Webinar Series 2: Building Practical Experience and Tools into Mental Health and Human Rights Advocacy

There is a long and well documented history of human-rights abuses, systemic prejudices and barriers faced by people with lived experience of mental health conditions in almost all parts of the world. The neglect and abuse can occur at all levels from immediate home and family life to structural discrimination in legal and health systems. Key Developments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and WHO’s QualityRights initiative have played an essential role in beginning to address this inequity. However it is essential to recognize, highlight and learn from the work of national advocacy initiatives and programmes working locally to challenge systemic barriers and empowering local champions to lead advocacy efforts within their own settings.

Supported by the Speak your Mind Campaign and United for Global Mental Health, and hosted by the Mental Health Innovation Network, this webinar builds on those already organised for the Blue Print Group and is open to all. This webinar series invites speakers leading on human rights approaches and frameworks for mental health from around the world to share the challenges and lessons they have learned through their work. The first webinar series took place on the 15th of July and focused on an introduction of human rights perspectives within the area of mental health, the CRPD as well as a review of existing challenges impeding progress by speakers working in this field (Recording here). The second webinar in this series will be focused on more transferrable and actionable recommendations coming out of the existing literature as well as evidence-informed human rights and mental health programming around the world. A group of experts working within this field will share their experiences, lessons learned and priorities for countries interested in integrating more equitable and inclusive human rights approaches and practices in their work.

Speakers:

Michelle Funk - Coordinator, mental health policy and service development, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO Geneva
Peter Badimak Yaro – Executive Director, BasicNeeds Ghana
Susmeera Aryal – Director, Women’s Group for Disability Rights, Nepal
Matrika Devkota – Chairperson and Mental Health Advocate, KOSHISH, Nepal [SLIDES HERE]