Human Rights protest planned for World Assembly for Mental Health Convention

Globalization of Psychiatry

Human Rights Protest to challenge "Globalization of Psychiatry" in front of the Vancouver Convention Center at the WAMH

VANCOUVER, CANADA: When the speakers at a protest this July condemn psychiatric human rights violations, they will be speaking from experience: Every one of the more than a dozen speakers from five nations has personally experienced human rights abuse in the "mental health system." On Sunday, July 22, 2001, from 3 to 5 pm, they will speak at a human rights rally to protest the "globalization of psychiatric human rights violations."

The rally will be in front of the Vancouver Convention Center to reach participants in the World Assembly for Mental Health which begins at that time. WAMH is expected to attract more than 1,500 people from around the world in the mental health field.

"We are especially concerned about the World Bank's new 'mental health division," said David Oaks, director of Support Coalition International, an alliance of 100 grassroots groups which is sponsoring the protest.

"We don't want the World Bank to spread more of the Western-style mental health system to developing nations."

Other speakers at the legal, nonviolent event include (tentatively scheduled):

	Judi Chamberlin, an author, is considered one of the main heroines of the psychiatric survivor movement, including 30 years of activism. Judi -- who lives in Boston -- currently works as an associate at the National Empowerment Center*, which she co-founded. Judi wrote one of the books that launched this movement, On Our Own.
	Iris Holling, from Berlin, Germany, is a worker in a psychiatric survivor "Runaway House" where homeless psychiatric survivors can flee the traditional mental health system's use of labels and drugs, and use voluntary peer support instead.
	Leonard Roy Frank of San Francisco, Calif. is one of the longest-term activists in the psychiatric survivor movements. Leonard is a survivor of both forced insulin-coma "treatment" and also forced electroshock, back in 1963. Leonard became one of the first activists in this field. Leonard is now an author and editor of several books.
	Twenty-four-year-old Katherine Hodges from Chicago, USA is the founder of MAD LIB of Chicago, Illinois, one of the main organizations to raise the issue of globalization of the psychiatric industry, and its threat to youth.
	Vancouver artist and author Persimmon Blackbridge will give a performance.
	Laurie Ahern, is co-director of the National Empowerment Center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, a federally-funded technical assistance center.
	Hagai Aviel is from the Israeli Association Against Psychiatric Assault.
	Kevin Fitts is Director of Oregon Office of Consumer Technical Assistance.
	Cassandra Freeman is with the Vancouver/Richmond Mental Health Network.
	Karl Bach Jensen from Denmark is one of the leaders of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry*, which meets for two days preceding the rally.
	Gary Long is a Vancouver mental health advocate
	Irit Shimrat, also from Vancouver, is the founder of Lunatics Liberation Front
	Phillip J. Schulman, MDiv. is a minister from the Virgin Islands.
	Anita Stevens is a Vancouver poet.
	Rene Talbot is a leader in Irren-Offensive, a Berlin, Germany rights group.

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