We are very pleased to introduce ENUSP to ENIL members. Please find some brief information about us below:
Introducing ENUSP
The European Network of (Ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP,www.enusp.org) took shape in 1991 to connect mental health service users and survivors of psychiatry across Europe, and to advance our human rights and interests. “(Ex-)user and survivor“ means a person who self-identifies as someone who experiences madness and/or mental health issues, and/or has used or survived psychiatry or mental health services.
Today ENUSP brings together grassroots national, regional and local user/survivor groups and individuals across 39 countries – from Georgia to Portugal, Finland to Greece. Our network is 100%-owned and controlled by users and survivors, and free from interference by others, including the pharmaceutical and medical industries.
Users and survivors and their organisations across Europe are a diverse constituency. However, we are united by some common concerns and goals:
Human rights, dignity, equality.
Across Europe, people labelled as mentally ill are consistently denied our basic rights and dignity as human beings. This is particularly due to the existence of discriminatory laws that subject us to (i) guardianship and (ii) forced psychiatric confinement and/or forced psychiatric treatment. Though the exact nature of guardianship varies from country to country, people under guardianship orders commonly lose their right to decide where and with whom they will live, to control their own money, to work, to marry, to vote and to stand for elections.
Thanks to everyone who has joined and signed up for ENIL membership. Anyone who would like to join us this year please do so as soon as possible.
At the European Network on Independent Living we were very sorry to hear of the passing of Prof. Jim Mansell, from the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent on 13 March. Jim was a member of the Advisory Council of the European Coalition for Community Living (ECCL) and was very active at the European level in advocating for the right to live in the community for all. He was a great supporter of ECCL since its establishment in 2005 and has contributed hugely to putting pressure on governments across Europe to close down institutions for people with disabilities and develop services in the community. Jim will be greatly missed by all. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
