Volunteer convention dec 2,3 , 2011

Dear Volunteers, This is your chance to choose the one voluntary engagement you like from a handful offered by the best upcoming social enterprises in India. What’s more - iVolunteer brings you this opportunity for free (normal registration fee for the same is Rs 6,500) ‘Unconvention 2011’, India's premier Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship conference, held by Villgro on 2-3rd Dec, Chennai. Visit www.unconvention.co.in for more information. iVolunteer is the Session Partner on Volunteering. iVolunteer has designed a special ‘Volunteer Speed Dating’ session (2 Dec, 2 - 5:30 pm). Some of the most promising social enterprises will be pitching their volunteer positions at the session. And you, the volunteer, get to choose what fits you best. Through the session, you can: ● interact with these organisations, ● understand their volunteers requirements, and ● explore your specific engagement. Volunteers and organisations also get to identify and workout solutions to some of the most common issues related to volunteer engagement. You can also join us for the morning panel discussion on ‘Volunteering - the jargon busted’ (2 Dec, 11.30-12.30 am). The panel will be moderated by iVolunteer co-Founder & Director, Mr Shalabh Sahai. Joining us on the panel are a CSR lead from an MNC, a senior corporate professional in avatar of a star volunteer, an eminent NGO head and regional head of iVolunteer who connects them all. Each panelist will the volunteering under-currents and related jargons from their industry and experience. Volunteer policy, recruitment & retention, awards and corporate volunteering are just some of the topics we will cover. To book your seat, email me at prarthana@ivolunteer.in with the subject line “Volunteer-Unconvention”. (Please note that there are limited free volunteer seats. Book early for a confirmed seat). Thanks much and happy volunteering….

Final preparation for Suicide Survivors Day prog

Organizing an International Survivors of Suicide Day Conference Site Final Details Dear Organizers, Believe it or not, ten years ago, in 2001, there were just 3 International Survivors of Suicide Day conference sites. Thanks to all of you, this year survivors in 300 cities in 19 countries will join together for this day of healing along with thousands more online. Thank you for making this happen. Please read over the following information so you’ll be ready next Saturday, and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We’re here to help. What to do leading up to November 19th: 1. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT If you do not receive the DVD by the end of the business day tomorrow, Friday Nov. 11th, email survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org right away with your current mailing address so we can resend it immediately. Test the DVD as soon as possible upon receipt, preferably using the same equipment you plan to use on November 19th. 2. TO DO ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19th · Test your DVD and all audio-visual equipment. Don’t forget to arrange for external audio, on the day-of, especially if you are using a laptop to project the DVD onto a screen. Laptops have tiny internal speakers that will not be loud enough. For details, see the Technical Information Sheet. · Set up room(s) – As a final touch, we recommend putting a box of tissues in each room. · Post large, clear signs that say “International Survivors of Suicide Day” outside the building. You may also need additional signs inside the building, especially if you are having sharing sessions, activities, or food in different rooms. · Greet attendees - We highly recommend having at least 1 greeter at the door, plus a greeter who can take down the names of attendees and hand out any name tags or materials you may be providing. · Attendee Evaluations Ask each attendee to fill out an Evaluation Form. 40 of forms were mailed to the primary organizer. If you expect more than 40 attendees, please photocopy more. We read every single evaluation, and take feedback very seriously. Click here to view the evaluation. 3. AFTERWARDS · Attendee Evaluations–Mail forms back to AFSP Survivor Initiatives Dept, 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10005. · Let us know how many attendees you had. · Attendee List – Please send a list of all attendees (or copies of local registration forms) with attendee contact information (full name & email at a minimum) so AFSP can share information on future resources and programs. · Organizer Feedback – We will email each organizer a short questionnaire on Monday. Please take a few moments to share your feedback with us so we can continue to improve this program. · Save the Date for Next Year– Saturday, November 17, 2012 · Reserve next year’s location now if it worked well. We are here to help, so please be in touch if you have any questions at all. Thanks, and take good care, Rebecca and Elizabeth Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033. Elizabeth Hish, Survivor Initiatives Assistant – ehish@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2035 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Fax (212) 363-6237 www.afsp.org Reply Forward Rebecca Thorp rthorp@afsp.org

Call on Congress to prevent Veteran Suicides, AFSP

Call On Congress to Prevent Veteran Suicides In honor of Veterans Day (Friday, Nov. 11), let’s come together to pay tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces; patriots who have risked their lives in service to their country and the families who support them. Please join AFSP to ask members of Congress to support efforts aimed at reducing the high rate of veteran suicide. We are urging our Field Advocates and their family members, friends and colleagues to call Congress through Thursday, Nov. 10, to tell them that AFSP supports our veterans year round and urges Congress to do the same by providing funding at the highest levels possible for veteran suicide prevention and education programs. Call the toll-free phone number below through November 10. Your calls will be redirected to the appropriate offices. Call 1-877-762-8762 to reach the United States Capitol Switchboard. You will be asked by an operator what office you would like to connect with. Please call three times and request to speak with each of your senators and your member of the House of Representatives. You can find out who your members of the Senate are by visiting www.senate.gov and your member of the House of Representatives at www.house.gov.

National Workshop on Mental Health Rehabilitation on 28th Oct 2011

National Workshop on Mental Health Rehabilitation (Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting) on 28th October 2011 Background Note Introduction Rehabilitation has been defined by the WHO as the application of measures aimed at reducing the impact of disabling conditions and enabling disabled people to achieve social integration. Implicit in this definition are two components. First, an active process through which a person adapts or acquires the skills needed to mitigate the constraints of disease, and second, an acknowledgement that there may also need to be changes in the environment, including the attitudes of non-disabled people, if optimal social integration is to be achieved. The ideal rehabilitation service provides a comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, collaborative and patient-oriented approach. Continuum of Care The full range of comprehensive mental health services in any contemporary society which should be available includes a variety of outpatient & inpatient services for acute / short-term treatment, crisis intervention & rescue services, and community rehabilitation service viz. Day Care Centres, Occupational / Vocational Rehabilitation Centres, and Residential Care Centres. The concept of continuum of care is also important so as to ensure smooth transition & phase-wise application of different types of services for each patient & his/her family, as per the need in the life course of the person with mental illness. Needless to say, the range of services has to go beyond availability, to ensure accessibility & affordability for all sections of the Society. Psychiatric rehabilitation: Indian perspective Psychiatric rehabilitation in India can be divided into two phases. In the first phase, comprising the first 25 years since independence, most of the services were hospital based and largely confined to the government mental hospitals. The emphasis was on keeping the long-stay patient occupied with some form of work or activity. It is the second phase, from the early 1970s that saw concerted efforts being made to reintegrate the patient with the family and the community. In contrast to the slow and sporadic growth of psychiatric rehabilitation in the hospital setting, the response in the community has been very encouraging. These initiatives have largely come through NGOs. Community-based rehabilitation Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is very appropriate in the Indian cultural setting, where social and community bonds are quite strong and deep-rooted. The challenge of CBR, and its success, depends on whether people with disabilities, their families and communities, and the concerned governmental agencies pertaining to health, education, welfare and social service can work together to make use of the resources in the community. The ultimate goal for majority of mentally ill person is to achieve right to living independently in the community as per article “ 19” of the UNCRPD. It is the most desirable goal, & now statutory obligation of the state, however, there are varying dimension to the process which need to be recognized and it has to be stepwise process. o Preparedness and sensitization of the community o Preparedness of professionals, NGO, civil society to work towards this goal. o The development of system and infrastructure conductive to the goal. Need for the National workshop The field of mental health rehabilitation is making rapid advance worldwide but in India there is slow and sporadic growth of psychiatric rehabilitation. There needs to be a consensus on the best possible model suited to the unique needs of the entire community. In this background, a national level workshop is being organized on rehabilitation in mental health to discuss the various models/approaches, the needs and difficulties and to attempt to arrive at a consensus on the way ahead. The need for such workshop can be justified in the light of the following background: - 1. Experience of tertiary care mental health institution like IHBAS The IHBAS has been constantly and vigorously doing the rehabilitation activities especially in the line of deinstitutionalization and rehabilitating the long stay patients back into the family / community. However, the basic need of mental health services for effective rehabilitation of the person with mental illness aimed at reducing the impact of disabling conditions and enabling disabled people to achieve social integration has always been felt and considered a significant barrier. The homelessness is a significant area of concern which is significantly linked to the deinstitutionalization coupled with lack of range of rehabilitation services in the community. 2. Users and Carers’ perspective In our experience after frequent interaction with the users and carers’ groups in the last few years on various forums and occasions, the similar need has been echoed from the users and carers’ group and there is significant need felt for having Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) model and services even for the person with mental illness living with the families. 3. UNCRPD and recent policy initiative by the planning commission India has ratified the UNCRPD. The ultimate goal for majority of mentally ill person is to achieve right to living independently in the community as per article “ 19” of the UNCRPD. It is the most desirable goal, & now statutory obligation of the state, The planning commission has constituted a working group on ‘empowerment of persons with disability’ in order to formulate the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) in the disability sector. The working group has formulated a draft report which has been discussed and finalized in the recent meeting of the working group held on 03rd October, 2011. The draft report has been compiled keeping in mind the spirit of the UNCRPD and mental health rehabilitation has been highlighted as a thrust area under the policy for 12th FYP and proposals related to the same have been incorporated in the draft report. Keeping in view the need felt from various stakeholders as mentioned above and policy initiative being undertaken by the policy makers in the background of the UNCRPD, it is felt perceived need that this is the most appropriate time to consult and interact with multiple stakeholders and crystallize ideas which can be conveyed to the working group on empowerment of Persons with Disability (PwD) as in next 3 months time the report of the working group will be submitted to the planning commission for consideration for 12th FYP. The Workshop details In this background, a national level Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Mental Health Rehabilitation is being organized by IHBAS in collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation, an NGO with partial funding from the said NGO on 28th October, 2011. We have requested World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) India Chapter to be the co-organizer for this workshop. Since this workshop will cover issues of ground realities of Mental Health Rehabilitation, the scope of this workshop does not cover Mental Retardation, Neuro-rehabilitation including Dementia and related geriatric disorders, substance use disorders and issues of law and legislation on rehabilitation Specific Objectives: 1. To assess needs and service gap regarding Mental Health Rehabilitation services in India 2. a) To enlist the a) Types of rehabilitation services/models currently available in the country and b) To review and appraise about the proposals under consideration/development in the area of Mental Health Rehabilitation 3. To establish networking with various Government and Non-governmental organizations working in the field of rehabilitation for mutual experience sharing. 4. To identify and enlist the essential and necessary components of Mental Health Rehabilitation. 5. To enumerate various sectors and agencies contributing to and needed to join efforts in rehabilitation services. The invitees and participants for this workshop include technical experts in the field of Mental Health Rehabilitation, NGOs working at the ground level, Users and Carers’ groups, Mental Health Professionals from Government and Private Settings, Member Secretaries of State Mental Health Authorities as well as senior level Government administrative officials and policy makers. The role of the organizing agencies for the workshop is delineated as: · IHBAS as a tertiary care Neuropsychiatric Institute and academic body is to provide technical expertise, infrastructure, advocacy as well as coordinate with concerned Ministries and Government bodies. · Sambandh Health Foundation is expected to bring in the civil society’s concerns, caregivers’ perspectives. · World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) India Chapter will be bringing in professional perspective in mental health rehabilitation; best practice models and takes the recommendations to other forums for wider dissemination. Methods and Approaches to be used: This workshop being a National Consultative Meeting of all stakeholders will use panel discussions method on the themes mentioned below to facilitate the dialogue. Each panel discussion will have about four panellists from the related disciplines who will put across their remarks and key messages based on their experience and expertise. Each panel discussion will be of one hour and each panellist will get 4-5 minutes each followed by discussion for half an hour and summarization of important points. There will be no lectures or presentations. The identified themes include: 1. Overview 2. Alternatives to hospital care : Deinstitutionalization and other services 3. Continuum of care: Types of rehabilitation facilities 4. Needs for rehabilitation services: users & carers perspectives 5. Possible consequences of inadequate rehabilitation services This workshop is expected to have discussions focusing on the concept on continuum of care, its components, how many of these components are available at present and what are the possible mechanisms to create such facilities and how to sustain it in long term. At the end of the workshop it is hoped to achieve better understanding and consensus about possible models of Mental Health rehabilitation besides establishing the urgent need for such model. Monitoring & Evaluation and follow up: (a) Evaluation Feedback Questionnaire (b) 1) Networking through World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR), India Chapter ii) Implementation of emerging ideas related to Mental Health Rehailitation (WAPR), India Chapter ii) Implementation of emerging ideas related to Mental Health Rehabilitation (c) Initiation of Residential and non residential rehabilitation services across Delhi in one year and across the country in 12th Five Year Plan (d) The recommendations and outcome of the workshop which will be submitted (within 3 months) to the planning commission through the Working Group on empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is expected to influence the Mental Health Rehabilitation policy for 12th Five Year Plan proposals under MOS&JE and MOH&FW, GOI NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION (Stakeholders Consultative Meeting) Organised by IHBAS in Collaboration with Sambandh Health Foundation Date: 28th October (Friday), 2011 Timing: 09:30 AM to 05:30 PM Venue: Mini Auditorium, 2nd Floor, Academic Block, IHBAS, Delhi PROGRAMME SCHEDULE 09:30 AM-10.00 AM Inaugural session 10:00 AM-10.30 AM TEA BREAK 10.30 AM -11.30 AM Overview of Indian Experience on Mental Health Rehabilitation- Canadian Experience on Mental Health Rehabilitation- NGO perspective on Mental Health Rehabilitation Civil Society’s perspective on Mental Health Rehabilitation Recent Initiatives at Mental Health Rehabilitation in Delhi State 11:30 AM-12.30 AM Panel Discussion on Alternatives to hospital care : Deinstitutionalization and other services 12:30 AM-01.30 PM Panel discussion on Continuum of care: Types of rehabilitation facilities 01:30 – 02:00 PM LUNCH 02:00 – 03:00 PM Panel Discussion on Needs for rehabilitation services: users & carers perspectives 03:00 – 04:00 PM Panel Discussion on Possible consequences of inadequate rehabilitation services 04:00 – 05:00 PM Synthesizing : Summary of individual sessions 05:00 – 05: 30 PM Valedictory Session

Suicide Survivors Day

International Survivors of Suicide Day Organizing a Conference Site: October E-Bulletin Would you believe that International Survivors of Suicide Day is just 6 weeks away? Please help us to finalize the list of participating cities as quickly as possible. Are you holding a conference site this year? Let us know by: · Registering now · Or replying to this email · Or calling us at the numbers below We’d also like to know if you are experiencing any difficulties. Can’t organize a site? We completely understand. Just let us know if you would like us to be in touch next year. (And please let survivors in your area know about the free webcast & live chat on Saturday, November 19th. More info at www.afsp.org/survivorday) Thank you. We hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Rebecca and Elizabeth Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033. Elizabeth Hish, Survivor Initiatives Assistant – ehish@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2035 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Fax (212) 363-6237 www.afsp.org

centres of Independent living

Captain Johann samuhanand, BANGALORE INDIA 91 80 42023252 www.captainjohann.blogspot.com SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY COLLABORATIVE! Serving Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities In Centers of Independent Living: A Fact Sheet The national network of Centers for Independent Living increasingly serves individuals with psychiatric disabilities, or a combination of physical/sensory/intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disabilities. This revised and updated publication from the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities provides CIL staff with clear and current information to help them better respond to the needs of people in recovery from mental illnesses. Developed in conjunction with CIL staff and mental health consumers from around the country, the revised Fact Sheet - first issued last year - provides brief responses to twelve frequently asked questions (e.g., What is psychiatric disability? Do people with psychiatric disabilities recovery? Where can people with psychiatric disabilities turn for clinical care and rehabilitation services? What impact is the mental health consumer movement having on MH system services? How can CIL staff respond to the needs of mental health consumers?, etc.) as well as online linkages to websites with more detailed information and instruction for each topic. The publication is designed both for individual CIL staff and for use in CIL staff training programs focusing on this growing portion of the CIL consumer base. Serving Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities in Centers for Independent Living: A Fact Sheet can be downloaded at no cost form the Temple University Collaborative website (www.tucollaborative.org) or by clicking here. This document is also available in a variety of accessible formats. Please contact Richard Baron at rcbaron@temple.edu with requests. --------------------------------------- New! A Research and Practice Brief from the Center on Adherence and Self-Determination The Center on Adherence and Self-Determination (CASD) investigates the concept of "service engagement" as an alternative to "compliance" or "adherence", asking what influences the individual's choice to engage with or disengage from services. CASD's third Research & Practice Brief (R&PB) summarizes CASD's research into succinct statements that might be used by advocates, policy makers, and other interested parties to promote self-determination with regard to service engagement. R&PB No. 3 offers a discussion of the use of the terms "compliance," "adherence," and "service engagement" as they relate to the concepts of consumer choice and self-determination, and the need for models to understand decision making processes, both rational and socially based, for service engagement. Research and Practice Brief No. 3 is available by clicking here. The Temple University Collaborative, including Dr. Mark Salzer, is a proud partner with CASD. To learn more about the Center on Adherence and Self-Determination, visit their website at: http://www.adherenceandselfdetermination.org/.

Suicide survivors webinar

International Survivors of Suicide Day Organizing a Conference Site: October E-Bulletin Would you believe that International Survivors of Suicide Day is just 6 weeks away? Please help us to finalize the list of participating cities as quickly as possible. Are you holding a conference site this year? Let us know by: · Registering now · Or replying to this email · Or calling us at the numbers below We’d also like to know if you are experiencing any difficulties. Can’t organize a site? We completely understand. Just let us know if you would like us to be in touch next year. (And please let survivors in your area know about the free webcast & live chat on Saturday, November 19th. More info at www.afsp.org/survivorday) Thank you. We hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Rebecca and Elizabeth Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033. Elizabeth Hish, Survivor Initiatives Assistant – ehish@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2035 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Fax (212) 363-6237 www.afsp.org

Ageing population can alter eco and health policies

Statistics of Ageing population in India 71 million in 2001 100 million in 2011(approx) 126 million approx projected estimate for the elderly population in 2026 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- India takes up old challenge Oct 2, 2011, 06.36AM IST TNN[ Malathy Iyer ] MUMBAI: On October 13, government officials in Delhi will discuss funding for an old-age issue: an ambitious project spanning 25 years to study how various socio-economic issues affect the country's senior citizens. The study will follow 30,000 people over 45 for 25 years to chronicle how factors such as nuclear families, migration of children, lack of pension, inadequate health system, etc impact their lives. India's 60-plus brigade-often neglected in discussions about our young population-has been growing steadily. The group accounted for less than 5% of the population in 2001, but will make up 14% by 2050. In sheer numbers, projections from the latest 2011 Census pegged the 60-plus population at 100 million. "In 2026, they will account for over 174 million," said Dr Fauzdar Ram, director of the International Institute of Population Sciences. The burgeoning population of senior citizens has the potential to dramatically alter existing economic policies. More greybeards, for instance, means that insurance and pension schemes have to be reworked. The rise in nuclear families, especially in urban India, underlines the need for better social infrastructure. These are just a few of the reasons propelling Indian experts to embark on a Longitudinal Ageing Study. One aspect that will be analyzed in all its socio-economic details will be the "feminization" of the aged or the fact that there are more 70-plus women than men who are financially dependent. "Most women don't have any financial independence. In rural areas, land is almost never in the woman's name. When they outlive their husbands, they have to depend on their children or relatives," said Dr Fauzdar Ram, director of the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS). The study, which will begin next year, will be undertaken by the IIPS, which is based in Deonar. The US National Institutes of Health will be the main funding organization, and Harvard University will be a partner. Next month, IIPS will announce the findings of a pilot study in Punjab, Rajasthan, Kerala and Karnataka. "The pilot study helped us fix a module for the larger study," said Ram. For instance, people underwent diagnostic tests to establish health indicators such cholesterol, BP, etc. Many European countries as well as China, Japan, Indonesia and Korea are carrying out such studies. But India's issues are unique. "Families are becoming smaller, especially in urban India, but affluence is rising. Children are migrating, getting well-paying jobs and providing economic succour to parents. But what about the physical support that a 75-yearplus needs?" said an IIPS researcher. Healthcare here is not oriented for the aged. "Infant and maternal mortality still dominate. Even our doctors aren't oriented to think for the aged. It's going to be one of the biggest challenges for India," said Ram. One solution, say experts, would be to levy taxes on people with aged parents in such a manner that the state can build infrastructure for the aged in terms of homes, hospitals, etc. STUDY HIGHLIGHTS The International Institute for Population Sciences says that by 2050, the silverhaired group will account for over 14% of the population-up from 5% in 2001 The oldest old-the population aged 80 and over-will also increase from 1% to 3% Health insurance, work and retirement, income and changing family characteristics are some of the problems identified vis-a-vis senior citizens Now, the Indian government along with US National Institutes of Health will undertake a 25-year-long study to assess ageing and it socio-economic impact on the nation's population. The study will follow 30,000 people in the 45-60 age group. Population Aging and Social Policy Annual Review of Sociology Vol. 18: 449-474 (Volume publication date August 1992) DOI: 10.1146/annurev.so.18.080192.002313 Peter Uhlenberg Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 FULL-TEXT| PDFPDF (808 KB)| Permissions Citation: Web of Science ® Download| Email notification| Web of Science ®: Related Records ®| Times Cited: 11 ABSTRACT As the life course currently is structured, old age is socially defined as a stage of life beginning in the early sixties, in which retirement from work and many other social responsibilities is expected. Few incentives exist for older persons to make productive contributions to the society, and obstacles to their engagement in productive activities exist. Consequently, large transfers from the working population to the retired are required, and potential contributions of the elderly to societal well-being are lost. Further, adult children often face a long period of being responsible for their aging dependent parents. Changes occurring in the older population challenge this existing arrangement. Not only is the ratio of the older to younger adults increasing, but also an increasing proportion of adults entering old age have the ability to make significant contributions (i.e. they are well educated, healthy, economically secure, and politically astute). Concern over this growing mismatch between older people's abilities and the roles they are expected to fill leads to a discussion of social policy. How might social policy increase the productivity of the elderly and/or reduce the burden of supporting a growing dependent older population. Three major categories of policies responsive to this question are considered. The outcome of these policy debates will significantly shape the future of aging in the United States. Go to full-text...

pet therapy-adopt a pet for therapeutic effectrs

Adopting a pet is therapeutic! ll Gajanan Khergamker Oct 2, 2011, 05.43AM IST Tags: Smriti Parmar| adopting pet Forty eight-year-old Smriti Parmar had been suffering from chronic depression and her blood pressure had shot up alarmingly since her husband's death last June. Medication didn't seem to be helping and her family was at its wits end trying to figure a way out of this problem. That's when somebody suggested pet therapy. And, it worked! "Since we got Pia, our one-and-half-year-old Alsatian home last month, my mother's health has improved considerably. Her blood pressure is under control and she seems a lot happier too," says Ms Parmar's son Chirag, an SYBA student. In fact, Ms Parmar spends most of her time with Pia, talking to her, disciplining her, singing to her or doing just about anything . And, now she also wants to get another pet Alsatian to "give Pia company' ," says Chirag. Research has proved time and again that petowners tend to be healthier and happier than those who do not have pets at home. They not just have higher survival rates following coronary heart disease ; they are also believed to be less prone to death due to heart attack. "Pets are great stressbusters , they're good companions , who listen to all your woes without any complaints!" offers senior veterinarian Dr Siloo Bhagwager . Besides the therapeutic value of keeping a pet, they are known to do wonders to a child's development. "Children who own pets develop a nurturing behaviour, positive self-esteem and an enhanced all-round development," says Dr Bhagwager. And then, pets are known to be much more perceptive than human beings. Your spouse may not notice that you are in a foul mood, but your pet definitely will! "Just as I enter my home, I know Tarzan - my two-year-old Doberman - knows how my day has been!" says realty consultant Tarun Mehra. "And, he'll do all that he can, roll on the floor; dance even play dead to fetch a smile on my face, if I've had a crappy day at work," adds Mr Mehra, who "can't really say the same" about his wife Nandini though. "Interestingly, dogs pick up even on the subtlest of body signals, especially of their owners. They can easily gauge your disposition from the smell of your body," explains Canine Behaviour Counsellor Shireen Merchant. "Besides, they understand your non-verbal signals - facial expressions, body language, et al - too well so you don't need to tell them everything," adds the counsellor. Unlike children, pets are not wilful; they don't have mood swings and never talk back. "Whether I'm irritable or not, I know Canny, my two-and-halfyear-old cat, adores me unconditionally. She makes me feel that I'm great just the way I am!" says marketing executive Deepika Pradhan. Now, that's something most human beings just can't do, can they? PET FACTS Pet-owners visit the doctor less often than those who do not own pets. Pet-owners are said to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-pet-owners . Pets reduce stress, anxiety and loneliness especially among single owners . Walking with a dog or sharing space with a dog, fills the pet-owner with a sense of security. Children who own pets are known to have positive self-esteem and better cognitive development. They tend to have an enhanced all-round development . Companionship of pets helps one deal better with some serious illness or death in the family. Ads by Google

No death penalty if convict can be reformed: SC

No death if convict can be reformed’ Mohan K Korappath, Hindustan Times Mumbai, October 02, 2011 First Published: 01:30 IST(2/10/2011) Last Updated: 01:32 IST(2/10/2011) Share more... 0 Comments Email print The Supreme Court (SC), in two recent judgments, has held that there is no reason to impose death penalty if a convict can be rehabilitated and reformed. The SC's remarks could put a different spin on the controversies surrounding clemencies for Afzal Guru and the plotters of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. On Friday, a division bench of justice P Sathasivam and justice BS Chauhan on commuted a death sentence to life imprisonment following an appeal by the accused Kishor Matkari. Matkari challenged a decision of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court, which enhanced a life sentence to that of death. Earlier in the week, a division bench of justice DK Jain and justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, substituted the death sentence of accused Rajesh Kumar after he appealed against the sentence awarded by the Delhi high court. In both cases, the judges examined facts that went into making a case 'rarest of rare' and whether a significant mitigating factor justified exemption from a death penalty. The judges also noted that it was necessary to look into factors such as criminal antecedents and socio-economic background of the convicts. In Kumar's case, the division bench, referring to constitutional judgments and the internationally accepted standards, pointed out that "the death sentence should only be imposed instead of life sentence in 'rarest of rare' cases where the crime or crimes are of exceptional heinousness and the individual has no significant mitigation and is considered beyond reformation." The bench also observed that the court must show a real and abiding concern for the dignity of human life, which must postulate resistance to taking life through law's instrumentality. Except in 'rarest of rare cases' and for 'special reasons', death sentence cannot be imposed as an alternative option to the imposition of life sentence. Meanwhile, in Matkari's case, the high court held that there was no reason to disbelieve that the accused could not be reformed or rehabilitated or that he was likely to continue criminal acts of violence and be a menace to society.

Stop the death Penalty

STOP DEATH PENALTY This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country. (TROY DAVIS, executed on 21st September 2011 in the United States) The issue of Death Penalty has always been a contentious one, on which to take a call, for or against based on the existing standards of morality, crime and punishment and above all the barrage of media driven legal dispensation, colours the judgement of even the ardent supporters of human rights who would like to transcend all the boundaries of nationality, race, religion, language and gender. But yet in history it is the struggle for a humane and just society which has made the world modern and progressive, travelling arduously from barbarism of the past. It is a fact that world over the state and establishments have transgressed and trampled upon the fundamental human rights in their anxiety to safeguard their iniquitousrule over people. Especially when it is the issue setting “examples” against rebellious events which challenges their concept of a Nation State. The question one has to ask; is death penalty the remedy to the crime and the cycle of violence that is inherent in the societies that we live. Is it not the case that most of the times the acts of violence especially against the oppressive state comes from the situation of despair and helplessness. Presently the most talked about cases of death penalty in India are of the three Tamils facing execution; Perarivalan, Murugan and Santhan. All of whom are charged and convicted in the gruesome Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. All these three have served 19 years of jail sentence out of which 12 happens to be the most hateful years expecting the death any day, any hour. Even though the courts and the judicial system of this country have pronounced their verdict, it is yet debatable whether the justice has been done, For example Perarivalan, who was charged with 'conspiracy to murder' , the prosecution's evidences are highly suspect, the very fact that he was qualified electronics engineer, and “gave” a 9 volts Battery cell to the perpetrators of the crime, touting this as the clinching evidence against him is nothing but travesty of justice. It is time that the civil society rise up to the occasion to defend the human rights and to see that the practice of Death Penalty which is otherwise a blot on democratic principles of justice is done away with. Death Penalty is no deterrent to the crimes that are perpetrated on a regular basis, it has to be replaced with more humane democratic mechanism of justice system against outlaws, it is fundamentally a question and challenge before us to create a society and system which ends all forms of systemic violence, practised both by the state and non-state actors. Stop Death Penalty Public Meeting Speakers: Ashok Mathew – Director SICHREM will chair the meeting Thirumurugan Gandhi-May17th Movement Dr. Vijayamma, leading journalist, feminist thinker Dr. Sitharamam Kakarala, Senior Fellow at CSCS Gauri Lankesh, Editor Lankesh Patrike Uthaya Senan- International coordinator , Tamil Solidarity VenueSCM House, Mission Road, (Behind Priyadarshini Handlooms), Bangalore. Date1stOctober 2011. Time1.30pm to 5pm The meeting will be followed by a protest demonstration @ Town Hall ,5.30pm 1st October 2011 Organised by New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India) & Tamil Solidarity New Socialist Alternative Mobile:+91 9448394365 Phone: +91 80 26742616 Skype: horaata

Say no to ragging

Mumbai ICSE board plans anti-ragging squads in schools Deepti Khera, Hindustan Times Mumbai, September 30, 2011 Email to Author First Published: 01:44 IST(30/9/2011) Last Updated: 01:45 IST(30/9/2011) Share more... 0 Comments Email print After a prank played on a 14-year-old student of an ICSE school went horribly wrong last week, the ICSE board is considering setting up anti-ragging squads in its schools in the city. The Class 9 student landed in hospital after the prank. The boy, from a reputed school in south Mumbai, had taken a sip of water from his bottle and soon after, complained of pain in his throat. When he started to choke, the school authorities panicked and called a doctor, who advised them to rush the teenager to a hospital. During an endoscopy at Jaslok Hospital, the doctors found a soft board pin lodged in the boy’s intestine. The school later found that one of the boy’s classmates was responsible for putting the pin in his water bottle. The boy was suspended for 15 days and the family had to pay compensation of around Rs25,000. Perin Bagli, secretary of the association of ICSE schools in Maharashtra, said they were planning to form anti-ragging squads to prevent such incidents and discipline children. “I will meet all ICSE school principals and discuss this issue with them,” said Bagli, who is also the principal of Activity High School at Peddar Road. “Disciplinary action is important to put an end to such pranks. Setting up anti-ragging squads may be the solution. We will also form a committee to take care of such complaints.” Bagli is also in talks with the police department and its anti-ragging squad to give lectures to school students.

AFSP september bulletin

AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Day Saturday, November 19, 2011 Organizing a Conference Site: September E-Bulletin Over 225 of you have let us know that you’re definitely organizing sites this year. Thank you! Remember, you must register your site to receive the DVD and be listed online as a participating city. Register today so visitors to the AFSP website can learn about your conference. Not able to organize a site this year? We understand – just reply to this email to let us know if we should be in touch next year. The step-by-step guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference provides information on every aspect of planning your day, but you can also reply to this message or call Rebecca Thorp at 212-363-3500 ext 2033 or Elizabeth Hish at 212-363-3600ext 2035 if you have any questions. We are here to help. « SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT « 2011 PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, FRENCH & ENGLISH, in order to reach an even wider population of survivors of suicide loss. Please spread the word to Spanish and French speaking survivors and those who work with them. Anyone can now organize a conference site in Spanish, French, or English. And survivors who don’t live near a conference site can sign up at www.afsp.org/survivorday to watch from home in Spanish, French or English on or after November 19th. « SEPTEMBER FOCUS « IDEAS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING Simply showing the AFSP broadcast on November 19th is a meaningful service to the local community which shows survivors everywhere that they are not alone. For many, this is the first time they will meet another survivor of suicide loss. However, if you would like to add additional local speakers and/or activities to your conference, here are some ideas (updated for 2011). WRITTEN MATERIALS Looking for materials to distribute? You have two options: 1. You can print out the following free of charge and provide photocopies for your attendees: Poem: We Remember Them Surviving Suicide Loss: A Resource and Healing Guide Facts about Suicide Handling the Holidays Surviving a Suicide Loss Bibliography Talking to Children About Suicide 2. Additional materials may be ordered for a nominal charge by visiting the AFSP Store. Order before October 17th to be sure that you receive everything in time. Shipping & handling costs for U.S. orders are included in prices below. If you live outside the U.S.: Order by emailing ehish@afsp.org. Shipping and handling charges will apply. PLANNING YOUR DAY AFSP makes it easy for anyone to host a local conference site by providing the main program content on DVD. However, we recognize that every community has different needs, so in addition to showing the DVD, we encourage you to customize the day in a way that will best support your local attendees. See step 6 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference for detailed guidance, and Ideas for Local Programming. Keep these key points in mind: (Details available in step 6 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference ) Survivors overwhelmingly tell us that having the opportunity to talk with other survivors is one of the most helpful aspects of the day. Help survivors connect one-on-one by providing name tags, and colored coded ribbons, stickers, or mardi-gras style beads to signify loss relationship. Planned “sharing sessions” create a safe environment for self-expression and mutual support. These are informally facilitated by a survivor who is further along in his/her loss. Any local speakers, activities, or workshops should focus on bereavement. This day was originally created by U.S. Senate resolution exclusively for those who are grieving after suicide. This is not a day that focuses on suicide prevention. More information in FAQ. Recently bereaved survivors often feel that their lives have been turned upside-down and that the world no longer makes sense, so focus on helping attendees feel safe, secure, and cared for. Make sure you give accurate information about driving directions and parking, provide a day-of-event program, post a sign in front of the building, and have a volunteer greet attendees at the door. We are here to help, so please be in touch if you have any questions at all. Thanks, and take good care, Rebecca and Elizabeth Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033. Elizabeth Hish, Survivor Initiatives Assistant – ehish@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2035 ØIf you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Fax (212) 363-6237

Stem cell therapy in India

Chaitanya Stem Cell Center Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a part of Chaitanya Hospital, an ISO 9001/2008 accredited organization. We have already treated more than 92 cases with the help of Stem Cells, out of which 70% cases have shown clinical improvements. We use cells of highest purity, viability and integrity from world quality laboratory. It has been proved that more transplantation cycles give better results. Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a charity based organization and thus we provide the treatments at economical rates. Following are some of the highlights of Stem cell therapy: Stem cell therapy has shown significant positive results worldwide in conditions like Cerebral palsy, Mental retardation, Autism and many diseases over the last 3 -6 years. Stem cell therapy is used to treat incurable diseases like Cerebral Palsy, Brain Hemorrhage and Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury & Paraplegia, Autism, Parkinsonism and more than 75 diseases. Preliminary studies at our center have shown encouraging outputs. It is our aim to facilitate further scientific research of clinical application of Autologous Bone marrow Derived Mononuclear Stem Cells Therapy in economical rates. The stem cell therapy done at our center is from your own bone marrow and hence acceptability of the human body is more with no adverse effects. The exact treatment can change from patient to patient and is prescribed after a thorough analysis of the patient’s condition by our panel of expert doctors. Chaitanya Stem Cell Center Ph.: 020-24329666,24328600 Mo. No.: +91-80877 99091 Mo. No.: +91-90111 11222 E-mail: anantbagul@yahoo.com, chaitanyastemcell@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Neurogen- Dr Alok Sharma ---- Brain and Spine Institute ---9920200400, 022-25283706, Surana Sethia Hospital, Sion-Trombay Rd, Suman Nagar, Opp Corporate Park, Mumbai -71

Inauguration of National Association for Muscular Dystrphy

Inaugural function of the National association for Muscular dystrophy and commemorative function for Muscular dystrophy day held on 17 sept 2011 at Matunga gymkhana. Around 150 people gathered to celebrate their struggle with life and they included muscular dystrphy patients, family members, care givers, doctors from Neurogen, friends and well-wishers. A book on 'Stem cell therapy and other recent advances in Muscular Dystrophy ' was also released on the occasion. A website for the National Association for Muscular dystrophy was also activated on that day. www.musculardystrphyindia.com

IASP Suicide Prevention Day Activities 2011

Aasra’s Suicide prevention Day activities on 8th, 10th and 11th Sept 2011 10TH September is World Suicide Prevention Day. Every year, we ,at Aasra, over and above the other awareness activities that we organise around the year, try to spread awareness, about suicide in a special way on this special day . This year we are organising a workshop from 5 pm to 7pm on 10th September 2011 at Aasra(www.aasra.info for address). Anyone interested in attending this workshop is welcome. It would be kind on your part to r.s.v.p. via sms to 9820466726 so that we know the exact number of participants to facilitate better communication. The workshop titled ‘Understanding Suicide: The mind-body connect’ - will include. 1. Basic Psychology 2. Suicide (Batch strength 20) 11th Sept 2011, Sunday : 5 pm to 7pm- Workshop (repeat for the overflow)(Batch strength 20) Aasra’s director Johnson Thomas will also be making a presentation on ‘suicide Prevention’ to around 150 students, on 10th Sept at 10.30 am, at Vaze college Mulund . On the 8th of Sept 2011, Aasra’s Director Johnson Thomas will be talking to school-kids (around 200) on ‘Stress in Education’ at a school in Andheri, as part of Suicide Prevention Day program.

Book marks with information about ‘Help in times of distress’ will also be distributed at the abovementioned venues.

Hyderabad Human Rights Conference

Dear Friends We Human Rights Forum Hyderabad unit, will be organizing our general body conference on 10 September 2011. The venue of the conference is Bharat Degree College, Kachiguda, Hyderabad. The coference will be from 10 am to 3 pm with keynote address by Mr. Nikhil Dey, one of the founder members of MKSS and right to information activist . Dr. Ramanjaneyulu, of CSA will speak on Agriculture in crisis. There will be presenation of secretary report on activities of two years and talk by General Secretary and president of HRF. We request you all block Sept 10 in your diaries and attend the conference Karthik Navayan -- B.Karthik Navayan, http://karthiknavayan.wordpress.com/ https://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/ __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: New Members 2 Visit Your Group ________________________________________

International Covenant on Civil and Political rights & International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

AHRC-PAP-002-2011 September 5, 2011 A Paper by the Asian Human Rights Commission Human Rights and Democratic Governance Basil Fernando (This is the text of a presentation at A Consultation on Peace and Security in Asia and Ecumenical Responses held on August 1-6, 2011, organized by WCC and CCA) As a start we may try to reflect on some of the concerns expressed by the participants of this meeting who have spoken so far. One of the presentations that impressed me was from the representative from Nepal. After a detailed presentation of the country situation and explaining the impasse that had arisen relating to the making of the constitution he observed that Nepal is facing the risk of being a dysfunctional state. If we reflect on the meaning of a state becoming dysfunctional I think we could grasp to some extent the problems relating to democratic governance as well as rule of law not only in Nepal but in many of the countries in the Asian region and, in fact, many of the countries which are usually labeled as less developed countries. The problem of the dysfunctional state and human rights is also very significant. The implementation of human rights requires functional public institutions of justice. These institutions, briefly, are: the civilian policing institution, which guarantees inquiries into all allegations of the violations of human rights; the competent and impartial agency capable of prosecuting the allegations for which the investigators have found adequate evidence; and a judiciary that is independent and capable of ensuring the rights of all parties, including the accused and the victims. If these institutions have not reached a stage of social acceptance of their awareness of the legal obligations of these institutions and of their proven capacity to implement their obligations that situation could be described as one that has reached dysfunctionalism. In short when the policing system, the prosecuting system and the judicial system are incapable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations to uphold the international norms of human rights, such a state is virtually dysfunctional. This situation has been described by the CEO of the International Justice Mission, Gary Haugen, in a speech made at Columbia University thusly: "Looking back at the story, one can see that two generations of global human rights work have been predicated, consciously or unconsciously, upon assumptions of a functioning public justice system in the developing world which, if incorrect, effectively undercut the usefulness of those efforts for their intended beneficiaries. Now, absent an effective enforcement mechanism, the great work of the first two generations of the international human rights movement can deliver to the poor only empty parchment promises." Empty parchment promises Have human rights become 'empty parchment promises' for the people in Asian countries? In answering that question let us look briefly at the basic human rights of everyone in terms of the human rights conventions agreed upon by the international community through the mediation of the United Nations. For the purpose of this presentation I will make a brief summary of the basic rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Under the ICCPR Equality before the law and prevention of all forms of discrimination The right to life and the right against extrajudicial killings The right against torture and ill-treatment The right to security which includes the right against illegal arrest and illegal detention The right of movement The right to a fair trial The right to information The right to freedom of expression and freedom of association The right to freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and freedom to practice the religion of one's choice The right to choose a government of one's choice Under the ICESCR The right to life, meaning the right to means of life to be lived with dignity The right to work The right to form trade unions The right to education The right to health The right to leisure (This list of ICCPR and ICESCR rights is not exhaustive but is meant to illustrate the basic rights). In looking as to whether the states are, in fact, protecting, promoting and ensuring the realisation of these rights, what one needs is to find out is whether the people in the relevant countries are, in fact, enjoying these rights. A brief survey of responses from the participants to this question was that, in fact, the rights which are in the mentioned in the parchments are not available in real life for most of the people in their respective countries, particularly the poor. How does this situation arise? The duty to investigate and prosecute violations of rights States are under obligation to ensure that complaints of violations of rights are being investigated thoroughly by competent investigation agencies. The competent agency for investigations is the police. It is the police who have the obligation to take the complaints from the people of the allegations of violations and to record such complaints faithfully. Thereafter they are expected to investigate these allegations within a framework of the law that ensures proper conduct of inquiries. The police are also under obligations to seek the assistance of experts and competent bodies in making inquiries, when necessary, in order to ensure that all facilities are used for the purpose of conducting a thorough and impartial inquiry. They are also under obligation to keep faithful records of all that they do and all that they find in the course of such inquiries. Finally, they are under obligation to hand over a complete file of their investigations to the prosecuting agency. The prosecuting agency is under obligation to make a thorough study of the files of inquiry through competent lawyers and to make decisions relating to the adequacy or inadequacy of evidence to prosecute the offenders. Where the legal criteria relating to adequacy of evidence is met, the prosecutors are under obligation to prosecute the alleged offenders under competent courts and, in doing so, the status of any other circumstances of the offender is not a relevant consideration.The prosecutors are expected to file the necessary indictments before the competent courts and to conduct the prosecution during the trial. They are expected to act without any subservience to any political authorities or any powerful forces. Finally, it is the obligation of the judges of competent courts to ensure fair trial within the framework of the law based on international norms. To be able to conduct such trials the courts must be able to ensure that they avoid undue delays or allow any other kind of corruption to hamper the conduct of a fair trial. To carry out this function the state must ensure that adequate funding is given for the administration of justice so that there will be an adequate number of judges with the required qualifications, who have all the necessary facilities for the carrying out of their obligations. Thus, it is the primary obligation of the state to ensure adequate funding for the functioning of institutions of investigation, prosecution and the judiciary. The failure to comply with state obligations as the cause of dysfunctionalism When the state fails to ensure the requirements mentioned above, those institutions cannot carry out the necessities to meet with their social obligations. When the policing, prosecutions and the judiciary fail to meet with the criteria of competent institutions, the people are unable to realise their rights. The problems described by Gary Haugen in stating human rights conventions becoming 'empty parchment promises' take place when there are no competent institutions to ensure the realisation of the norms enshrined in the UN conventions for which many of the countries have become signatories. Thus, the test of the availability of rights is not the government's ratification of the UN conventions or even bringing about domestic legislation to bring in such international obligations within the local law. A test of realisation is the availability of the functional public institutions of justice. It is in this that the governments in less developed countries fail. The people's obligations When there is a situation of dysfunctional public institutions of justice, it is the duty of people themselves to fight for the improvement of such public institutions. The civil society cannot survive without functioning institutions of justice. When there are arbitrary killings, such as forced disappearances and various forms of custodial killings, when torture and ill-treatment are widespread practices carried out by the police, military and paramilitary institutions, when illegal arrest and illegal detention takes place and when fair trial is denied, what comes into existence is a state of fear, intimidation and bewilderment for the people. This is deepened further when freedom of expression, association and publication are also brought under various restrictions and when the people are punished for engaging in any of the activities relating to the expression of their views. Politically, this situation is brought into sinister completion when the possibility of free and fair elections is denied. That is virtually the situation of many of the less developed countries, though the degree to which this happens may vary to some extent from country to country. In a situation of that sort the realisation of ICESCR rights is also not possible. The right to life can be deeply affected when the right to food and water and the right to housing are denied through various forms of economic measures. The right to health and education can also be denied in the same manner. Above all, the right to work can be denied both by unemployment and underemployment. When the process of transparency and accountability does not exist the people completely lose the capacity to participate in the process of determining the affairs of their own lives. The right to information is a fundamentally important aspect of guaranteeing a decent way of living within a society. The denial of the right to form trade unions and other workers' associations as well as students is also a way of creating a less than human environment for living. Participation and the existence of functioning public institutions of justice Democratic governance is based on the notion of the participation of the people themselves in their own governance. When the basic civil rights of the people mentioned above are denied, the people are in fact denied the right to participate in governance. Within that setup what emerges is a falsified version of representative governance. The representatives, in order to have legitimacy, must be chosen freely by people who live in a political environment within which they are able to express their consent or dissent in a well-informed manner and without coercion and fear. When the basic civil rights are denied such an environment of freedom does not exist. What takes place then by way of falsified versions of elections, or even by making constitutions without proper consultation with the people, is the generation of governments which are, in fact, authoritarian and arbitrary in character. In many of the less developed countries the governments have taken an absolutist mode, though they keep up the façade of being democratic governments. What exists is phantom democracy, which, like the phantom limb, is an illusion. The real nature of such governments has not yet adequately become the subject of studies. In a recent book entitled Gyges' Ring - the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, I have tried to demonstrate this in terms of the situation in Sri Lanka. However, this is not just the political situation in Sri Lanka only but many less developed countries fall within this category. Thus, the discourse on the participation of people should incorporate an assessment of the peoples' actual capacity to enjoy their basic rights. Gender equality and the dysfunctional public institutions of justice Modern discourse on rights insists on the incorporation of the equality of women into all aspects of discourse on human rights as well as the political discourse on democracy. The participation of women in all aspects of social life is an integral part of this discourse. However, the problems discussed above about the situation of fear, bewilderment and alienation created by the denial of basic ICCPR and ICESCR rights prevents the participation of all, including that of women. For bringing the gender equality issue to public discourse beyond mere expression it is necessary to relate it to the problem of women's enjoyment of the basic Human Rights. Equality relating to any sector of society has three different aspects. a) Equality as understood in the human sense, b) Equality before the law so that the equality is in fact ensured and implemented by the law as legal entitlements, c) as quality of opportunity. What is often discussed as the equality of women is usually on the first aspect of purely human terms but often the problem of equality before the law and equality of opportunity are not adequately emphasised in these discourses. The considerations of equality before the law require an understanding of complicated legal steps, legal processes and practices. Bringing about a structural framework within which women's equality could be realised is very different to making public declarations about such equality. The tendency to ignore the structural aspects of the realisation of rights is a common feature in human rights discourse and is not confined to women's equality issues only. Further the problem of equality of opportunity, which is actually the area in which rights are realised, requires basic guarantees of the ICCPR and ICESCR rights in general, but also regarding women's equality in particular. Thus, the question of the realisation of women's rights in less developed countries is bound to the resolving of the problem of creating functioning institutions of justice. Where such institutions do not exist, women's rights will also be only empty parchment promises. A few basic suggestions On the basis of these reflections, the basic conclusion we can make on the issue of human rights and democratic governance in less developed countries is that the central issue to be addressed is the way to undo the state of dysfunctional public institutions of justice, thereby turning them into functional public institutions of justice. In that regard, civil society organisations including religious and church organisations should take an interest in the study the problem of human rights and democratic governance from the point of view of understanding the role to be played by functioning public institutions of justice in transforming society and creating the actual possibility of the enjoyment of rights and the participation of persons in the affairs of governance. The religious and church organisations can also influence international partners and encourage them to understand the problems of less developed countries from the perspective of creating the possibilities for justice within the framework of functioning public institutions. The developed countries should be encouraged to make efforts to understand the difference the availability of functioning institutions of justice make in resolving the problems of underdevelopment. Funding in granting aid and providing funds and assistance to the creation of functioning public institutions should be made a priority. Within the local context, creating public opinion and generating civil society movements for reforms in the institutions of justice should become a priority in the human rights field as well as in the work towards creating democratic governance. With creative effort many active contributions can be made for the resolving of this all-important issue and thus to emerge from the culture of and fear and paralysis that exists in many of the less developed countries. The following observations of Gary Haugen are relevant in this regard. "Moreover, the absence of functioning public justice systems for the poor also tragically undermines the usefulness of $2.5 trillion worth of foreign aid sent to the developing world over the last half century, because there is no effective mechanism of preventing those with power from stealing it away, blocking access to it or rendering it useless for its intended beneficiaries. First of all, without rule of law and effective enforcement mechanisms, resources earmarked for aid efforts often never reach their intended beneficiaries. A World Bank study found that as much as 85% of aid flows are diverted from purposes for which they were originally intended. Indeed, unchecked human rights abuses undermine the effectiveness of even those resources and services that do manage to reach the poor in those communities. Farming tools, for instance, are of no use to widows whose land is stolen away. Vocational training is of no use to women and men who are rotting in jail for refusing to pay a bribe. Medical clinics in communities are of no use to slaves who cannot leave the brick factories even when they are sick. Microloans are of no use if the proceeds from the new sewing machine are stolen by the local police. Similarly, the inability to restrain human rights abuses has seriously undermined attempts to improve the health of the poor in the developing world. For instance, a World Bank report found that gender violence was the cause of more ill health among women and girls than malaria and traffic accidents combined. Another World Health Organization report found that in some countries, up to nearly 70% of women report having been physically assaulted, and up to 47% report that their first sexual intercourse was forced. Surveys of villages in India show that 70% of women had suffered at least two forms of domestic violence or abuse in that year. And 16% of all deaths during pregnancy are from domestic abuse. Studies from Peru report that about 40% of girls will be victims of rape or attempted rape by the age of 14. 70% of HIV-infected women and girls in South Africa report having been forced to have sex. AIDS education does little to help women and children who are contracting the virus from forced sexual encounters. Now given all this, one might expect that remedying the failure to provide the rule of law to the poor would become the central focus of human rights efforts. Yet few if any international human rights organizations or development agencies focus specifically on building public justice systems that work for the poor. These agencies do other very important work but none measures organizational success by its ability to help police and courts in the developing world bring effective law enforcement to the poor. None." (The full speech may be found at: TEXT:http://www.ijmnl.org/seminar/The%20New%20Mandate%20for%20Human%20Rights.pdf AUDIO:http://www.law.uchicago.edu/audio/by/title/gary_haugen_a_new_mandate_for_human_rights ) # # # About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

What’s your Samaritan score?

Bleeding heart or couldn’t be bothered? Take this quiz to find out how socially conscious you really are

Mumbai Mirror Bureau

Posted On Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 04:27:00 AM

So you have been doing your bit to support Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, be it out on the streets or online. While it might be easy to get riled up and have Anna awaken your social conscience, did you have any to begin with? Take this questionnaire to figure it out.

1. You are on a lonely road and you spot a man asking for a lift. You…

A. Stop and ask to see where he's headed and give him a lift if he's going your way.

B. Slow down and gauge him. If he looks decent and civil, ask him where he's headed. Else speed on.

C. Give a hitchhiker a lift? Are you crazy?

2. You witness a road accident while driving. You…

A. Stop, get out, check for the wounded and help them out.

B. Note down the license number and call the police as you move on.

C. Honk for the traffic to disperse and drive away.

3. In case of a natural disaster in your country/ state, what do yo do?

A. You donate your time, money and any other resource you can spare to help people out.

B. You write a cheque to the Prime Minister's relief fund and drop in old clothes to a local collection unit.

C. You donate a day's salary for the cause at most.


4. You spot a few teenagers in a rowdy fight. You…

A. Approach them carefully and try and ease things out as a mediator.

B. Tell them to break it up or you'll call the police.

C. Walk on. What is it to you?

5. You're out for a walk and spot an injured animal. You…

A. Rescue the animal and take it to the nearest vet or try and locate its owner.

B. Place a call to an animal shelter and give them directions to the injured animal.

C. Someone is bound to help out. You have other places to be at.

6. You are caught witnessing a violent crime like a robbery. You…

A. Run to help out immediately. Quickly gather helping hands and help the wounded.

B. Sneak away and call for the police. Wait till the thugs leave before you help the wounded.

C. Make a run for it. It's not worth your life.

7. An elderly gentleman/ lady are trying to make their way to a train coach in a local. You…

A. Walk over and help them in, probably missing your train in the bargain.

B. Ask someone heading in that direction to take them on.

C. Avoid eye contact and walk on.

8. There is a large dwelling of homeless people in your neighbourhood. You…

A. Go across once a week with some biscuits, extra clothes and toys.

B. Donate to a local charity once in a while.

C. Call the cops and complain about the encroachment, nuisance and filth.

CHECKPOINT

Mostly As

Not only are you a Good Samaritan, you go out of your way to help people in any way you can. While it’s a great philosophy for life, one must be careful because you might land yourself in situations of danger. It’s wise to be wary because the world is full of people who like to take advantage of people like you.

Your generosity and large-heartedness is a welcome treat. But you might also want to introspect on why you stretch yourself thin to help others out. It might be an emotional void that you’re trying to fill by being overtly-helpful.

That said, there just aren’t enough people like you in the world. So whether you’re angling to stash away karmic points or helping people genuinely makes you happy, teach and encourage your children and friends to do the same.

Mostly Bs

You try to do your bit but practicality gets in the way. You limit yourself to things that are easily doable without going out of your way. You are also careful and particular about not getting yourself in dangerous situations. It’s a smart thing to do. However, your overcautious attitude might actually keep you from helping out more people than you could. You try and do the bare minimum to make sure your guilt doesn’t act up. A strictly safe option.

Mostly Cs

While a lot of us can probably associate with these characteristics, it only goes to show that years of urban living has made us insensitive to the poor and those in agony. Our defense mechanisms and daily pressures keep us from being helpful citizens and sensitive people. Over time, these qualities become inherent and even the guilt factor stops playing up.

While we are blessed and we pay gratitude to our respective gods, we fail to uphold basic humanitarian duties towards each other. One doesn’t need to go out of their way to help out. It’s mostly a simple gesture that makes all the difference to someone in need.

Introspect on your attitude and reflect upon how you can be grateful for the comforts you have been blessed with. Not to mention, karmically, it’s a great bonus.

The body doesn’t lie - a look at somatic assessments
Posted by Mark Walsh in Soft skills on Mon, 07/25/2011 - 09:30

Humans are leaking and reading signals all of the time.
Somatic assessments rely upon posture and movement patterns rather than short-term situational factors.
The basic factors that make a body work effectively are relaxation, structure, balance, responsiveness and energy.



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Business people

Somatic assessments can give us deep insights into other people. Mark Walsh explains.





"The body doesn’t lie" - Martha Graham, founder of modern dance.

It is an innate skill to experience another person’s body and make assessments of them as people based on what you see or feel. A dog or small child can do this and it is part of life to get gut feelings about others based on these usually unconscious somatic assessments*.

We are leaking and reading signals the whole time as to who we and others are via the body. While we all use this skillset daily, it has been neglected in organisational life and is much misunderstood.

We may choose partners or job candidates based on "chemistry" or how we click with people and yet it is a largely unrefined skill. Sadly, in our hyper-rational Western culture embodied knowing is not just undeveloped but often ignored (the police say that most victims of violent crime for example ignore their instincts**) and it is difficult for many trainers and HR managers to acknowledge it as something they do.
"Somatic assessments can be done in just a few seconds so they are also quick and, once trained, easy with minimal input."

How then do we make accurate judgements of what a person’s body reveals so we can better relate to them as trainers? First some clarifications and background:
Where does it come from?

The pioneers in this work were Rudolf Laban and his students who came from a dance background, and Dr Richard Strozzi-Heckler and his group who come from the world of martial arts and meditation. Both groups have been applying this work in business for many years and there are others who have studied the body intensely who have developed parallel work.
Is this just body language?

No, somatic assessments rely upon posture and movement patterns rather than short-term situational factors and more culturally conditioned gestures. Somatic assessments are concerned with who someone is, not just what they are saying with their bodies.

Are you saying short people are one way and tall people another?
No, it is more complex than this. It doesn’t matter so much the shape of you body but how you live "in" it and move with it. You can have no legs and be very grounded, or be short and very upright in the sense I am talking about.
Advantages

The advantages of somatic assessments over psychometric tests, for example, are obvious. Bodies are readily available to observe and a job candidate who may lie on paper for example, will find it very difficult to move in a convincingly different way.

Trying usually just looks odd and while trained actors may spend years trying to do this convincingly it is often immediately apparent that they are acting. Somatic assessments can be (and are usually unconsciously) done in just a few seconds so they are also quick and, once trained, easy with minimal input. Trainers can benefit from being able to quickly see the preferred learning styles and personality types in a group before learning what they are the hard way.

Again, most experienced trainers have an intuitive sense of this, being able to spot ditfficult delegates easily for example, so it is about refining an innate skill and training out prejudices which lace purely unconscious assessments.
Technique and ethics - analysis, trying on and trying out

In many ways body reading is intimate and I won’t consciously do it in a full way unless asked to, I think I am at risk myself (it has saved my life several times while working in areas of conflict) or in professional service of others - e.g. as a trainer.For me, ethics and a core of respect are vital when working with embodied evaluations. Any assessment should be viewed as just a guess, to be tried out by asking the person (and sometimes their colleagues) if it is the case and observing their behaviour over time to check for congruence (careful of the observer effect here though). I have come to trust and rely upon assessments having seen their accuracy on many occasions with diverse groups worldwide, though still view them as guesses or working theories out of respect.

One basic technique is to try on a taste of the posture and movement of the person you are assessing and to feel what it is like. What does it make possible? How is it emotionally? How might others respond to this body? It takes practice to accurately observe and imitate and even more so to do it in a subtle way that won’t be noticed, however even a child can copy others so most people can do this to some extent.
Some things to look out for

Aside from “trying on” it is necessary to have some models to avoid slipping into personal prejudice (knowing your own embodied type inside-out also helps with this as you know the lens you are seeing others through) and to help when it’s hard to get a subjective felt-sense of someone. While beyond the scope of this short introduction to provide in-depth models here are a few pointers.

Lead: What part of their body does the person lead with? A head, heart or belly lead shows how they orientate in the world.

Task or relationship: Are they primarily task or relationship focused? Task focused driven people have very different bodies to more relational people - e.g. more symmetrical posture, quicker more linear movement, “harder” gaze, etc (think of some people you know). While situational factors of course play a part as with any model, the embodied habits are usually easy to see beneath this.
The five pillars

The five basic factors that make a body (and therefore mind) work effectively are relaxation, structure, balance, responsiveness and energy for movement. These are relatively easy to see especially the first three and correlate with personality as one might expect (the language of bodies and personalities, e.g. “balanced” is strongly correlated for a reason).
Six dimensions

The dimensions a person inhabits have meaning. Down is about how grounded we are and connect to practical application and sadness and despair emotionally; upon is about vision, ethics and happiness and stress emotionally for example. This is just a taste. Other models such as archetypes can also be used or embodied versions of established typologies such as MBTI or OCEAN. More detailed models can be found here.
Research opportunity and conclusion

The field of embodiment is ballooning academically as universities realise there is much going on “below the collar”. Some initial studies have been done in this area though more needs to be done for what is intuitively quite obvious to establish scientific validity.

I have mapped established psychometrics in the hope of someone wishing to do this research. Until then it seems a shame not to use what I repeatedly find useful in training and in life. Somatic assessments can give us deep insights into other people so I hope this article has been helpful.



* Somatic comes form the Greek and means the felt, subjective experience of the body
** See The Gift Of Fear, Gavin Decker






Mark Walsh leads business leadership training provider Integration Training - based in Brighton, London and Birmingham UK. Specialising in working with emotions, the body and spirituality at work they help organisations get more done without going insane (time resilience and stress management), coordinate action more effectively (team building and communication training) and leaders build impact, influence and presence. Clients include Virgin Atlantic, UNICEF, The Sierra Leonian Army and the University of Sussex.





Taking it from nature

Great to find something that adds to my own experience and knowledge of 'gut feel' or intuitive assessment. I'm particularly taken with the idea of the physical 'lead' and the clues it might provide for early engagement with a trainee. I'd very much like to read or learn more.

We're all reading each other at all times, but for some reason we've chosen as a species to factor out our own gut feel to a great extent, while small children and animals haven't done the same, and so seem to display an uncanny sense of threat or danger...or indeed hugs!

Time to get back to our more animalsitc selves and make best use of our intuitive abilities perhaps?


Somatic Assessment

A great knowing that resides in our intuitive self. I believe this knowledge, NLP, Emotional Intelligence and others create the Informed Self, someone with knowledge to aid their intuition. As you gather the knowledge you can readily assess for skills, abilities and motivation with greater accuracy. We live our lives acquiring knowledge and education then the moment arrives, can we use it to support ourselves and another human being. The journey continues. David Beverly, New Jersey

How to train for new behaviours
Posted by Stephen Walker in Soft skills on Fri, 07/22/2011 - 09:00

In a training audience there will be a mixture of motivations for being there.
Use multi-style delivery techniques to ensure the widest coverage.
Your delivery has to encompass education and entertainment.

Stephen Walker looks at how new ideas are created in the trainee's mind and the steps needed to achieve the optimum success for your training.







What does training do?

Training is used to produce one or more of three changes in the recipients. These changes are: to acquire or develop new physical skills, new thought processes or new behaviour patterns.

AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Day

Saturday, November 19, 2011


Organizing a Conference Site: July E-Bulletin



Many of you have called or emailed to let us know you are definitely organizing a local conference site for International Survivors of Suicide Day. Thank you! We hope to hear from even more of you soon.



If you haven’t registered your site yet, don’t forget to complete the Site Registration Form as soon as you have a location finalized and we’ll add your site to the list of participating cities.


The step-by-step guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference provides information on every aspect of planning your day, but you can also reply to this message or call Rebecca Thorp at 212-363-3500 ext 2033 if you have any questions. We are here to help.





« JULY FOCUS «



ONGOING LOCAL PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY



Even if you don’t have a location confirmed yet – don’t wait to start promoting your conference. Distribute Save the Date Postcards now. Ongoing local promotion and publicity is essential for reaching your target audience of newly bereaved survivors of suicide loss. The online guide to organizing a site gives step-by-step instructions, and customizable flyers, sample email announcements, and more. Just click here.



Who should you contact? Get the word out to organizations/agencies and individuals who are most likely to come into contact with bereaved individuals. Support groups, AFSP Lifekeeper Memory Quilt Organizers, hospices, funeral directors associations, mental health agencies, and more. A complete list is provided in step 4 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.



Reach out to new survivors: 70% of attendees each year have never participated in this day before, and over 50% have lost a loved one within the past 2 years. If you organized a site last year, you’ll need to get the word out to new survivors in addition to inviting those who already attended.



HELPING SURVIVORS CONNECT



Survivors overwhelmingly tell us that having the opportunity to talk with other survivors was one of the most helpful aspects of International Survivors of Suicide Day. Many tell us that this is the very first time they’ve ever spoken openly about their loss.



Here are 3 ways to help survivors connect with one another at your conference. Details on all of the items below can be found in Ideas for Local Programming and in step 6 of the guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.



Provide name tags. The easiest way to do this is to have blank tags at your registration/greeting table with markers.

Provide color-coded ribbons, mardi-gras style beads, or a colored sticker to signify loss relationship so attendees can see at a glance that they have certain losses in common with others. Make a poster-board that explains what the ribbons or stickers are for and what the colors mean.

AFSP uses the following colors at the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walks:
white = loss of a child
gold or yellow = loss of a parent
orange = loss of a sibling
red = loss of a spouse/partner/significant other
purple = loss of a friend or other family member
blue =supporting the cause generally.

Plan sharing sessions: You can provide informal opportunities for survivors to connect, but providing structured sharing sessions is incredibly helpful for breaking the ice and opening up conversation. Learn how in Ideas for Local Programming.

We are here to help, so please be in touch if you have any questions at all.


Thanks, and take good care,

Joanne and Rebecca

*Please note our new phone extensions and mailing address*

Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033.
Joanne Harpel, Senior Director for Public Affairs and Postvention -jharpel@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 ext. 2032

ØIf you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email.



American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

120 Wall Street, 29th Floor

New York, NY 10005

Fax (212) 363-6237

www.afsp.org

Thank you for your interest in organizing a local conference site for International Survivors of Suicide Day on November 19, 2011. The new 2011 step-by-step guide is now available at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.

While the day itself takes place in November, we’re writing to you now because local promotion is most effective starting in June with the distribution of fliers to bereavement support groups.(Find out why in step #4 of the guide)

If you organized a site last year and your location worked well, save yourself time and effort by reserving the space again now and registering your site with AFSP. Also, be sure to review the new guide to organizing a conference site. It has a lot of new information this year, based on your feedback.

If this is new to you, rest assured that it does NOT have to be a huge, overwhelming job. International Survivors of Suicide Day is simply an opportunity for survivors of suicide loss to come together in your community for support, healing, and information. AFSP provides the main program content by sending you a free broadcast on DVD.

Each site is organized locally and independently - you can keep it very simple and just arrange a place for survivors to watch the broadcast from 1-2:30 p.m. EST (GMT-5). Or, you can add breakout support groups, local speakers, healing activities and/or food. We show you how.


GET STARTED:

Review the new 2011 step-by-step guide: www.afsp.org/survivorconference. Everything you need is there, including a planning checklist, publicity toolkit, sample fliers, and tips on local promotion. Once you have a location secured, fill out the online Site Registration Form.

« INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS «

20 countries on 6 continents organized local conference sites in 2010– please help us to reach even more survivors around the globe in 2011 by reaching out to your contacts outside of the U.S.



Survivors from countries as varied as India, Ghana, Costa Rica, Japan, and Australia have let us know how healing this day is for them. If you know anyone who lives or works outside of the U.S. please ask if they know of organizations or individuals who may be interested in putting together a site, or promoting the webcast that survivors can watch from home.

The 2011 DVD features French subtitles and English closed captioning. (Many Non-native English speakers have told us that it helps them to follow along more easily.)



If you’d like to add subtitles in your local language, or you’d like a copy of a Mandarin, Japanese, or Spanish language DVD for your conference site, please contact us at survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org.



If you have any questions at all, please contact us; we are always here to give you as much (or as little) guidance as you'd like.

Please feel free to pass along this message to anyone else you think might be interested.

Thanks, and take good care,

Joanne and Rebecca

Joanne Harpel, Senior Director for Public Affairs and Postvention -jharpel@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 ext. 32
Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x33.


American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor

New York, NY 10005

Fax (212) 363-6237

www.afsp.org



If you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email.







Sincerely,



Rebecca Thorp
Survivor Initiatives Manager
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-363-3500, ext. 33
Fax: 212-363-6237
www.afsp.org