Amnesty Annual Conference 2010

I’m in D’Olier Street, this morning for Amnesty’s Annual Conference. Paul Cunningham (RTE’s environment reporter, sans funny hat!) is chairing proceedings for the last time as he, like several Amnesty organisers, is “moving on”.

The subject of mental health is first up for discussion this morn. Colm O’Gorman introduces us to the speakers: Hugh Kane (Mental Health Commission), Diarmuid Ring (UCC) and Karol Balfe (Amnesty Ireland).

Hugh Kane points out that little has been achieved since 1984. Service users and carers should be at the core of all campaigning. He also tells members that promises of funding in mental health, by government, had not been kept. Listening to this speaker, I can't help feeling that Amnesty never looks at the specific, tangible difficulties faced by service users. The terminology is well aired, despite Kane’s undeniable sincerity.

Diarmuid Ring talks frankly about his feelings on mental health. As a former service user he tries to contextualise and explain to members his experience of the system. However this soon gets dragged back to Amnesty speak. The stigma of mental illness remains intact: Schizophrenia is hardly ever referred to by commentators while Depression is talked about freely.

Karol Balfe outlines Amnesty’s role. She reiterates the problems that service users endure. Amnesty are calling for a review of the Mental Health Act. Again the talk is in generalities which are all rather vague to have to listen to. An emotional response comes from a member who relates her feelings on the state of mental health care in Ireland. This is a painful moment for her. My eyes are moistening as I remember my own experiences.

Diarmuid says that education, housing and employment are priorities for service users, who are, he says, “struggling, screaming for help.” He articulates the anomalies of the system in a clear, cogent manner and admits that he feels emotional. Ring ends by singing a few lines of a Joan Baez song. It is followed by thunderous applause.

At lunch break, I leave the building and have a pint in a nearby pub. A mistake, as alcohol affects my attention. Back at the conference the various workshops are in full swing. I attend one on human rights law. I can feel my eyes closing over and my concentration is waning.

The Zimbabwe group are holding a small workshop and we are now listening to the wonderful Tendai Madondo. She makes a great contribution telling us of the way Mugabe has run that African country. Everyone appreciates what she has to say.

Sunday is here and the clocks go forward. I’m at the mental health workshop and it seems that lobbying is the main form of campaigning that Amnesty has towards mental health. This, it occurs to me, is a little one dimensional. Stigma gets a mention but no great discussion is generated. Like yesterday generalities are given priority.

We’re assembling at the O’Connell monument to publicise Amnesty’s efforts to end the death penalty. Members present are issued with blue t-shirts with the words ‘I am Troy Davis’ emblazoned on them. This refers to a black American on ‘death row’, who Amnesty are campaigning to get justice for. We garner considerable attention from the public and the sun shines as photographers, the paparazzi, capture the visual attraction.

Conference is discussing procedural issues, a great opportunity for members to have their voices heard. Various matters are brought up and voted upon. Much of the talk goes over my head and there is virtually no dissent among voting members.

Credit must go to Jay Flavin, who has bound himself tightly to the organisation. The affable Cork man is omnipresent over the weekend and is obviously a born campaigner.

To finish I’d like to wish David White, the outgoing co-ordinator of the Occupied Territories group, all the best on his travels. He’ll be missed by us all at Amnesty for his intelligent and friendly manner. Our loss is China’s gain.