AUTUMN 2015
Issue 20
Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy
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EDITORIAL Dear self advocates, by talking with self advocates we heard that many of them experienced violence. Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence. That is why we have decided to write about this important and hard topic. Violence was also one of the topics at the past Conference of Croatian self advocates. I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocates will help you to recognize and gain courage to confront any violence.
What is violence? Violence is when somebody intentionally harms you and makes you feel bad.
Editor Senada Halilčević Journalist Hrvoje Forner Snježana Kanjir Fadil Špuren Nera Bajzec Gordana Huzek Tomislav Ivašković Assistants Sanja Martinovsky Ivana Poslon Hrvoj Damjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić This newsletter was supported by a grant from the Open Society Fundations and the City of Zagreb.
Violent persons always attack persons who are weaker than them and can hardly defend themselves or ask for help. Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons. People commit violence because they think it is often the only way to achieve or get what they want. For example: when a person attacks and robs somebody because he or she does not have money, when a man has sex with a woman without her permission. Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness. Violent person is usually the one who has also experienced violence. That is why the violence is the only way this person knows to solve her or his problems.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
Prejudice and discrimination Prejudice are bad attitudes or views on some event, persons or a group of people. Because of prejudice people often hate other people or think of them as less worthy. Some of prejudice attitudes towards persons with intellectual disabilities are: stupid worthless idiots retards incapable Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination. Discrimination is when someone violates your rights just because you are a person with intellectual disabilities. Discrimination is violence. Hate speech and hate crime Prejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime. Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talk ugly things about some person or a group of people and encourage violence or discrimination towards them. Especially dangerous is hate speech in the media because the media are followed by many people. Hate speech often causes hate crime. Hate crime is when people commit violence on a person or group of people because of prejudice. Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like: offensive talk, sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities, spitting, abuse, bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties. That is why it is very important to pay attention to this or similar types of violence because it often leads to bigger and more serious violence.
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What types of violence exist? There are more types of violence: physical violence psychical violence sexual violence economical violence Physical violence is when a person uses physical force. Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur. Examples of physical violence: pushing physical injury choking kicking pinching tearing off the clothes Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance. Examples of psychical violence: offending mocking cursing calling bad names disturbing disturbing over electronic media like Facebook Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviour that the person does not want. For example: forcing to sexual relations touching of intimate body parts inappropriate sexual comments Economical violence means destroying your properties and stopping you from managing your money. For example: taking away your money taking away your properties stopping you from using your properties
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What does the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities say about the violence? According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities member states have to protect and give support to persons with disabilities in cases of violence. Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse: states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitation states will provide persons with disabilities to report exploitation, violence and abuse. states will take care that persons with disabilities are protected from exploitation, violence and abuse by people who support them. states will help persons with intellectual disabilities who experienced exploitation, violence and abuse to recover as soon as possible and include in the society. states will try to discover and punish every exploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities. Situation in Croatia and Europe In Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towards persons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden. Documents that protect persons with disabilities from violence and discrimination in Europe are: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Charter on the fundamental rights of the European Union European Convention on the Human Rights Documents that protect persons with disabilities from violence and discrimination in Croatia are: Constitution of the Republic of Croatia Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Criminal Law Anti-Discrimination Act Family Violence Protection Act Media Act
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Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatia mostly experience psychical and then physical violence. The violence commit in most of the cases close persons like family members and acquaintances. Experts from health, education and social care also commit violence. In Croatia and many countries of Europe persons with intellectual disabilities lived for many years in institutions. There they experienced many forms of abuse. Many persons with intellectual disabilities now come from institutions to live in the community. Persons with intellectual disabilities who live in the community with support have much more opportunities for a better life. But, in the community there are many people who can commit violence because of their prejudice towards persons with disabilities. Big problem is that persons do not report violence because of fear or they do not how. That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished. Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic. This is why the violence on persons with intellectual disabilities is a very important topic. Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons with disabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and public institutions responsible for protection of human rights such as Disability Ombudsman. This way life of persons with intellectual disabilities in the community will become safer.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
How can you stop and fight against violence? No one should endure violence. We all have the right to a safe life. Violence is very bad because it does big harm to people and causes new violence. This is why it is important to stop the violence and fight against it. You must oppose to violence whenever you can. This means you must not let others: to yell at you to hit you to touch your intimate parts of your body to force you do something you do not want to to take away your properties or money You can experience violence from people close to you like your parents or assistants. In that case you also must oppose to them because no one should be violent to you. Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you. The one who is violent should be ashamed. These are the ways how you can fight against the violence and stop it. 1. Never be violent towards other people. 2. Give example with your own behaviour how others should behave. 3. Learn about the different types of violence. This way you will be able to recognize when someone is violent to you and others. 4. Pay special attention top hate speech on streets and in the media like television, radio, newspaper, internet and Facebook. Hate speech can cause terrible violence and hate crime. 5. If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive. Tell to a violent person to stop and try to calm the person with words. Voice of Self-Advocates
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6. Tell others about violence. This is very important because this way you raise awareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence. 7. Report violence that has happened to you or others. Report any hate speech that you hear or see in the streets or in the media. Demand from others to take action in order to stop violence and hate speech. To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence? If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust. You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy. In an emergency you can report violence by calling free telephone line number 112. This is the European emergency phone number available free of charge everywhere in the EU.
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You can dial number 112 from any phone or street phone booth in any time of day or night. You can also report violence: to police to state attorney’s office to social care centre in a hospital They are obliged to protect you.
EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES At the last Conference of Croatian self advocates one of the topics was violence on persons with intellectual disabilities. Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie, professor Daniela Bratković and self advocate Senada Halilčević talked about the violence.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
Senada talked about experiences of self advocates with physical, psychological and economical violence that we talked about at our meetings. After the speakers opened the topic on violence we had a group work. In the groups self advocates shared their experiences with violence. In continuation you can read about these experiences as well as about experiences of self advocates that we talked about at our meetings. Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference of Croatian self advocates. During the group work self advocates told whether they have experienced violence, where did it happen, who did it and what were the consequences of violence. We heard that self advocates experienced violence at various places. For example, self advocates experienced violence from other students in school. One self advocate told us that her school colleagues were throwing stones at her just because she was the persons with disability. Other self advocates was forced to eat snow by other students in special school. One more self advocate shared how other students in special school were beating him with fists and legs over all of his body. Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence. We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling and ugly comments from other passers-by in the street. Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her but he was stopped in the last moment. We also heard the story of self advocate that was beaten and raped by her husband. Voice of Self-Advocates
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Unfortunately, many self advocates experienced violence right in their families. We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him, locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well. In order to protect persons from violence their guardians were placing them in institutions. But, we also heard experiences of self advocates who were experiencing violence precisely in institutions. One self advocate told that he was locked away alone in a small room every time he would have done something wrong. They were not letting him out for hours or even for a whole day. Persons in institutions could not ask for help because they did not have access to the phone. Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood. Although they are grownups now they still feel the consequences of violence. When they speak about these events they feel fear, rage, pain and sorrow again. Self advocates concluded that many of them experienced violence just because they were persons with disabilities. Very often violence was occurring for a long time because self advocates had no one to complain to. Persons who experienced violence escaped it only when they left their families or institution. We heard that many of violent persons were never prosecuted or punished. Violence around us: Senada HalilÄ?ević Every one of us experienced violence throughout our lives. Violence occurs everywhere around us: in schools, on streets, in families.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocates for a few moments silence fills the room. Discomfort and tension can be felt. Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence. One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family. Her father drank very often. After coming home drunk he would have started to beat her mother, sister and her. Even the slightest thing could make him enraged and made him wanting to beat them. She had bruises all over her face and body. In a town where she lived everybody knew what was going on, even her doctor. But no one did a thing. She called social service many times. Social workers talked with her father, and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again. On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police. When the police officers came, they just made a report and left. He started to yell again, but she ran to her room. She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless. She spent her youth in fear. She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father. One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home. Because of violence she ran away from her family and end up in institution. We self advocates easily recognize physical violence because it is direct attack to our body. When we mention psychical violence self advocates do not know what it actually is. But when we start to talk about it, Voice of Self-Advocates
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we can see that most of us during our lives endure threats, insults and mockery just because we have intellectual disabilities. The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk about managing our money and other things we have. But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence. Very often persons with intellectual disabilities do not know how much money they earn and on what the money is spent. For example, they do not the amount of their disability allowance or salary. That mostly happens when we are deprived of legal capacity and our guardian manages our assets. Very often our guardians and support manage our money without our permission and without respecting our decisions. ZABAVNIK
Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn. We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money. Some persons with intellectual disabilities are owners of very valuable assets like apartment, house or land parcel. But, many of them do not know how rich they are and they do not have the right to manage their assets the way they want. For example, they cannot live in their house, rent or sell their apartment and decide what to do with the money they earn. Guardian usually manages these assets at the expense of the owner and thus commits economical violence.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
Many persons exploit intellectual disability as our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way. They know that many of us cannot recognize economical or psychical violence or that we shall not dare to talk about physical violence. They know that even if we talk about it, very often others will not believe us. That is why we need good support and monitoring to report violence without fear. State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons. Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe and dignified life. Senada Halilčević
NEWS 3 Conference of European self advocates Hear our voices: My life, my decisions 3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions was held In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015. Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperation with Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión. For three days self advocates from 26 European and world countries worked in workshops and plenary sessions very hard. They discussed about legal capacity and making decisions with support. President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević, held a speech and workshops on legal capacity which were very well attended. At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message: We are on a voyage to full inclusion! We all have to be on board! All means all!
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You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below: https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/ Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion project On 4 and 5 November 2015 we participated at the final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion project. Our member Senada Halilčević and the President of the European Platform of Self advocates participated at the conference. Senada had the honor to give a final speech at the conference on behalf of European self advocates. In her final speech Senada sad expressed her gratitude to the organizers of the project. She also pointed out that self advocates must get opportunity to learn and to participate with other people in all community activities. Experts and self advocates from around 20 countries participated at the conference. Special attention in this project was payed to group learning and person centred planning. American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brian held a few lectures on „U learning theory“. More about the final conference, person centred planning and the U Theory you can find at the project web page: http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php Education for assistants in Stančić Association for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop for assistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić. Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about: • self-determination • organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group. • employment with support
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
Projects of the Association for Self Advocacy Association for Self Advocacy has been carrying out two projects for 10 months already. The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects. The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime! Within this project self advocates learn about hate motivated violence and make the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates. We shall use this opportunity to explain how do we make the Voice of Self advocates. Every month self advocates diligently write and collect articles. We write articles by ourselves, but often we receive help from our friends in the Network of Croatian Self Advocates. Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia. After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussion about which articles will be published. When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing, we send it to the printing studio. After the new issue is printed out, we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia. We also share the newsletter in social care centres and the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences. You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy. We proudly announce three new projects. The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy will receive for organizing and working of Platform 112. As the long year member of Platform 112 Association for Self-Advocacy submitted a project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil Society Development for co-financing of Platform 112's work. The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situation on human rights in Croatia. In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will be made possible.
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A legal team will also be founded. It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especially important cases of human rights violations. Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations of human rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy. We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project. Three years ago, in cooperation with GONG we carried out a successful advocacy campaign. This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act. Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacity to gain their right to vote in elections. GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project. After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The third project is called Together. We carry out this project in partnership with association Solem from Macedonia. The project is continuation of the cooperation with Macedonian self advocates. We shall help association Solem in education of self advocates through this project. We hope that upon completion of this project Macedonian self advocates will get connected and establish regular cooperation. Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Together are financed by the European Union.
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SPORT UEFA Champions League 2015 / 2016 Dinamo is in a group F with Olympiacos, Bayern and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. Dinamo won the first game against Arsenal 2 : 1. The game was played 16 September 2015. On 29 September 2015 Dinamo was defeated by Bayern with big 5 : 0. On 20 September 2015 Olimpiakos defeated Dinamo 1 : 0. We won one game, and lost two games. Written by: Nera Bajzec
FUN PAGES QUIZ 1. What is psychical violence?
a) hitting somebody
b) stealing your money
c) ignoring somebody
2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?
a) go on a summer vacation
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b) visit grave of their loved ones
c) go on a picnic
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3. In which country German language is spoken?
a) France
b) Belgium
c) Austria
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GOGA’S RIDDLE When the electricity is out she is here first to help. When she burns, she melts away. Candle!
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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
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