Introducing ENUSP

April 27, 2012 under Human Rights, News

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.

Click here to read more.. »

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Independent Living Conference in Montenegro

April 27, 2012 under ERT, IL activists, IL ORGANIZATIONS, News, Save the date!

Association of Youth with Disabilities Of Montenegro

We would like to inform you about an upcoming conference with the working title “Start up for Independent Living in Montenegro” that will take place in Bar, Montenegro on 24th and 25th May 2012. The conference will be co-organised by ENIL (European Network on Independent living), YHD (Association for Theory and Culture of Handicap) and UMHCG (Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro). YHD is a nongovernmental organisation from Slovenia that has run a programme of Independent Living for disabled people for more than 16 years now including personal assistance for disabled persons. UMHCG runs projects providing support and opportunities to disabled young people to their enhance personal, educational and professional development.http://www.yhd-drustvo.si/

ENIL advocates and lobbies for Independent Living by promoting the values, principles and practices to make full citizenship of disabled people a reality. One of the priorities for ENIL is  to increase the involvement of disabled people within the Independent Living movement and we are therefore trying to increase the participation of disabled people throughout Europe.

This event is organised with the purpose of encouraging and supporting disabled people to stand up for their rights to live independently and for respect for human rights in individual regional countries as well as at a European level.

You are welcome to join us!

 

 

 

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Role model: Meet Marina Vujačić from Montenegro

April 25, 2012 under ERT, IL activists, Role Models

Marina Vujačić, was born on 1986 in Nikšić, Montenegro. She has a graduate degree in sociology.

  • What is your personal experience of disability?

For me, disability is a human rights issue. Or, disability is only one feature or characteristic that makes a person different from the environment in which she lives. I do not think that disability should be a determining factor of human life, and I think that it should never be seen as a problem or obstacle, but as a challenge that encourages us to be strong and fight.

  • How did you discover the Independent Living movement?

I discovered the Independent Living movement through the work of the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro. I first learned about Ed Roberts and the beginnings of the independent living movement inAmerica. Then I heard a wide range of experiences and witnessed the “fight” of people with disabilities for independent living in Montenegro.

  • Is there an area of Independent Living that you are especially interested in?

Affordable housing and support services, perhaps because inMontenegrothese are not systematically addressed and NGOs need to work hard to improve the situation and achieve independence for people with disabilities.

  • Who has influenced you the most, and how?

I don’t think it was a person, but a book by Katarina Kerčov “The White Graves.” It has deepened my view of the world, changed my way of thinking.

  • What personal achievement are you most proud of?

The courage, fighting spirit, tolerance and understanding.

  • Do you have a favorite saying or proverb?

Never alone, always my own!

  • What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Every new day is a new experience, awaking is knowledge of the world. I like getting up with the thought that I should improve the quality of my life and to help others.

  • What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I watch movies, spend time with my ​​boyfriend, or friends, enjoy walking in the nature.

  • Who would be your ideal dinner guests?

I would like to meet Stephen Hawking, his way of life, thinking…

  • What advice would you give to young adults with a disability?

Never give up! Live your life; don’t let it live you!

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Zero Project: Call for Good Policy and Practice

April 20, 2012 under Disability Watchdog, Good Examples, Human Rights, News, press release

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is supporting the Zero Project in collecting good policy and practice examples for next year’s international conference and report. The focus is on the right of persons with disabilities to work and the deadline to submit nominations is 30th April 2012.

 

As explained by the Zero Project, good policy and practice examples can come from various areas, including recruitment, access to vocational training, supported employment, promotion of self-employment, equality law, early return to work, direct cash benefits, etc. Nominated practices and, in particular, laws or policies, should be either of a regional or national nature. They should have been in existence long enough to prove their effective implementation and, most importantly, deliver identifiable improvements.

The selected examples will be presented at the Zero Project Conference “The Right to Work: Good Policies and Practices for Persons with Disabilities” (to be held in early 2013 inVienna) and included in the Zero Project Report 2013. The conference is aimed at decision makers and Parliamentarians, and seeks to promote social innovation and development.

 

The Zero Project is a partnership between the Essl Foundation and the World Future Council, in order to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. ENIL would like to contribute to this initiative by spreading good Independent Living Initiatives. Forms for submitting good policy and practice are available from the Zero Project website at www.zeroproject.org

 

Thank you for your cooperation!

Jamie Bolling – Executive Director of ENIL.

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ENIL Nominates its Executive Director for the FRP Advisory Panel

April 12, 2012 under ENIL Staff, IL activists, press release

ENIL Press Release  

Apr. 5th, 2012 

The European Network on Independent Living has nominated Jamie Bolling for a second term on the Fundamental Rights Platform Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel supports the Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in the organisation and coordination of the Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP), FRA‘s link to the civil society.

 Jamie, who has served on the previous Advisory Panel has explained her candidacy by saying:

Jamie Bolling (Sweden)

Jamie Bolling (Sweden)

 ‘I have promoted human rights and the stopping of discrimination for twenty years. As a young, educated, white American in Europe I did not experience discrimination. Later a wheelchair user, single mother and immigrant in Sweden I became aware of how society is formed from a view of normality with hierarchies excluding many. I could no longer take buses, enter public buildings nor was I talked to as an equal. The experience of discrimination became one that I since confront. I visit many countries, recently Bulgaria. I met people living in an institution. It is not right that these people are forced to live without choice in an institution. I have been an Advisory Panel member for the past two years. I hope to continue work against discrimination through the FRA and therefore need your vote!’

 To download Jamie’s CV, please click here.

 The Advisory Panel 2012-2013 will be elected during the 5th Fundamental Rights Platform meeting in Vienna on 19 and 20 April 2012. ENIL thanks all FRP members who will be supporting Jamie’s re-election to the FRP Advisory Panel.

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International Project: Supporting young disabled people to become future leaders of the Independent Living Movement!

March 29, 2012 under IL activists

As a young disabled person, what does ‘Independent Living’ mean to you?

Would you like to know more about the rights of disabled people?

Do you want to feel empowered and have a voice to promote your views?

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) advocates and lobbies for Independent Living by promoting the values, principles and practices to make full citizenship of disabled people a reality.  One of the priorities for ENIL is to increase the involvement of young disabled people in the Independent Living movement, which is why ENIL has established a project to increase youth participation throughout Europe. This project is supported by the Council of Europe Youth Department.

The project will be a weeklong study session at the Council of Europe Youth Centre, with the purpose of encouraging and supporting young disabled people in advocating for human rights in their countries and at European level.  Participants will have an opportunity to gain a better understanding of disability issues and acquire skills to promote the views of other young disabled people from their country. The session will be delivered by a group of young disabled people from the UK, Iceland and Bulgaria with experience in working with young people in their countries and internationally.

ENIL hopes to create future young leaders of the Independent Living movement and will continue to provide support through an established ENIL Youth Network.

Participants must be between the ages of 18-30 and consider themselves to have an impairment.  The study session will take place between the 21st October and 28th October 2012 in Strasbourg, France, and will be in English; therefore participants need to have a working knowledge of the English language.  Participants must also be from one of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union). You can find a list of the countries by clicking on the map at the Council of Europe website www.coe.int.

Regardless of what impairment you have, ENIL encourages young disabled people to apply and will meet the access needs of all selected participants, including the travel expenses of Personal Assistants.  Please note that participants are required to pay a 50 Euro enrolment fee to the Council of Europe Youth Centre if the application is successful; no fee will be charged to Personal Assistants.

If you would like more information about the project or wish to receive an application form, please contact: enilstudysession2012@gmail.com or visit ENIL: www.enil.eu. The deadline for applications is 10 June 2012.

Thank you,

Miro Griffiths

Member of the Project Programming Team

Download the FAQ

Download the application form

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ENIL Membership

March 29, 2012 under News

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.

Special Arrangement: Due to the current austerity measures, there is a special price of 20 Euro for any organisation that wants to join ENIL but may not have the funds in the current climate. This price is also available for individuals as well. This is a limited offer and will run until the end of April 2012. Please email the secretariat if you wish to avail of this offer; secretariat@enil.eu

Being a member of ENIL means that you get the ENIL Newsletter every month. Become part of the Strasbourg Freedom Drive- every two years at ENIL we march to the EU Parliament with our demands. Get in contact with ENIL’s role models who are willing to share their experiences. Being a member of ENIL means being part of an exchange of knowledge, for example about international policies or how to start a user cooperative. Empowerment to organize your personal assistance, for those of us with intellectual disabilities access to the JAG model with a service-guarantor.

Please click here to download an application form here

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Germano Tosi – new ENIL board member since February 2012

March 29, 2012 under ENIL Board, IL activists, SRT

Unfortunately Professor Colin Barnes resigned from the ENIL board finding it difficult to juggle all his engagements with retirement on the way. The existing board following ENIL’s constitution voted unanimously to fill the vacant spot with Germano Tosi from Turin, Italy. Germano has been a member of ENIL since 2010. Other current positions are:

  • Co-administrator, creator and webmaster (as a volunteer ) in info-handicap office at the Townhall of Carmagnola (Turin) www.handicarmagnola.it , started in 2001
  • Member and consultant in the Coordinamento Diversabilità at the Townhall of Carmagnola  (general issues about disability, campaigns for promoting rights and equal choices for pwd, personal assistance programs access,  workshop programs with the local social services and public administration, schools and job office), since 1999
  • President and legal representative of ENIL Italia (European Network on Independent Living) www.enil.it , since 2011
  • Vice-president and webmaster of Associazione Consequor Onlus per la Vita Indipendente www.consequor.it , since 2005
  • Representative ENIL Italia Member on the National Observatory of Person with disabilities (Group 3: Independent Living, Autonomy and Empowerment of Pwd’s

With a background in industrial management Germano is an asset to the existing board.

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Remembering Prof. Jim Mansell

March 29, 2012 under News

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.

Read Jim Mansell’s obituary in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/16/jim-mansell

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EDF Job Offer

March 29, 2012 under Human Rights, News

HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER 

EDF is seeking a Human Rights Officer with good knowledge and experience on human rights, non-discrimination, and equality including gender equality issues. The ideal candidate is:

  • committed to a human rights/social model approach to disability
  • understanding and knowledge of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
  • with a good understanding of working in the political and civil society environment
  • He/she is able to work effectively in English and French and to assimilate and communicate information.
  • The knowledge of EU policies, EU institutions and procedures will be an important asset.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) is the European umbrella organisation composed of and led by persons with disabilties, representing the interests of 80 million disabled persons in Europe. The mission of EDF is to ensure persons with disabilities full access to fundamental and human rights through their active involvement in policy development and implementation in Europe. EDF works closely with the institutions of the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

More information on EDF website here

 

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