Overview:
Mental Health and Human Rights 10 October 1998
WFMH’s theme for World Mental Health Day, cosponsored by the World Health Organization, was tied to the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Concern for the human rights of the mentally ill is an integral part of the history of WFMH, itself fifty years old in 1998. The planning kit provided by the Federation for event organizers around the world included a copy of the UN Universal Declaration. Also included was a copy of another significant document, the Resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in December 1991 on the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and the Improvement of Mental Health Care. The Federation participated with other interested NGOs in developing the agenda which led to this Resolution.
The 1998 organizers’ planning kit included a discussion of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1991 Resolution in relation to mental health and human rights. This section was prepared in consultation with Eric Rosenthal of Mental Disability Rights International, who pointed out that the international legal standard established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights applied to all persons with mental illness. The material covered rights violations ranging from abusive situations in psychiatric hospitals to the stigma and prejudice encountered by many people within their own communities. Ways of organizing to combat human rights violations were also described.
The material was designed in a new format, which was intended to increase its value to organizers and groups working in areas where books and general information are in short supply. Careful attention was paid to educational features, presented in an easy-to-read booklet. For the first time the kits were published in French and Spanish in addition to the English version which has been published every year since 1992. The Spanish-language kits have proved extremely popular because of the distribution support in South and Central America provided by the Pan American Health Organization. Reports of events have been received from Spain, and also from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru.
As before, examples of successful World Mental Health Day activities were included in the information kit to show the many different ways in which the event is observed according to local circumstances. The WFMH Secretariat does not promote any single pattern for the event, stressing instead a common goal of providing information to the general public about mental health and mental illness. Although a relevant theme is presented by WFMH each year, local organizers can concentrate on any issue that is important to them, designing an event or campaign that is appropriate for their community. The events described here cover a wide variety of issues in addition to human rights. To judge by the newspaper articles in many languages and reports of radio and television coverage sent to the Secretariat, many organizers have become adept at spreading their educational message through radio, television and newspaper coverage. Where government health departments become involved, the impact can be exceptional.
A selection of national and local events is included here to give the flavor of the 1998 activities and their geographic spread. New organizations continue to be added to the list. One of the earliest reports received in the Alexandria, Virginia, USA Secretariat was from Turkmenistan, and reports were also sent in promptly by new contacts in Malaysia and Palestine. We would like to draw attention to an important national initiative from Canada which is described below. The organizers wish to thank all who provided reports of their local activities, and will take account of this material in making plans for this year’s event.
The Secretariat gratefully acknowledge the support of World Mental Health Day 1998 by Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Cilag/Organon, and Pfizer, Inc. through educational grants, and additional support provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Funds provided by these companies underwrote the publication of the WFMH planning kit, and the cost of distributing it to a mailing list of more than 4,000 organizations and individuals.