News.” Newsletter of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace V11.2 (Fall 1991)
CURRENT HISTORY. On 3-14-91 John Somerville, seriously ill for more than a year, resigned as President of North American IPPNO and asked Paul Allen, then Secretary, to take over. On 9-17-91, after considerable consultation, Paul asked Ron Santoni and Howard Friedman, respectively, to be President and Executive Secretary. Both accepted with Paul and John (the latter’s health permitting) remaining on the Advisory Board. One task of the present executives and all others concerned is to redefine the mission of IPPNO, given the diminished present threat of omnicide. My own view is that IPPNO’s central focus should be the attainment of peace, however this latter may be viewed, but that the larger circle of IPPNO’s concerns extend to any global issue that might become peace-threatening. Arguments for other views are encouraged: out of this interchange a new IPPNO–and a new constitution–will arise.
Is IPPNO’s name also to be modified? Time will tell. At the very least, in the interest of continuity for the present IPPNO will keep the acronym, ‘IPPNO,’ but define its scope differently. Since the North American section of IPPNO has been the chief locomotive in energizing the entire IPPNO structure, this section will shortly reach out through the IPPNO coordinator, Tom Daffern, to other IPPNO sections to establish closer ties and to stimulate the formation or renewal of activities.
What of the relation between IPPNO and CPP? I attended the CPP meeting in Knoxville specifically to begin rebuilding bridges. I said then, with Ron’s concurrence, that although the particulars are open and to be defined in practice, our intention is to be totally cooperative, non-competitive and wherever possible mutually complementary. In the same spirit, I noted how regrettable difficulties had arisen in the past between the two groups and that we would take all steps possible to avoid any recurrences.
PLANNED MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES. 1) IPPNO meeting, Eastern Division, APA, Sun., Dec. 29 1991; 9-11am, Broadhurst/Belasco Room, Mariott Hotel, NYC. Topic: War and Its Victims. Papers include “The Effects of War on Children” and “Current Estimates of Nuclear Warfare Casualties.” Business meeting will follow talks. Contact Barbara Wall, see below. 2) A plenary session on War and Violence is being organized by IPPNO and CPP for the Second International Congress on Violence, Montreal, July 13-17, 1992. IPPNO is an official sponsor and Ron Santoni is preparing this session. Papers will be chosen on merit without regard to organizational affiliation. Please contact Ron asap , see below. 3) An international conference, European Conversations on Peace, will be held in the autumn, 1992 in London and then in Brussels or Paris. Contact Daffern, see below. 4) IPPNO plans to hold its next international conference in connection with the XIXth World Congress of Philosophy, Moscow, 1993. The conference theme is Mankind at a Turning Point, Philosophical Perspectives. Contact Friedman or Santoni, see below.
ACTIVISM. I am proposing a Network of Correspondence whose members will originate letters-to-the-editor and op-ed articles and transmit these to all other members so that one article can be placed in many local papers and magazines. I invite volunteers to serve as members and coordinators for the Network. Contact Friedman, see below.
JOURNAL OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF PEACE. To be an international, multi-perspectival, interactive, refereed electronic journal. Sections will contain articles, electronic roundtable discussions, reprints of classical articles not easily obtainable, notes, reviews, peace-relevant data, current bibliography, announcements, etc. All submitted articles are to be refereed. (All referring is blind, so serving as a referee does not preclude contributing to the Journal as well.) Issue editors, assistants,and those interested in developing an authoritative bibliography, or in taking charge of any particular section, are also needed. Contact Friedman, see below.
Howard FRIEDMAN, Phil. Dept., Univ. of Connecticut at Waterbury, Waterbury, CT 06710. Tel. (w) 203 757-1231 (Tell operator before being connected you wish to leave a message if no answer.) (h) 203 283-4485. Bitnet FRIEDMAN@UCONNVM. Internet FRIEDMAN@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU. FAX 203 754-8540. Ronald E. SANTONI, Phil. Dept., Denison Univ., Granville, OH 43023. Tel. (w) 614 587-6318 (h) 614 587-2327. Bitnet Santoni@Denison. Internet SANTONI@MAX.CC.DENISON.EDU. FAX 614 587-6417. Barbara Wall, Phil. Dept.,Villanova Univ., Villanova PA 19085. Tel. (w) 215 645-4690. Bitnet QUILTER@VILLVM. Internet QUILTER@UCIS.VILL.EDU. FAX 215 645-4496. Tom DAFFERN, Peace House, 31 Pembroke Rd., London N15 4NW. Tel. from US 011 44 81 801-9981. Also, Initiative for Peace Studies, Inst.of Education, Univ. of London. FAX 071 436-2186.
Howard Friedman is Executive Secretary, North American IPPNO
