Gay, William (Univ. of North Carolina – Charlotte). "World Events and Philosophical Responses: My Years Editing the CPP Newsletter 1987-2002." CPP Newsletter Vol. 23, Nos. 1-2 (Spring-Fall 2003).
Over the last sixteen years, violent conflicts have been prominent globally. Too often, USA military forces have been involved. Fortunately, philosophers have regularly responded with critical assessments. During the time I have served as editor of CPP Newsletter, we have addressed Operation Just Cause in Panama; Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq; issues of genocide and humanitarian intervention in Bosnia and Somalia, Haiti, and Kosovo; the India-Pakistan nuclear arms race; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and the subsequent “war on terrorism” that has already resulted in the USA’s military overthrow of governments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Between 1987 and 2002, the CPP newsletter spanned volumes 7-22 and published nearly 100 articles, over two dozen book reviews, and a dozen bibliographies for a total of almost 600 pages that include seven special issues. From 1987 through 1992, each issue was 16 pages (32 pages a year). Beginning in 1993, the newsletter increased to 20 pages per issue (40 pages a year) with Judith Presler serving as Book Review Editor. Now, she and I are turning the newsletter over to Greg Moses, Wendy Hamblet, and Deb Peterson. They are a talented team, and we wish them all the best.
Our organization began in 1981, and from 1981 through 1986, Stephen Anderson edited the newsletter. CPP has now been operating for 22 years and is a well-established professional organization. Besides our newsletter, we have an annual meeting, sessions at the divisional meetings of the APA (see notice of upcoming sessions in this newsletter), and the Philosophy of Peace (POP) Special Series that is published by Rodopi. The POP books and other CPP volumes published by Longwood and Rowman & Littlefield already total ten books, and the number is climbing. During 2003, I served as Co-Editor of POP along with Joe Kunkel, who previously was the sole editor. Beginning in 2004, I will become the sole editor of POP. For this reason, I am leaving my post as newsletter editor. I have enjoyed being able to publish timely issues of the newsletter in which professional philosophers respond to world events with critical acumen, passion, and eloquence.
Given my involvement with CPP since 1981, I was invited to write a history of our organization. This history has been published as “Concerned Philosophers For Peace (CPP)” in the Global Studies Encyclopedia, eds. I.I. Mazour, A.N. Chumakov, and W.C. Gay (Moscow: Raduga, 2003), pp. 80-82. Access is also available on the web: go to <http://www.uncc.edu/wcgay/pubcpp.htm>. For those of you who are new to the organization, this history may provide a useful introduction. I am very proud of the accomplishments of CPP. While I am ending my service as newsletter editor, I will remain just as involved in the organization. I think having new editors for the newsletter will add to the strength of the organization. Greg, Wendy, and Deb have my strong endorsement and my best wishes. I look forward to their continuation of the contributions of the newsletter, to their innovations, and to our on-going critical examination of some of the most crucial issues facing humanity.
