Latest news

• November 2008: Director of UN's World Health Organization mental health department calls MindFreedom's human rights work "remarkable... fair... transparent." To read the full statement click here.
• Psychiatric survivors play role in United Nations treaty about disability and human rights, click here.
• The World Psychiatric Association has invited MindFreedom International director David W. Oaks to be a "special presenter" at their World Congress in September 2008 in Prague, click here.
• For info about past MindFreedom International dialogue with the WPA click here.

Here is background about the MindFreedom Global campaign:

Welcome to the MindFreedom Global Campaign Committee

There are three main priority campaigns you are invited to support:

1. Influence the United Nations for human rights in mental health care.
2. Influence the World Health Organization's (WHO's) mental health section.
3. Support the emerging voice of psychiatric survivors in poor and developing countries, including by starting new affiliates.
   

For an introductory background article about MindFreedom's Global Campaign click here.

Since 2001, MFI has been the first and so far only group of its kind to have accreditation from the UN as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Consultative Roster Status. MFI has used that status for several years to have a team of psychiatric survivors enter the UN to participate in international negotiating sessions about the human rights of people labeled with disabilities.

Pictured above is poet, author and psychiatric survivor John McCarthy of MindFreedom Ireland, who is part of the MFI team that entered into the UN to bring up human rights in the metal health system.

MFI has also reached out to WHO via Dr. Benedetto Saraceno, WHO Director of Mental Health & Substance Dependence. MFI seeks to impact WHO’s policy about human rights and the mental health system.

MindFreedom has also reached out to and met with leaders of the World Psychiatric Association about the need for moderated dialogue between psychiatric survivor and mental health professional organizations. For information on these meetings click here.

MFI is seeking resources to produce a handbook and other materials to assist movement organizing in developing nations.