A Message from the PsySSA President 2022
As we bring 2022 to a close, we are mindful of the many ways in which a number of spaces have opened up over the past year. We faced countless losses over the past three years of the COVID-19 pandemic – and we continue to remember those we have lost and we see the visible effects of the aftermath of the pandemic in the countless forms of suffering in our society. We know that there is much work to do.
In these seeds of crisis however, we see opportunities for harnessing energies and capacities in ways not easily imagined before COVID-19. The pandemic and its aftermath have offered us opportunities for imagining new modes of functioning – navigating and managing our daily lives, being together virtually, new modes of work, of teaching and learning, finding ways to build community, networks and solidarities across these difficulties. Ways that were hitherto not immediately accessible to us nor thought possible. I am keen for us to strengthen and build on the agility and flexibility that we have developed over the past three years – recognizing the ways in which we all, as a PsySSA community, have responded to the practice, research, community engagement, policy and advocacy work we have all been called upon to do. The energy and dynamism of our members, the reach of the work we do as PsySSA members as well as the ways in which this work impacts our society makes me extremely proud to be leading PsySSA.
This past year has been an immensely successful one for the Society. One in which we were able to take advantage of our stability as an organization, as well as consolidate and build on our strengths. A major highlight has been the opportunity to gather together at our 26th Annual Congress between 12 to the 14th October 2022. We are in the midst of consolidating feedback from the Congress but by all accounts, it was a very successful event – we had over 560 delegates in attendance and a vibrant, intellectually stimulating programme. Key amongst the feedback received in-person at Congress and thus far online – was the gratitude and joy for being able to gather together as a community in the name of PsySSA and a recognition of the vibrant, diverse community that we all are.
I look forward to working with the 2022/2023 Executive Committee and the broader PsySSA membership to continue to build and strengthen our society through enacting PsySSA’s vision, mission and strategic goals. I look forward too, to tending to the seedlings that have sprouted out of the crisis and expanding our horizons to imagine new opportunities, alliances, and partnerships.
Thank you for your energies, your labour and your ongoing support as we look ahead to a new year of productive, innovative and exciting work for the Society.
Finally, I would like to wish you and your significant communities health, happiness, rejuvenation and nourishment this holiday season as we look forward to the work we will do in 2023.
PsySSA Membership 2023: Renew Your Membership Today!
Since PsySSA’s inception 29 years ago, the Society has undergone exponential growth. Aside from remaining active during the COVID-19 pandemic. This past year has been an immensely successful one for the Society. One in which we were able to take advantage of our stability as an organisation, as well as consolidate and build on our strengths. A major highlight has been the opportunity to gather together at our 26th Annual South African Psychology Congress.
The Society has remained consistent and agile during difficult periods while still putting the needs of our members, the profession and the South African Society first while advocating for psychology as a science and profession of global stature and promote psychological praxis as relevant, proactive and responsive to societal needs and well-being.
Over and above PsySSA’s comprehensive list of membership benefits, in 2023, PsySSA members will receive free access to PsySSA’s online MyCPD platform where members have the opportunity to earn CPD points for 2021 – 2023. Through PsySSA’s annual events and collaborations, members are able to comply with the HPCSA requirements for CPD! Moreover, professionals in private practice can enjoy free listing and regular referrals through the recently renovated PsySSA Directory of Psychology Professionals.
If that’s not enough, the membership package also boasts exceptionally low-cost professional indemnity insurance that covers tele-therapy!
We thank you for staying the course, retaining membership in Africa’s largest psychology professional society, and look forward to serving you yet again.
Kindly note that the opening of the membership system was delayed as we listened to our members and ensured that the system was more user friendly!
In solidarity,
The Psychological Society of South Africa
International Volunteer Day: Solidarity Through Volunteering
“In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” – Marianne Williamson
Written by Maryam Gangat [1]
International Volunteer Day is celebrated on the 5th of December every year by volunteers from across the globe. Each year, a theme is selected and celebrated in the spirit of spreading awareness and acknowledging the volunteers who are role models within their communities. The theme for this year, 2022 is: Solidarity Through Volunteering. The theme for this year encourages volunteers to work together within their communities in order to find common solutions for the countless inequalities that people experience throughout the globe.
The United Nations (UN) have emphasised the importance of volunteerism by articulating that it is one of the most vital delivery mechanisms for global transformation, and ensuring a lasting impact with its ability to change people’s mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours. Here are some ways in which you can advocate, spread awareness, and promote volunteerism in your community:
- Get involved in volunteer work
Advocacy begins with you. The best way to promote volunteerism in your community and to encourage it in others, is to work towards spreading awareness by supporting your community in various ways. Supporting a worthy cause in your community today, helps build a better world for tomorrow. By volunteering to take care of the environment, lending a hand at underprivileged schools, and passing on valuable skills to the youth, you can help to create a better future and set an example for future generations.
- Donate to a volunteer organization
If you are unable to physically volunteer your time or if you have the financial means to do so, donating to a volunteer organisation enables you to help underprivileged communities move towards living healthier, more productive lives. By donating money and other items, organizations can provide their services to the larger community and donated items can be used by individuals in your community who are need.
- Share your experiences
When people see and hear about how much volunteerism impacts their communities, it encourages them to volunteer. By educating the public on issues of concern and showing them how the contributions of others have changed things for the better, people become inspired to come together to assist their communities. By sharing and reflecting on your experiences of volunteering, it cultivates gratitude and creates a sense of belonging among individuals in a community.
- Demonstrate Genuine Need
Demonstrating genuine need among your community motivates people to volunteer and become more involved. When you create volunteer opportunities or make people aware of the opportunities that already exist within your community, it creates awareness and encourages advocacy. Many organisations rely on volunteers for their time and skills so that they can provide additional services or programs for the larger community. When communities become involved in finding solutions together, they are more likely to be feasible in the long term as they are more inclusive and people-centric.
- Create Opportunities
People are constantly moving into and away from communities. This means that the needs of your community are constantly changing and evolving which creates numerous opportunities for volunteerism. By creating opportunities for individuals to volunteer within communities, it encourages individuals searching for new connections to come together, it promotes community-building and encourages a healthy culture of collaboration, friendliness, and open communication. Creating opportunities for volunteerism motivates individuals and creates a desire among individuals to have a real and tangible impact on one’s community.
In celebration of this year’s theme: Solidarity Through Volunteering, the PsySSA Student Division encourages all students to share their volunteer experiences and express their solidarity on social media using the hashtag #solidaritythroughvolunteering and #IVD2022.
[1] The Author writes in their capacity as a member of the Student Division of PsySSA (Psychological Society of South Africa) and the chairperson of Research into Student Empowerment.
PsySSA Commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022
