World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
Encyclopedia
The World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP) is an international organisation representing, and led by "survivors
of psychiatry
". As of 2003, over 70 national organizations were members of WNUSP, based in 30 countries.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/contrib-wnusp.htm The network seeks to protect and develop the human rights
, disability rights, dignity
and self-determination of those labeled
as 'mentally ill'.
. It contributed to the development of the UN's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/wgcontrib-wnusp.htmhttp://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/contrib-wnusp.htm WNUSP has produced a manual to help people use it called "Implementation Manual for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." http://wnusp.rafus.dk/documents/WNUSP_CRPD_Manual.doc
WNUSP joined with other organizations to create the International Disability Caucus, which jointly represented organizations of people with disabilities and allies during the CRPD negotiations. WNUSP was part of the steering committee of the IDC, which maintained a principle of respecting the leadership of diverse constituencies on issues affecting them, and also maintained that the convention should be of equal value to all persons with disabilities irrespective of the type of disability or geographical location. Tina Minkowitz, WNUSP's representative on the IDC steering committee, coordinated the IDC's work on key articles of the CRPD, including those on legal capacity, liberty, torture and ill-treatment and integrity of the person. Since the adoption and entry into force of the CRPD, WNUSP has worked with other organizations in the International Disability Alliance and its CRPD Forum to guide the interpretation and application of the CRPD on these issues.http://wnusp.rafus.dk/crpd.html
In 2007 at a Conference held in Dresden on "Coercive Treatment in Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Review", the president and other leaders of the World Psychiatric Association
met, following a formal request from the World Health Organization, with four representatives from the user/survivor movement, including Judi Chamberlin, co-chair of WNUSP, who participated in her personal capacity.
Moosa Salie is the current Chair of WNUSP.
Current International Representative and former co-chair of WNUSP is Tina Minkowitz, an international advocate and lawyer.http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=163 She represented WNUSP in the Working Group convened by the UN to produce a draft text of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahcwg.htm#membership and contributed to a UN seminar on torture and persons with disabilities http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/seminartorturereportfinal.dochttp://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/docs/torture/AnnexIII.ppt that resulted in an important report on the issue by Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak in 2008.http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/docs/A.63.175_en.doc
, equality, self-determination, respect
, dignity, independence, hearing voices, mutual support, self-help, advocacy, education, and the right to pursue individual spiritual beliefs.
WNUSP values exposure to information and knowledge as means to enabling empowerment and individual self-direction, understanding that knowledge results in better-informed choices and opportunities to enhance quality of life
. The network ascribes to person-centred values where the individual is more important than any diagnostic label or experience in dealing with the mental health system. WNUSP believes the experiences of living with madness or mental health problems can be valuable in exploring human experience, both to individuals and society, and that those suffering distress may offer invaluable insights to necessary changes in mental health diagnosis, treatment and laws.
and facilitation of efforts to provide housing
, employment
, public education
, research
, socialisation and advocacy
programmes. The term 'psychiatric survivor' is used by individuals who identify themselves as having experienced human rights violations in the mental health system. WNUSP was established to further promote this movement and to respond on an international level to the oppression survivors continue to experience.
After initially meeting, in 1991, as the World Federation of Psychiatric Users at the biennial World Federation for Mental Health
conference in Mexico
, the network's name was changed to WNUSP in 1997. In 2000, the WNUSP Secretariat was established in Odense
, Denmark
. In 2001, the network held its First General Assembly in Vancouver, British Columbia, with 34 groups from twelve countries represented, and adopted its governing statutes.
In 2004, the network held its Second General Assembly in Vejle, Denmark with 150 participants from 50 countries attending.
In 2007 WNUSP received ECOSOC special consultative status at the United Nations.
In 2009, WNUSP held its third General Assembly in Kampala, Uganda. It adopted the Kampala Declaration stating its positions on the CRPD, which was later expanded into a longer version adopted by consensus of the board and the participants in the Kampala GA.http://wnusp.rafus.dk/general-assemblies/
, World Health Organization
and other important bodies. Initial funding came from the Dutch government and from the European Commission but has since proved more difficult to secure. ENUSP is involved in commenting and debating declarations, position papers, policy guidelines of the EU, UN, WHO and other important bodies.
Psychiatric survivors movement
The psychiatric survivors movement is a diverse association of individuals who are either currently clients of mental health services , or who consider themselves survivors of interventions by psychiatry, or who identify themselves as ex-patients of mental health services...
of psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
". As of 2003, over 70 national organizations were members of WNUSP, based in 30 countries.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/contrib-wnusp.htm The network seeks to protect and develop the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, disability rights, dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
and self-determination of those labeled
Labeling theory
Labeling theory is closely related to interactionist and social construction theories. Labeling theory was developed by sociologists during the 1960's. Howard Saul Becker's book entitled Outsiders was extremely influential in the development of this theory and its rise to popularity...
as 'mentally ill'.
Activities
WNUSP has special consultative status with the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. It contributed to the development of the UN's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities...
.http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/wgcontrib-wnusp.htmhttp://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/contrib-wnusp.htm WNUSP has produced a manual to help people use it called "Implementation Manual for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." http://wnusp.rafus.dk/documents/WNUSP_CRPD_Manual.doc
WNUSP joined with other organizations to create the International Disability Caucus, which jointly represented organizations of people with disabilities and allies during the CRPD negotiations. WNUSP was part of the steering committee of the IDC, which maintained a principle of respecting the leadership of diverse constituencies on issues affecting them, and also maintained that the convention should be of equal value to all persons with disabilities irrespective of the type of disability or geographical location. Tina Minkowitz, WNUSP's representative on the IDC steering committee, coordinated the IDC's work on key articles of the CRPD, including those on legal capacity, liberty, torture and ill-treatment and integrity of the person. Since the adoption and entry into force of the CRPD, WNUSP has worked with other organizations in the International Disability Alliance and its CRPD Forum to guide the interpretation and application of the CRPD on these issues.http://wnusp.rafus.dk/crpd.html
In 2007 at a Conference held in Dresden on "Coercive Treatment in Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Review", the president and other leaders of the World Psychiatric Association
World Psychiatric Association
The World Psychiatric Association is an international umbrella organisation of psychiatric societies.-Objectives and goals:Originally created to produce world psychiatric congresses, it has evolved to hold regional meetings, to promote professional education and to set ethical, scientific and...
met, following a formal request from the World Health Organization, with four representatives from the user/survivor movement, including Judi Chamberlin, co-chair of WNUSP, who participated in her personal capacity.
Moosa Salie is the current Chair of WNUSP.
Current International Representative and former co-chair of WNUSP is Tina Minkowitz, an international advocate and lawyer.http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=163 She represented WNUSP in the Working Group convened by the UN to produce a draft text of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahcwg.htm#membership and contributed to a UN seminar on torture and persons with disabilities http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/seminartorturereportfinal.dochttp://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/docs/torture/AnnexIII.ppt that resulted in an important report on the issue by Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak in 2008.http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/docs/A.63.175_en.doc
Core values
The core values of WNUSP, in representating a diversity of perspectives within the user/survivor movement or psychiatric survivors movement, guide its activities and assists in determining the focus of the network. These values stress empowermentEmpowerment
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities...
, equality, self-determination, respect
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
, dignity, independence, hearing voices, mutual support, self-help, advocacy, education, and the right to pursue individual spiritual beliefs.
WNUSP values exposure to information and knowledge as means to enabling empowerment and individual self-direction, understanding that knowledge results in better-informed choices and opportunities to enhance quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
. The network ascribes to person-centred values where the individual is more important than any diagnostic label or experience in dealing with the mental health system. WNUSP believes the experiences of living with madness or mental health problems can be valuable in exploring human experience, both to individuals and society, and that those suffering distress may offer invaluable insights to necessary changes in mental health diagnosis, treatment and laws.
History
Since the 1970s, the psychiatric survivors movement has grown from a few scattered self-help groups to a world-wide network engaged in protecting civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and facilitation of efforts to provide housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, public education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, socialisation and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
programmes. The term 'psychiatric survivor' is used by individuals who identify themselves as having experienced human rights violations in the mental health system. WNUSP was established to further promote this movement and to respond on an international level to the oppression survivors continue to experience.
After initially meeting, in 1991, as the World Federation of Psychiatric Users at the biennial World Federation for Mental Health
World Federation for Mental Health
The World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health. Members...
conference in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the network's name was changed to WNUSP in 1997. In 2000, the WNUSP Secretariat was established in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In 2001, the network held its First General Assembly in Vancouver, British Columbia, with 34 groups from twelve countries represented, and adopted its governing statutes.
In 2004, the network held its Second General Assembly in Vejle, Denmark with 150 participants from 50 countries attending.
In 2007 WNUSP received ECOSOC special consultative status at the United Nations.
In 2009, WNUSP held its third General Assembly in Kampala, Uganda. It adopted the Kampala Declaration stating its positions on the CRPD, which was later expanded into a longer version adopted by consensus of the board and the participants in the Kampala GA.http://wnusp.rafus.dk/general-assemblies/
ENUSP
The European Network of (Ex)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry is the most important European NGO of (ex-)users and survivors. Forty-two representatives from 16 European countries met at a conference to found it in the Netherlands in October 1991. Every 2 years, delegates from the ENUSP members in more than 40 European countries meet at a conference where the policies for the coming period are set out. All delegates are (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry. ENUSP is officially involved in consultations on mental health plans and policies of the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
and other important bodies. Initial funding came from the Dutch government and from the European Commission but has since proved more difficult to secure. ENUSP is involved in commenting and debating declarations, position papers, policy guidelines of the EU, UN, WHO and other important bodies.
See also
- Anti-psychiatryAnti-psychiatryAnti-psychiatry is a configuration of groups and theoretical constructs that emerged in the 1960s, and questioned the fundamental assumptions and practices of psychiatry, such as its claim that it achieves universal, scientific objectivity. Its igniting influences were Michel Foucault, R.D. Laing,...
- Icarus ProjectIcarus Project.The Icarus Project http://theicarusproject.net is a mental health movement characterized by the view that many phenomena commonly labeled as mental illness should actually be regarded as "dangerous gifts"...
- Involuntary commitmentInvoluntary commitmentInvoluntary commitment or civil commitment is a legal process through which an individual with symptoms of severe mental illness is court-ordered into treatment in a hospital or in the community ....
- MindFreedom InternationalMindFreedom InternationalMindFreedom International is an international coalition of over one hundred grassroots groups and thousands of individual members from fourteen nations. It was founded in 1990 to advocate against forced medication, medical restraints, and involuntary electroconvulsive therapy. Its stated mission is...
- Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of YouthCommunity Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of YouthThe Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatment of Youth, or CAFETY, is an advocacy group for people enrolled in residential treatment programs for at-risk teenagers. The group's mission includes advocating for access to advocates, due process, alternatives to aversive behavioral interventions,...
- EUFAMIEUFAMIEUFAMI, the European Federation of Families of People with Mental Illness, is an international non-profit organisation registered in Belgium that primarily advocates on behalf of carers. It was founded in 1992 after a meeting where members from all over Europe "shared their experiences of...
- Judi ChamberlinJudi ChamberlinJudi Chamberlin was an American activist, leader, organizer, public speaker and educator in the psychiatric survivors movement. Her political activism followed her involuntary confinement in a psychiatric facility in the 1960s...
External links
- WNUSP - World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP main web site)
- ENUSP - European Network of (ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP)
- ENUSP.org - 'ENUSP Press Release' (July 20, 2004)
- Inclusion-International.org - International Disability AllianceInternational Disability AllianceThe International Disability Alliance is an international alliance of individuals to defend the rights of those with disabilities at national, regional and international levels...
- Moosa-Salie.oism.info - 'Launching Conference of the Pan African Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (PANUSP)', Moosa Salie (WNUSP board co-chair)
- CHRUSP - Center for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
- UN.org - 'Contribution by World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry', United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (January, 2004)