MFNews: Rebel Mental Health Pro, Mad Pride News, Youth Action, Electroshock, More

Tue Jul 17 18:15:22 CDT 2007

MindFreedom International News - 17 July 2007
http://www.mindfreedom.org - please forward

Seven (7) brief news items to win a nonviolent revolution in the  
mental health system:

~~~~~~~~~~

(1) MindFreedom *Free* *Live* Call-in Internet Radio

Hear a live interview with a mental health worker who is challenging  
the *whole* mental health system, Ron Unger. Your live comments and  
questions are invited.

Tomorrow Wednesday, 18 July 2007 at 4:00 pm ET, just click on http:// 
prncomm.net to listen and phone in free and live. More info:

http://mindfreedom.org/campaign/media/mfradio/next

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(2) Mad Pride 2007 News Reports Start to Come In!

Almost 500 people participated in a MAD PRIDE event in Accra, Ghana!  
Once more Ghana has the biggest Mad Pride event so far. Plus there  
was a second event in Africa this time: A small but passionate vigil  
in Cape Town, South Africa!

And at the very successful MindFreedom Conference/Retreat, there was  
a unanimous launch of the International Association for Advancement  
of Creative Maladjustment (IAACM). Martin Luther King, Jr. called for  
the creation of the "IAACM" ten times! Our Mad Pride event helped  
make this MLK dream become a reality, today!

For report on these and more Mad Pride 2007 news and planned events  
go to:

http://mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride

Your Mad Pride event not listed yet? Get in your brief e-mailed  
report and/or digital photo soon to news at mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~

(3) Save the date! Nonviolent protest on Thursday, 11 October 2007.

MindFreedom plans a special, fun, peaceful protest of "mental health  
screening" on National Mental Health Screening Day! The special theme  
is youth. Creativity, theater, costumes and skits are especially  
invited.

You are encouraged to hold these wherever you are on Thursday, 11  
October 2007 or attend these two initial "anchor" events:

* WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA: Watch for details. MindFreedom director  
David Oaks will assist in a theatrical "screening" for "normality" in  
front of a choice building to which we all ought to be "maladjusted."  
What is your choice? There are plenty in greater Washington, D.C.  
metropolitan area!

* ST. LOUIS: In front of the conference for Alternatives 2007, all  
participants and the public are invited to an independent event to  
support youth in the mental health system!

~~~~~~~~~~

(4) Keep Speaking Out: Stop Electroshock in New York State!

Readers of these alerts are taking action, and officials in New York  
State say they are hearing from you. Keep it up!

MindFreedom continues to call on everyone to contact five (5) New  
York State officials by e-mail, phone, etc. to say "no" to New York  
State's continued use of "forced electroshock."

The New York Office of Mental Health contacted the MindFreedom office  
and claimed their use of forced electroshock is a matter for the  
courts, not for their Commissioner Hogan.

But Commissioner Hogan could *speak* *out* about a dream of a New  
York State with zero forced electroshock!

Instead, the NY Office of Mental Health defends the practice by  
saying "only about a dozen" citizens receive involuntary electroshock  
in NY state institutions each year. Even if that's a reliable number,  
that's an average of once-a-month too many! Even one forced  
electroshock traumatizes all in the mental health system.

Bring the number of forced electroshocks to zero!

An alert is on the MindFreedom web site with hyperlinks to the five  
NY officials along with additional information:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock/simone-d

or use:

http://tinyurl.com/262xma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(5) MindFreedom Youth Mental Health

MindFreedom is focusing on youth and mental health in special  
campaigns. If you are interested in participating, let us know. Youth  
and "ex-youth" are both invited, and leadership by youth is  
especially encouraged. Contact MindFreedom Youth Coordinator Martin  
Rafferty at office at mindfreedom.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(6) Deadline for New Issue of MindFreedom Journal: 1 August 2007.

A new issue of the popular MindFreedom Journal is planned.

All MindFreedom members are especially encouraged to e-mail in  
*brief* reports and/or a *clear* digital photo to  
news at mindfreedom.org about individual and/or group activities,  
announcements, resources and news. Editors are calling for reports or  
quotes from any MindFreedom campaign activities such as the recent  
conference and Mad Pride. The initial deadline is 1 August 2007. E- 
mail only to news at mindfreedom.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(7) Upcoming Events

* LANE COUNTY, OREGON - 31 July 2007

Lane County, Oregon is developing a model to support the voice,  
empowerment and self-determination of mental health consumers and  
psychiatric survivors. *All* agencies working on mental health are  
invited to send representatives to an "Opal Network" meeting, that is  
guided by mental health consumers/psychiatric survivors. Info at:

http://mindfreedom.org/opal

* WASHINGTON, D.C. - 13 October 2007

International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology has  
their annual meeting on the theme of youth. MindFreedom director  
David Oaks will be one of the keynoters. Deadline for hotel discounts  
is soon. Info at http://www.icspp.org

* LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - 14 November 2007

Save the date for the next annual National Association for Rights  
Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) conference, information is at http:// 
www.narpa.org

~~~~~~~~~

More news at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

Don't see an important news item? Submit it to news at mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And while you're on the web site... click on the button on the RIGHT  
to join or donate now, or go directly to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Become a member or renew your membership now! Build united strength  
in numbers!

Do you want to...

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health?

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry?

* Support self-determination of psychiatric survivors?

* Promote safe, humane, effective options in mental health?

MindFreedom is for people who care about human rights who want to unite!

MindFreedom is a nonprofit human rights group that 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. While most of  
MindFreedom's members are psychiatric survivors, *all* who support  
human rights are invited to join and become active leaders.

Join or donate here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

For hard-to-find books and gear go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mad-market

MindFreedom International Office: 454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB  
11284; Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web site: http://www.mindfreedom.org
e-mail: office(at)mindfreedom(dot)org
office phone: (541) 345-9106
toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743
fax: (541) 345-3737

Please forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to get off this MF News e-mail announcement list? Two easy ways:

1) To unsubscribe e-mail a blank email to mindfreedom-news- 
unsubscribe at intenex.net. Be sure to "reply" when you get the  
automatic unsubscribe confirmation message.

2) If you have any trouble getting off this list e-mail to office(at) 
mindfreedom(dot)org with these words in the subject line: unsubscribe  
mindfreedom-news