SUMMER 2016
Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy
Topic of the issue:
Self determination
Issue 23
EDITORIAL Dear self advocate, you must have been thinking sometimes about yourself and your life. You were thinking who do you want to be, how do you want to live, what do you want to do. These are some of the questions that lead us on a road to self determination. Read about what is self determination and why is it important for independence of persons with intellectual disabilities in the new issue of our newsletter.
WHAT IS SELF DETERMINATION?
Urednica Senada Halilčević Novinari Hrvoje Forner Snježana Kanjir Nera Bajzec Gordana Huzek Tomislav Ivašković Asistenti Sanja Martinovsky Ivana Poslon Hrvoj Damjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić Glas samozastupnika tiskan je uz financijsku podršku Fondacije otvoreno društvo. This newsletter was supported by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
Self determination means that you know: what you want in your life your strengths and weaknesses how will you behave in certain situations what is important to you in life The right to self determination have all people. This means that you have the right to decide: how will you live what will you do how will you look like in what will you believe whom will you trust who will be your friends for whom will you vote
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Many things affect your self determination For example: family friends community you live in personal experience and belief property that you possess Family is an environment in which most of the people start their life. The way your family treats you has great influence on your self determination. Family should give your support to be self determined as much as possible. You meet friends in life. Friends are persons whom you trust, like to spend time with and talk. Your friends can give you an advice or opinion on something that you want in your life. The community that you live in is your place of residence and people who live around you. Every community has its customs and way of life that affect your life choices and decisions. You gain different experiences through life. Experiences are knowledge that you gain from many life situations and encounters with other people. These experiences influence the way you think and make decisions.
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Your property is also very important for your self determination. Some decisions are easier to make if you have your own money and apartment.
Self determination for persons with intellectual disabilities Many persons with intellectual disabilities do have the opportunity to become self determined. Big number of persons with intellectual disabilities still lives in institutions. Persons in institutions live separated from their community, having no freedom to make decisions and to move freely. Staff in institutions has control over the lives of persons. Now, many institutions are closing down and persons who lived there go to live in the community. Majority of persons in the community live in their families or in support services. Some families do not give enough support to persons with disabilities to choose how they want to live. This also happens in support services. Some persons that live in support services say that services have too much control over persons’ lives.
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It is very important that persons who live in the community receive support for self-determination from their family members, assistants and other people in the community. Big problem for self-determination is deprivation of legal capacity. When deprived of legal capacity a person cannot make decisions about his or hers rights and important things in life. The person then has a guardian who makes decisions instead of the person. Prejudices are maybe the biggest problem for self-determination of persons with intellectual disabilities. Prejudices are bad attitudes and opinions people have about other people. People who have prejudices about persons with intellectual disabilities think that they cannot make decisions about their lives and solve problems. Every person can be self determined if support helps them to set goals, decide and solve problems.
Self determination skills Some of self determination skills are: setting goals making decisions knowing yourself
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communication skills self advocacy learning by mistake 1. Setting goals as a self determination skill Self determination skills can help you to change your life the way you want to. That is why it is very important for you to think about what you want to achieve in your life. That what you want to achieve is called a goal. When you have a goal you will know better which decisions you have to make in order to achieve that goal. 2. Making decisions as a self-determination skill Making decisions is very important for self determination. We wrote in detail about making decisions in the Voice of Self Advocates number 21 titled Making decisions. To make a decision or decide means to choose among two or more things. When you make a decision consequences happen. Consequences are events that affect your life. Some decisions are big and they change your life. Big decisions are for example: in which city will you live will you marry you partner will you have a baby When making a big decision you need to think well about the consequences. When making a big decision it is good that you talk to a person that knows you and who you trust.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy
Such person can help you explain what kind of consequences can happen if you make a big decision. 3. Knowing yourself as a self determination skill In order to make good decisions about yourself and your life it is important to know yourself. More we know ourselves the better we can know how we shall deal with the consequences of our decisions. Following questions can help you to better get to know yourself: How do you feel when you meet new people? How do you feel when you talk to other people? How do you deal with your responsibilities? What do you think of the world that surrounds you? What do you often think about? How do you deal with hard tasks? What do you think about art? Do other people understand you? What do you like more, talk or listen? Do other people think of you as good company? Do you like to compete? How do you like to spend your leisure time? 4. Communication skills as a self determination skill One of the self determination skills is to communicate and discuss. It is good when you know and can say what you think and how you feel. When we talk with the person who shouts we feel discomfort and distrust.
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The way you need to say what you think has to be polite, accepting and respecting other people’s opinions. Accepting other people’s opinions does not mean that you have to give up your own opinions. It means to respect other person’s right to think differently. 5. Samozastupanje kao vještina samoodređenja Self advocacy is a movement that helps other persons with intellectual disabilities to realize their rights. One of the most important rights that self advocates fight for is the right to live independently in the community. In order to realize their right to live independently in the community person’s with intellectual disabilities must have good support to that will help them in doing so. Self advocates point out that support has to help a person to become independent as much as possible. 6. Learning by mistake as a self-advocacy skill The right to make your own decisions also includes the responsibility for results of these decisions. This means that if you make a bad decision you are responsible for bad results of this decision. If somebody does not let you to make a decision then that person violates your right to self-determination. We all make bad decisions sometimes. It is important that we learn where and why did we make a mistake. If we try enough, we can correct some mistakes. In any case, we shall have a new experience to learn from in order to avoid making mistakes next time.
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HOW SELF DETERMINED ARE YOU? 1. Peter and his assistant go to the store. Peter wants to buy a red t-shirt. His assistant says he has to buy a blue one. What would you do in Peter’s place? Choose one answer. a) I would buy the t-shirt that my assistant likes. b) I would buy the t-shirt that I like. 2. Joanna has got a job offer. Her mom says it is better for Joanna that she does not work because she has intellectual disabilities. What would you do in Joanna’s place? Choose one answer. a) I would listen to my mom. b) I would accept the job offer. 3. Steve lives with his cousin. The cousin forces Steve to beg for money on the street. If Steve does not do what his cousin wants he will throw him out of the house. What would you do in Steve’s place? Choose one answer. a) I would continue to beg out of fear of the cousin. b) I would report the cousin to the police.
If you have chosen 2 or 3 answers under a) Try to think more about yourself, your wishes and needs. Fight for yourself! If you have chosen 2 or 3 answers under b) You know what you want and how to get it. Be yourself!
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Iskustva samozastupnika Tomislav Ivaťković Self determination for me is to arrange my life the way I want to. I have always wanted to be a sportsman. I played football in the school, but I wanted to stop because of all the kicking in my legs. During my education I did not have a chance to choose some other sport. When I started to live in the community I tried to train judo. I liked it immediately at the first training. I have won many medals so far. It is not important to me that I’m better than others. What is important is the proof that I can be successful when I put an effort into something. I have also unfulfilled wishes in my life. I want to get married and become a father. It does not matter if I have a daughter or a son. I know that I would play a lot with my child. I would provide security to my family. I believe that I will make my wishes come true.
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SnjeĹžana Kanjir Self determination for me is when you decide something. For example, when you choose what will you believe in or who will be your friends. This also means to decide whether you will go to a doctor or not. Or whether you want a boyfriend, to marry, to live a normal life. I did a lot of thinking when I was changing my job. It was a difficult decision, but I wanted to do something new. After that I decided to work in Association for Self-Advocacy where I work today. Important for self determination is that you think what you say and that you speak for yourself. It is important that you are honest, because then you will say what you really want. If you are self determined then you will know how to self-advocate yourself. Self determination is important for every person. Self determined persons know what they need and how to live in the future.
EXERCISE Dear self advocate, we have decided to ask you a few practice questions in this part of the newsletter. Questions will help you to think a bit about the things important for self determination.
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Take your time and think about each answer. And most important of all, be honest! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
What do you like to do? What things are you good at? How do you feel when you do things you are good at? What do you like about yourself? What are your virtues and flaws? What are your goals in life? How do you plan to achieve your goals? What would you like to change in your life? What do you need to change your life? What persons can help you to be self determined?
NEWS Workshops on self advocacy for self advocates from the Centre for providing services in the community Ozalj in Karlovac. In July 2016 Association for Self Advocacy held 4 workshops on self advocacy for self advocates from the Centre for providing services in the community Ozalj in Karlovac. Self advocates learned about: organizing self advocacy group planning and setting goals planning of work and activities elections and delegating duties within the group Workshops were held within the project Building Capacities for Self Advocacy and Self Determination implemented by Centre for providing of services in the community Ozalj.
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Final conference of the project “Io Cittadino” in Rome Final conference of the project “Io Cittadino” was held on 19 September 2016 in the capital of Italy in Rome. This project was carried out by Italian organization ANFASS. Many self advocates from across the Italy participated at the conference. Self advocates told their experiences in starting self advocacy groups and presented the National Platform of Italian Self Advocates. The President of EPSA Senada Halilčević was an engaged as an expert in this project. She held a closing speech at the conference. This is the message she said to present self advocates: There is a lot of work ahead of you because change requires time. But I believe in you and your abilities to make change happen. That's why I would like to congratulate you on the work you have done so far and invite you to join European self-advocates in EPSA. We need you because only by working together we can achieve better life for all persons with intellectual disabilities in Europe and the rest of world.
Parliamentary elections in Croatia 2016 Parliamentary elections were held on 11 September 2016 in Croatia. Majority of votes was wone by the Coalition HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) , HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party) i HDS (Croatian Demo-Christian Party. Other parties that will be represented in the Parliament are:
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People’s Coalition (Narodna koalicija), The Bridge (Most), Human Shield (Živi Zid), IDS (Istrian Democratic Assembly), Bandić Milan 365 Independent list of Željko Glasnović and minority representatives Self advoc ates from Association for Self Advocacy also went to the polls. Prior to elections Association for Self Advocacy held a workshop for self advocates about voting in parliamentary elections. New Croatian Prime-minister is Andrej Plenković from HDZ.
FUN PAGES QUIZ 1. What is the proper way to talk to another person?
a) by back turned against the person
b) by shouting
c) by looking in the eyes
2. What support person is not allowed to do?
a) help you to make a decision
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b) spend your money
c) help you write
Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy
3. What country has left the European Union?
a) Italy
WORD SEARCH Find in the Word Search: OPINION CONTROL MISTAKE FEELINGS DECISION FRIEND CAUSE WISHES GOALS CHOICE
b) Hungary
c) United Kingdom
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ZABAVNIK
GOGA’S RIDDLE When you need it, you throw it, When you do not need it, you take it out. What is it? Anchor!
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To be self determined means to decide about yourself and your life. Self determination is an ability of a person to make decisions and influence his or hers life. The right to self determination have all people. We all have the right to manage our lives. Through decision making we gain control over our lives. CONTACT US
Bleiweisova 15, 10 000 Zagreb Telephone: 01 553 05 82, Fax: 01 553 05 56 E-mail: kontakt@samozastupanje.hr Visit our web site: www.samozastupanje.hr or visit us on Facebook