Dear All
This should be of interest
Best wishes
Colin
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
[log in to unmask]
Sent: 13 March 2006 03:41
To: Human Rights in Mental Health
Subject: NEWS: Mad Pride 2006 in Africa, Ireland, USA, Canada, France
NEWS: human rights/mental health - please forward
http://www.MindFreedom.org - 12 March 2006
Mad Pride 2006 Events to Include
Africa, Ireland, USA, Canada, France.
Plan Your Mad Pride Event for 2006!
by Krista Erickson, Chair, MindFreedom MadPride Committee
Mad Pride 2006 promises to be better than ever with plans underway for
several events in Ireland, USA, Canada, France and even a Mad Pride
celebration in Africa thanks to MindFreedom Ghana!
Dan Taylor, who is the Secretary of MindFreedom Ghana based in Accra,
Ghana, announced, "Our Theme for our Mad Pride event is 'Free Minds At
Ease.'"
Dan explained that, "MindFreedom Ghana is poised to take Ghana and
indeed Africa by storm in July 2006 to highlight the problems and human
rights of users and survivors of the mental health system through
street marches, drama, music festivals and symposia."
Dan said that bigotry against people diagnosed with psychiatric labels
is common in Ghana: "Our friends and relations have long been
stigmatized for living with or surviving psychosocial disabilities and
so we MindFreedom Ghana will do what it takes to reverse this."
MindFreedom Ghana has joined the MindFreedom Mad Pride International
Steering Committee. Dan hopes this will inspire other groups to
participate this year. Dan said, "Let all MindFreedom Groups in the USA
and other parts of the world join in this event to accentuate our cause
in diverse forms!"
Mad Pride celebrates the creativity, strength and resilience of the
human spirit. Mad Pride provides an opportunity to empower psychiatric
survivors and raise public consciousness through various activities
such as art, theatre, music, poetry, protests, vigils and more. This is
the 6th year MindFreedom has helped promote Mad Pride events
internationally.
Mad Pride helps to counteract some of the discrimination and prejudice
often shown towards people who have experienced mental distress and
difference. Mad Pride promotes the economic, social, environmental and
cultural integration of users/survivors of psychiatry into the larger
society. Observances of Mad Pride are often used to call attention to
both past and current human rights violations in the mental health
system.
Mad Pride can be celebrated anytime but is most often observed in the
month of July, usually on or around July 14 -- Bastille Day. The 14th
of July marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in Paris,
France in 1789. For over the past two centuries, the storming of the
Bastille has been a universal symbol of liberation. When the Bastille
was stormed, two prisoners with psychiatric labels being detained
solely for that reason were freed.
Mad Pride 2005 featured events in four nations including several
theatre performances, the showing of a documentary film, mock
screenings for "normality", a musical event, a vigil and a parade,
among many other activities.
Nations with Mad Pride events in recent years have included:
** UK: Where Mad Pride started! In 2005 activists held a "bed push" for
miles. They pushed a bed with a mannequin strapped on a road between
cities to draw attention to psychiatric human rights abuse.
** France: Where psychiatric survivors place a bouquet of remembrance
at the actual Bastille in Paris.
** Canada: Toronto has a "Psychiatric Survivor Day" with theater
productions and much more. Vancouver has had an art show.
** USA: Mental Patients Liberation Alliance has held protests,
several-day encampments and hunger strikes at the State Capitol in
Albany. MindFreedom Oregon holds a musical and speaking event in the
middle of each year's huge Oregon Country Fair. In Chicago, a
MindFreedom contingent marched in the Disability Pride parade held each
year in July.
For photos and reports of these and other past Mad Pride events please
visit:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/madpride/index.shtml
Your planned Mad Pride event can be tiny or huge. You can hand out some
brochures... or hold a whole musical event... But please let
MindFreedom International know about any Mad Pride 2006 events you're
planning so that we can help get out the word. Please send Mad Pride
announcements and news to [log in to unmask]
Additionally, the MindFreedom board has now created an international
Mad Pride Committee of MindFreedom members to help coordinate and
publicize Mad Pride events. MindFreedom Ghana and poet John McCarthy of
MindFreedom Ireland are providing liaisons for this International Mad
Pride Committee. If you are a MindFreedom member who is interested in
joining or supporting this committee please e-mail [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~
One easy way to do a Mad Pride event wherever you are!
"The real" Patch Adams has been a MindFreedom leader since 1992. One of
Patch's clown troupes in Florence, Italy taught MindFreedom members
some simple street theater that you can do to involve the public in Mad
Pride. At the below link you may read a description of this street
theater. There you may also download a coupon (MS Word file) that you
may copy back-to-back, cut in two, and hand out. One version is for the
USA. Another can be used anywhere internationally:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/madpride/screening.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~
Will Mad Pride 2006 be Sponsored by PharmAmorin?
The power of laughter in challenging psychiatric oppression is shown in
this new satire from the popular humor publication _The Onion_ 6 March
2006:
"Wonder Drug Inspires Deep, Unwavering Love Of Pharmaceutical Companies
"NEW YORK-The Food and Drug Administration today approved the sale of
the drug PharmAmorin, a prescription tablet developed by Pfizer to
treat chronic distrust of large prescription-drug manufacturers.
"Pfizer executives characterized the FDA's approval as a 'godsend' for
sufferers of independent-thinking-related mental-health disorders."
To read this whole article see:
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/46032
~~~~~~~~~~
Show Your Mad Pride!
JOIN MindFreedom International today!
MindFreedom is a non-profit human rights group:
* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.
* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.
* Support the self-determination of psychiatric survivors.
* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.
MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor
and affiliate groups with individual members,
and is accredited by the United Nations as
a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with
Consultative Roster Status.
MindFreedom is one of the very few totally
independent groups in the mental health
field with no funding from governments,
drug companies, religions, corporations,
or the mental health system.
JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS
to MindFreedom International today:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/join.shtml
For a MAD MARKET of books and other
products to support human rights campaigns
in mental health: http://www.madmarket.org
MindFreedom International
454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA
http://www.mindfreedom.org
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~
* ACTION * ACTION * ACTION *
Please forward this news to all appropriate
places on and off the Internet. Thank you!
_______________________________________________
If you are not on the MindFreedom-News alert list already, sign up for
this free non-profit public service here:
http://www.intenex.net/lists/listinfo/mindfreedom-news
~~~~~~
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