Our Statement of purpose:
Human experience of ‘identity’ is broad and all encompassing, including gender, ethnic, professional, creative, recreational, sport, spiritual and other possibilities of belonging in groups. In global south, identity is very important to respect our diversity.

Our identity should not be determined only in respect of our individual relationship with mental health system (as ‘user’ / ‘survivor’) .

Where there are no services, there are no ‘users’ or ‘survivors’ of services. In Asia Pacific, we have to reinvent our identity.

Our Vision is the full realization of all rights provided for in the UN CRPD.

Our purpose is to advocate for the inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities in the Asian region by using comprehensive strategies of
(a) mobilization of our communities
(b) creation of knowledge base
(c) development and sharing of social innovation and skills and
(d) public policy advocacy in the region

Our Focus :
We articulate questions that will effect a ‘paradigm shift’ and not just ‘improving mental health services’. For example, we ask for ‘choice’, and not ‘voluntary treatment’. We ask for outcome of ‘social inclusion’ and not of ‘treatment’.

Congruent with the CRPD frame, we are not singularly focused on medical treatment issues, that is not our main concern.

We highlight a range of issues : (poverty), social security and inclusion, safety, self-dignity and the fulfillment of human rights, liberty and freedoms, education, independent living, housing, employment, social protection, etc.

Our Priorities
In further discourse of our human rights, our priorities will be all civil and political rights, as we, as a constituency, are at more risk of losing these rights through incapacity norms.

Health care services, minimally, are already available as part of our choice in most countries of the region.

But we have certain expectations from health care services, viz., care and treatment should be available based on our choices and freedoms. If we choose alternative methods of healing, those choices must be respected.

Our Recommendations
Governments should recognize diversity of social and economic needs across the spectrum of mental health and psychosocial disability; and enable a diversity of social and wellbeingservices across the spectrum.

•Where non-medical alternatives do exist in Asia, health care service providers often end up gate keeping, in the name of “best interest”. We expect existing health care service providers to support personal choices of alternatives.

•Government should ensure and promote a wide range of social support systems and alternatives, so that we can truly exercise choice.

•We have inherited many social, cultural and spiritual traditions and practices, which can be developed as stand-alone alternatives and / or to complement medical treatment, based on personal choice, will and preference.

•We favour planned de-institutionalisation in the Asian countries where institutions do exist. And advocate that no (more) institutions should be created.

•We favour the preparation and transformation of communities for the inclusion, and full and effective participation of persons with psychosocial disabilities, by developing holistic community level support systems.

•In the age of the CRPD, restriction of human rights is not an option, and we are focussed on exploring ways of facilitating the full support of persons who have psychosocial disability, in ways which are respectful of everyone’s human rights as human beings.

•Laws and policies made in the region, should have ‘Inclusion’ as expected outcome.

•There may be people in our community who experience extreme states and will appear to need involuntary treatment. But we can be respectful of their consent through the creation of different kinds of formal and informal support systems.

•We believe, based on new scientific knowledge, that early interventions must be skilled in holistic and alternative approaches, so that a chance at recovery can be provided right at the start of the psychosocial distress experience. If addressed early, many people who experience extreme states need never enter the medical system.

•We envision healthy mind and body for the region, not dependent on medicine but free of medicine as possible.

Our Concern:
•We are concerned about the overall medical, nutritional negligence of people with psychosocial disabilities, who are diagnosed as ‘mentally ill’, homeless or who are living in institutions. If suspected to be ‘psychotic’, they are not given proper medical diagnostics and treatment, and their general health issues are considered to be additional symptoms of their mental illness.

•There are a number of countries in our region, where new laws or amendments of old laws are being proposed. We want laws, old and new, existing and proposed, relating to disabilities or general laws, applying on us to be fully compliant with the CRPD.