5. Congress of the European Network of (ex-)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
(A joined congress of ENUSP and the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry – WNUSP):

ENUSP Press Release

Vejle, Denmark - July 20, 2004

The World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP) and the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP) held their first joined conference with the title "Networking for our Human Rights and Dignity" this week in the small Danish town in South Jutland.

Some 200 users and survivors of psychiatry, representing 50 countries around the world [1], attended the four-day event, held at the Vejle College of Sports.

WNUSP is an international disability organisation that seeks to improve the lives of people facing mental health difficulties by seeking alternative forms of recovery, fighting abuses within the psychiatric system and promoting a dialogue of reform among both health professionals and users and survivors of psychiatry.

ENUSP is an initiative to give (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatric services a means to communicate, to exchange opinions, views and experiences in order to support each other in the personal, political and social struggle against expulsion, injustice and stigma in our respective countries. ENUSP is the only grassroots umbrella organisation on a European level that unifies (among others) national organisations of (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry across the continent to provide a direct representation of people who are or have been on the receiving end of psychiatric services. Involvement of both user and survivor organisations from all over Europe is a unique added value of the Network. Currently ENUSP does not receive support by European or national authorities, so it needs urgently donations: Its bank connection: ABN AMRO Bank (Postanschrift: Neude, Postbus 30, NL-3500 AA Utrecht), International Bank Account Number (IBAN): NL54 ABNA 0534 5570 82, Bank Identifier Code (BIC): ABNANL2A, account owner: ENUSP.

The conference this weekend endorsed WNUSP's and ENUSP's pursuit of the inclusion of a prohibition against forced treatment and a guarantee of legal capacity for people with disabilities in a forthcoming treaty on the human rights of people with disabilities.

The conference also saw the beginning of new networks of users and survivors of psychiatry in Africa and the Americas. ENUSP was glad about the enhanced involvement of (ex-)users and Survivors of Psychiatry of the East European region, financially supported by Hamlet Trust, and the Mediterraneum region.

On its web site www.enusp.org ENUSP informs extensively about the successful conference.