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

Seven (7) brief news items to win a nonviolent revolution in the

mental health system:

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(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@mindfreedom.org

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(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!

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(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

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(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@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@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@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

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More news at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

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

office phone: (541) 345-9106

toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743

fax: (541) 345-3737

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DENDRITE is a public Internet alert system about human rights in psychiatry, sponsored by Support Coalition International, sending out notices to thousands of concerned people, many of whom take ACTION NOW!