Amnesty International Public Meeting in Mental Health

national | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Thursday February 08, 2007 11:03 by Karol Balfe 01 6776361

Amnesty International Public Meeting On Mental Health

Do you feel like mental health has never been a priority for Irish Governments? Do you feel this is a denial of basic human rights?

If so, come along to Amnesty International’s public meeting on mental health at Theatre Hall IT250, NUI Galway, Wednesday 21 February, 7-9pm, and make your concerns heard.

Mental Health: Let’s Make it Happen

Everyone has the right to the highest attainable standard of mental health.

Mental health problems can affect anyone. At least one in four people in Ireland will experience a mental health problem during their lives. This means almost every family in Ireland is affected in some way by successive governments’ apathy in this area.

We invite everyone - services users, mental health professionals, teachers, you - to attend this meeting. There is a vast constituency whose voices are not being heard by Government.

Government neglect of mental health is a human rights issue. The Irish Government is legally obliged, under international human rights treaties it has ratified, to fulfil everyone’s right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. Successive governments have not lived up to this obligation. Yet, Government action on mental health promotion, prevention and treatment could make a dramatic difference to people’s lives.

Mental health will only become a political priority when we, Irish society, make it so, and together we are louder. Amnesty International is urging people to challenge the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems. Amnesty International is also asking everyone to challenge their political representatives to give mental health the priority it deserves.

Last October, Amnesty International launched its Mental Health Lobbying Network. The network offers monthly actions, resources and advice to members of the public who want to directly lobby their elected government representatives for improvements in mental health promotion, prevention and services.

Amnesty International is also holding a series of public meetings around the country for people to make their concerns about mental health services in Ireland heard. Amnesty International is looking for suggestions on how this lobbying network should operate and what issues you want to see raised with Government every month.
Please let Amnesty International know if you plan to attend this public meeting, by contacting Karol Balfe, Campaigns Officer, at 01 677 6361 or info@amnesty.ie.

If you would like to join the Lobbying Network, please call 01 677 6361 or e-mail mentalhealth@amnesty.ie.

Mental Health: Let’s Make it Happen