REMINDER: MHE CONFERENCE "DIVERSITY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING. AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE", 7-9 AUGUST 2008, AALBORG (DENMARK)
For more information: the MHE Secretariat, E-mail info@mhe-sme.org, Tel +32 2 280 04 68, or visit the Conference dedicated website, http://www.mhe-aalborg.dk/
CAPACITY-BUILDING SEMINAR FOR MHE MEMBERS
A capacity-building seminar for all MHE members, including people with (a history of) mental health problems, will be organised preceding the MHE Conference 2008, on Wednesday 6 August 2008 in Aalborg.MHE members will be provided with information about the EU policies and processes around the review of renewed Lisbon Strategy as well as highlight possibilities, to ensure that their voices are heard in the process of the preparation of the new National Strategies 2008-2011. The capacity-building seminar will also include a focus on strengthening the MHE members’ ability to organise and run focus groups with people with (a history of) mental health problems in order to give a voice to them and to promote their participation in this process. The second part of the day will focus specifically on empowerment training for people with (a history of) mental health problems. The capacity-building seminar will be organised by the MHE Secretariat together with a suitable trainer (external consultant) and experts giving presentations.More information will be made available to MHE members during the next weeks.
MHE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2008
MHE’s General Assembly will take place in Aalborg, Denmark, on Saturday afternoon 9 August 2008, after the closing of the MHE conference.The agenda for the General Assembly will soon be sent to MHE members.
MHE CONTRIBUTES TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONSULTATION ON THE EU BUDGET REVIEW
In April, MHE responded to the European Commission consultation on "Reforming the Budget, Changing Europe". This consultation took place in the framework of the fundamental review of the EU budget, which the Commission was invited to undertake in the May 2006 Interinstitutional Agreement. The budget review is a unique opportunity for a thorough assessment of the EU budget and its financing, free from the constraints of a negotiation on a financial framework. It will take a long time horizon, to see how the budget can already be shaped to serve EU policies and to meet the challenges of the decades ahead.In its contribution, MHE highlighted the many changes and situations that are at work in Europe, which can negatively affect the mental health and well-being of people: Stress at the work place has risen over the last years due to various insecurities concerning the below minimum-wage and below decent-life salaries, the increase in working hours, the demands and the competition at work etc. People who suffer from mental health problems are often discriminated against and denied jobs as a result of the stigma attached to mental illness. Young people with mental health problems, but also adults experience difficulties in equal access to education and training. This is especially the case in rural areas and areas that are most affected by poverty. The social implications of the changing roles of women and men have various consequences for their mental health and well-being. Connected to this is the matter of declining birth rates as well as child poverty. Mental illness is an under-recognised but significant contributory factor to child poverty. The increasing number of older people who live alone leads to a rise in higher rates of depression and other mental health problems. The institutionalisation of this group perpetuates their social exclusion and is, in itself, a violation of human rights.
MHE believes that segregating people, barring them from access to education and employment, denying them the right to choose where and how they live and with whom they associate, solely on the basis of a mental illness label, is unacceptable. And this does not only concern a small minority or only the most vulnerable groups, but it concerns society as a whole, the injustices that exist within and the social disintegration and conflict that results from it.Thus, MHE made a strong plea in its contribution towards the European Commission to restore social equality and life chances, i.e. opportunities that enable individuals to improve their quality of life. Measures of EU budgetary reform should be targeted not towards the profit of a few but towards the prosperity of all. Unity, diversity and social cohesion can only exist under the condition that everyday life is satisfactory for all, that there are life chances for all and equality for all.MHE believes that Europe possesses a great deal of knowledge about the above mentioned social challenges. What is needed now is to use the EU’s resources, including its budget, to promote innovative solutions to meet these challenges and needs in order to prevent further growth of inequalities, rising poverty and social exclusion. EU policies and programmes must be strengthened that promote a better quality of life for all Europeans, that is on a large scale and with long-term impact.
For more information: contact Sogol Noorani at the MHE Secretariat, Tel +32 2 280 04 68, Email sogol.noorani@mhe-sme.org
MHE BRIEFING MEETING WITH DIRECTORS OF MHE MENTAL HEALTH ORGANISATIONS, BRUSSELS, 28-29 APRIL 2008
On 28-29 April 2008 MHE organised a briefing meeting with the directors of mental health organisations that are part of the MHE network. The aim of the meeting was to provide MHE member organisations with an overview of recent developments in the field of EU social and health policy, and to discuss the establishment of MHE national focal points.
After a welcome by Malgorzata Kmita, MHE President, and Mary Van Dievel, MHE Director, Trude Eliassen from the European Commission, Unit E2: Social Protection and Social Inclusion, presented the Commission's PROGRESS Programme for Employment and social Solidarity. The presentation was followed by an overview of the EU Public Health Programme given by Mari Fresu, MHE Policy Officer. Christine Marking from Marking Public Affairs then gave a comprehensive introduction to lobbying the European institutions and highlighted ways for the MHE members to lobby and advocate for mental health and well-being at all policy levels.The rest of the day was dedicated to presentations on examples of national focal points and networks of other organisations, at the European level (presented by the European Federation of Associations for the Homeless - FEANTSA) as well as at the national level (presented by Pro Mente Austria, Spanish Association for Neuro-Psychiatry - AEN, GGZ Netherlands).
As a result of the following discussion, MHE together with its member organisations decided to appoint national focal points that shall support an enhanced and intensified flow of information on EU policies and processes in MHE’s main areas of work. A national focal point is a representative from one of MHE’s member organisations per country. Under MHE’s work plan for the years 2008-2010 with the title “Working together in the EU – Enhancing communication, collaboration and commitment in the fight against poverty and social exclusion of people with mental health problems” – supported by the European Commission PROGRESS Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity – a new mode of information exchange and consultation is envisaged involving national focal points that are in close contact with MHE on the one hand and with all MHE members in their country on the other hand. They will act as intermediaries between MHE and its member organisations in cases were a) information from the European level needs to be disseminated at the national, regional and local level, as well as in cases where b) MHE needs input from its members working at the local, regional and national level in order to report back to the European level on specific issues of consultation. Special trainings for the national focal points will support their ability to act in this capacity on behalf of MHE.The meeting concluded on the next day with a visit to the European Parliament and a presentation of the Parliament's powers, set-up, organisation and decision-making.
For more information: contact the MHE Secretariat, Tel +32 2 280 04 68, Email info@mhe-sme.org
MHE INVOLVED AS COLLABORATING PARTNER IN NEW EUROPEAN PROJECT: DETERMINE
The European Consortium for Action on the Socio-economic Determinants of Health - DETERMINE (2007-2010) is a EU wide project that aims to stimulate action and raise awareness on the socio-economic determinants of health inequalities. It brings together a Consortium of over 50 health bodies, public health and health promotion institutes, governments and various other organisations from 26 European countries (MHE is one of them), with the Czech National Public Health Institute acting as the contract holder. The overall objective is to promote greater knowledge about health equity amongst decision makers and to build capacity to take action in this area. The Consortium's second meeting was held in Ljubljana (Slovenia) on 7-8 May 2008 and the final event is envisaged for March 2010 in Brussels.During this meeting, partners were able to build closer liaisons with the WHO (World Health Organization) Commission on Social Determinants of Health and to agree on the tasks to complete during the first year of the project's work, which is divided into work groups led by partners that are due to report during summer.
For more information: visit the project website http://www.health-inequalities.eu/
MHE WELCOMES NEW STAGIAIRE
At the beginning of May, Roselyne Bourgon joined the MHE Secretariat, where she will work as a stagiaire until the end of September.Roselyne is French and she graduated from the Faculty of Law of Strasbourg (France), where she specialised in Human Rights and Ethics.She will, amongst others, assist Fanny Muller with the coordination of the MHE Human Rights Committee.You can contact Roselyne by email at roselyne.bourgon@mhe-sme.org We wish her a warm welcome!
MHE REPRESENTATION AT VARIOUS MEETINGS
On 5-6 May, Sogol Noorani, Policy Officer, attended the European Commission Conference, "Developing an EU Agenda for Opportunities, Access and Solidarity", which was held in Brussels.
On 6 May, Fanny Muller, Information and Human Rights Officer, participated in a meeting of the Social Platform FRAND (Fundamental Rights and Non Discrimination) in Brussels.
On 7 May, Sogol Noorani represented MHE at the second preparatory meeting for the Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion, which will take place on 15-16 October in Marseille (France).
On 8 May, Sogol Noorani gave a presentation on the methodology of MHE’s “Good Practices” project at the Agenda Workshop on the exchange of best practices in suicide prevention, focusing on young people, organised by the Liaison agency Flanders-Europe
On 14 May, Roselyne Bourgon, stagiaire, participated in the Disability Intergroup Public Hearing on "Future anti-discrimination legislation: what are the specificities of the ‘disability’ ground?", which was organised in the European Parliament in Brussels.
On 15 May, Olivia Merlet, stagiaire, and Roselyne Bourgon attended a CEDAG Conference on "How to foster Civil Dialogue in Europe", which was held in the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.
On 22-25 May, Josée Van Remoortel, Senior Policy Advisor, represented MHE at the Slovenian Presidency Conference on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Slovenia.She also attended the European Disability Forum (EDF) Board meeting and General Assembly.
On 24 May, Mary Van Dievel attended the AEN (Asociacion Espanola de Neuropsiquiatria, MHE member) Conference in Girona (Spain). She presented the MHE Work Programme 2008 and MHE past activities.
On 26-27 May, Fanny Muller participated in the ERA (Academy of European Law) Seminar "The EU Anti-Discrimination Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78 in Practice: an In-Depth Analysis" in Trier (Germany).
On 27 May, Mary Van Dievel and Sogol Noorani represented MHE at the Social Platform bi-annual meeting with the European Commission in Brussels.
On 29 May, Elisabeth Muschik, MHE Vice-President, and Sogol Noorani took part in a meeting of the Social Platform Social Policy Working Group in Brussels.
On 30 May, Mary Van Dievel attended the EU Health Policy Forum which was organised in Brussels.