Links to the talks about punitive psychiatry
My own family destroyed in Sweden during and after the event
A few months ago, we explored the realities of human rights advocacy, global mental health research, and critiques of punitive psychiatry. Featuring speakers like David Matas J.D., Professors Derek Summerfield, Hel Spandler, Dr. Dainius Puras, and Sarah Smith, we cut through the complexities of topics such as forced organ harvesting in China and the urgent need to reform mental health approaches in conflict zones. Our speakers courageously tackle the risks involved, including backlash, legal challenges, and increased surveillance, as they openly challenge established practices—highlighting how psychiatry is wielded as a tool to silence dissenters in despotic regimes and, elsewhere in the world, through extrajudicial actions and corruption. Many others joined in an insightful journey, exposing the cruelty, the practices, the atrocities, and the subterfuges that allow it all, bringing attention to the stark realities of human rights and mental health advocacy.
Most painfully, saddening and regrettably to myself, my own kids paid the price, and endure separation due to the pressures involved in hosting these impactful events. Torture, on me, that lasted for years prior. I still have not seen them since then, taken exactly four days after the last talks were hosted. That, the 15th of November, was the last one we have been together or seen each other. Barely two distressing quick phone calls since then. Following are some of the biographies of the speakers involved, to the best of my abilities, through the pain of having my family still splintered apart. I will add more information and the transcripts one at a time, as I was planning to do long ago.
Following is the link to the talks on my Youtube channel, and some of the speakers biographies, out of a total of more than fifteen World experts involved.
David Matas J.D.:
Biography: David Matas is a Canadian human rights lawyer and author. He holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and is known for his work in human rights advocacy. Matas has been actively involved in campaigns against human rights abuses, particularly focusing on issues such as forced organ harvesting in China.
Work: David Matas has extensively worked on exposing organ trafficking and illegal organ harvesting practices, particularly in China. He has co-authored reports and conducted investigations on this issue.
Professor Derek Summerfield:
Biography: Dr. Derek Summerfield is a British medical anthropologist researcher known for his work in global mental health. He has been an advocate for rethinking approaches to mental health in conflict zones and addressing the socio-cultural dimensions of psychological well-being.
Work: Derek Summerfield has conducted research on the mental health impacts of war and displacement, particularly focusing on the social and cultural factors that influence mental well-being. He has critiqued the Western-centric approach to mental health and emphasized the importance of understanding local contexts.
Professor Hel Spandler:
Biography: Dr. Hel Spandler is a scholar in mental health and critical psychology. She has contributed to the field through research, teaching, and activism, with a focus on challenging conventional psychiatric practices and promoting alternative perspectives.
Work: Hel Spandler's work often explores critical perspectives on mental health, including issues of power, identity, and social justice. She has written extensively on topics such as user/survivor activism, the politics of mental health care, and the experiences of individuals within the psychiatric system.
Dr. Dainius Puras
Biography: Dr. Dainius Puras is a Lithuanian psychiatrist and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry. He served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health from 2014 to 2020. Puras has been a prominent advocate for a human rights-based approach to mental health.
Work: Dainius Puras has focused on advocating for mental health policies that prioritize human rights, social justice, and the reduction of coercion in mental health care. He has emphasized the importance of community-based and preventive approaches to mental health.
Sarah Smith
Biography: Sarah Smith is an individual associated with the SHIELD Mind Freedom mutual aid and support network against psychiatric abuses.
Work: She is involved in the SHIELD Mind Freedom network, committed to advocating for mental health rights and support for individuals facing psychiatric abuses.
Links to related posts, by reverse chronological order:
