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Fall 2006 • $3 www.MindFreedom.org Join a nonviolent revolution in mental health Celia Brown is president of MindFreedom International and a psychiatric survivor leader in the United Nations. Make 2007 the Year of Mad Pride! The psychiatric industry Why choice in mental health targets your family care is a human right www.MindFreedom.org Published byPAGE MFI • MindFreedom International wins links to governments, mental health campaigns for human rights and providers, drug companies, religious alternatives in the mental health organizations, etc. Funding is entirely system. from members like you, and a very few foundations. Please join! MindFreedom International unites thousands of individual members. MFI’s mission: “In a spirit of mutual The majority of MindFreedom’s mem- cooperation, MindFreedom Interna- www.MindFreedom.org bership, board and staff are psychiat- tional leads a nonviolent revolution of [email protected] ric survivors. However, membership freedom, equality, truth and human is open to everyone who supports rights that unites people affected by MindFreedom International the mental health system with move- our human rights goals. Advocates, 454 Willamette, Suite 216 mental health professionals, family ments for justice everywhere.” P.O. Box 11284 members and the general public are If you are not yet a member, become all valued members and leaders in the a member or donate, now! If you are Eugene, OR 97440-3484 U.S.A. MindFreedom community. already a member, consider an early phone: (541) 345-9106 MindFreedom International (MFI) renewal donation. MindFreedom is toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE unites 100 grassroots organizations. a non-profit organization under IRS fax: (541) 345-3737 Each Sponsor Group or Affiliate has a 501(c)(3) and your donation is tax-de- liaison on the MFI Support Coalition ductible. (To join or donate, see page 15 MOVING? Please provide your new Advisory Council. or www.MindFreedom.org.) postal address. MFI is rooted in a global move- You are also encouraged to check Privacy: The MindFreedom out our Mad Market of books and ment to change the mental health database is private. MindFreedom products at www.MadMarket.org. system. MFI is one of the few groups organizers may be given contact in the mental health field that is Proceeds support this human rights lists. If you prefer no contact inform independent with no funding from or work. the office. Copyright: Unless noted, Easy As PIE! you may copy for non- commercial use. Please credit BY DAVID OAKS, DIRECTOR, MINDFREEDOM INTERNATIONAL www.MindFreedom.org © 2006 I count on you to lead a nonviolent revolution in mental health care, and MindFreedomtm. that starts here in MindFreedom International itself. MFI is moving toward an empowerment model with as many members as possible volunteering Conserve: Printed with soy-based and leading MFI activities in a spirit of mutual cooperation. ink on partly recycled paper. MindFreedom plants trees to help Volunteering with an under-resourced nonprofit like MFI, which has replace paper used. members all over the world, can be a challenge. My wonderful wife Debra gave us this saying: “Volunteering is as easy as PIE.” PIE stands for “Persist. Thanks to donors and to members Insist. Enlist.” (Thanks Debra.) who volunteer through mailing continues on page 12 parties, research, tips, writing, editing and much more. On the Cover: Celia Table of contents of issue #47: Board: Celia Brown (President), Ted Brown, psychiatric Chabasinski, Judi Chamberlin, Krista Psychiatric survivors inside the UN • 3 survivor, speaks out Erickson, Janet Foner, Al Galves. at a MindFreedom Globalization of the psyciatric industry • 5 International protest in The mental health industry wants to screen you • 6 Staff: David Oaks (Director), Erin front of the American Campaign action plan • 7 Bolles (Administrative Assistant). Psychiatric Association Making media to change the mental health system • 8 Annual Meeting. Webmaster: Aaron VanDerlip/ Mad Pride may soar in 2007 • 9 Celia is president of NetCorps. July 2007: Choice in mental health care conference • 10 the MFI’s board of Desktop publishing: McKenzie directors and chair of Poetic Justice meets managed care • 11 Printers Guild, mckenzieprintersguil MFI’s United Nations MindFreedom’s ambitious development goals • 12 Team. See story on Calander of events • 14 [email protected]. page 3. Top reasons to join & donate to MindFreedom today • 15 ISSN 1537-5013 Photo by Tom Olin. PAGE • www.MindFreedom.org INTERNATIONAL NEWS People who have personally experienced the psychiatric system have been given many names: Mental patients, Psychiatric survivors, Mental health consumers, People with psychosocial disabilities. By any name this group is among the most disempowered and silenced in society. One sign of hope is that psychiatric survivors are finally being heard even inside the United Nations. Celia Brown Heads MFI’s Team into the UN: Global Activism for Human Rights in Mental Health Celia Brown has her hands full. Celia’s a mom. She the only representative from civil society to have the works in New York City as a peer advocate for people opportunity to address the main convention during that in the mental health system. She’s president of the session. This was for me a spiritually uplifting event I MindFreedom International (MFI) board. will never forget.” And yet Celia also finds time to head the MFI team MFI reps from the USA also did a great job. “I of psychiatric survivors inside the United Nations. “It’s appreciate Myra Kovary’s expertise as an MFI UN been great to be in the United Nations with survivors representative,” said Celia. “Myra has educated and of psychiatry and many international disability groups lobbied governments about forced treatment, especially from around the world,” said Celia. “We’re all fighting the US delegation.” Another MFI rep is the famous together for human rights, self-determination and feminist author Kate Millett. Said Celia, “Kate spoke to freedom.” government delegates on the issue of forced treatment and read passages from her book, The Loony Bin Trip, This is the fifth year MFI has been the first and so far reminding us of her strength and genius.” only group of its kind to have accreditation from the UN as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with Celia is grateful that MFI and other groups have Consultative Roster status. MFI has used that status for worked so well together. “I want to especially thank the several years to have a team of psychiatric survivors World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry enter the UN to participate in international negotiating (WNUSP) team, led by Tina Minkowitz,” said Celia. sessions about the human rights of people labeled with “The World Network team includes people from disabilities. Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Uganda, Ghana, Guinea, Peru.” Celia is proud of the MFI delegates. Said Celia, “The MFI UN Team has educated and networked with MFI UN rep Myra Kovary agreed with Celia. Said government delegates and disability groups from all Myra, “Tina has taken a lead role as the advocate for over the world to help them understand the issues the WNUSP. Her legal expertise and clear faced by people labeled with psychosocial thinking have been invaluable.” disabilities, such as forced mental health continued on page 4 treatment.” MFI’s UN Team is now multinational. “It has been great having Janet Amegatcher from MindFreedom Ghana and John McCarthy from MindFreedom Ireland in the UN,” said Celia. “Even though it was John’s first time in the UN, he spent weeks arranging meetings with Irish and other government delegates.” John relished the experience. “It was a great honor to be inside the UN particularly as a psychiatric survivor and a representative of Celia Brown, president of MindFreedom International, and Janet Amegatcher, executive MindFreedom,” said John. “I director MindFreedom Ghana, were two of the delegates on the MindFreedom team in had the added privilege to be the United Nations. www.MindFreedom.org PAGE • 3 continued from page 3 “The MFI Global No matter what happens, one victory already is Committee has begun that psychiatric survivors have built relationships to implement activities with disability activists worldwide. Said Celia, “Many agreed upon at international disability rights groups have been actively the MindFreedom involved since the beginning of the process of the Action Conference disability convention. We formed the International International Track,” Disability Caucus which includes the World Federation reported Celia. “The for the Deaf, World Blind Union, Landmine Survivors Global Campaign has Olin photo by Tom Network, and about 70 other groups, including WNUSP three parts: Influencing and MindFreedom International.” the United Nations. You do not have to be inside the UN to be part of this Influencing the World activity. For example, Mary Maddock of MindFreedom Health Organization Ireland supports the MFI UN campaign from her home in (WHO). And Cork, Ireland. Said Celia, “I appreciate Mary who hasn’t supporting the attended UN meetings yet but helps with lobbying her emerging voices Kate Millett — author, feminist leader, expert on torture and government and educating survivors in Ireland. Mary of psychiatric psychiatric survivor — is an effective gives us survivor stories, including her own, to share survivors in poor delegate in the MindFreedom United and developing with governments.” Nations Team. nations.” Myra asks that citizens encourage each
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