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The United Nations declared December 10, 2004 to be International Human Rights Day. On this day, Dr. Humberto L. Martinez, Executive Director of the South Bronx Mental Health Council and City Voices' human rights columnist, organized an event at Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center in the Bronx around the human rights of mental health consumers.

The event featured four speakers. Carol Ackerman from the Commission on Quality Care (CQC), a government agency that responds to allegations of mistreatment and other human rights violations of mental health consumers, spoke on how CQC responded to New York's adult home and other crises. She described and gave out information on how the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program works.

Lucille Jackson of the Brooklyn Mental Health Court spoke on how this unique court conducts the business of diverting mental health consumers from the criminal justice system into more relevant environments that are more likely to protect their human rights. Emphasis is placed on the human nature of the defendant, where the involvement of the family is a must. The judge in charge is a compassionate person.

I spoke about the importance of having mental health consumers reenter mainstream life in order for their human rights to be considered equally worthy of protection, and how City Voices works toward helping consumers make this transition. Several examples using articles published in City Voices were given to amplify the message of empowerment.

Finally, Dr. Martin Gittelman spoke about the global situation for mental health consumers where some progress has been made, but much has yet to be done, especially in the poorer countries that cannot afford essential treatments. The word for someone who has a mental illness in some parts of Africa literally means wanderer or someone who has gone astray. Dr. Gittelman explained that in the U.S. consumers can survive as homeless due to the abundance of food, but in some countries around the world, homelessness means death. Life expectancy for individuals with mental illness is seriously compromised. This affects their quality of life, which is a basic human right.

The CQC, Brooklyn Mental Health Court and City Voices are only small steps toward protecting the human rights of mental health consumers. As two righteously angry consumers from the audience pointed out, often people with mental illnesses are ignored and treated as if their voices are not worth listening to. Mental health consumers must be regarded as equals in order for their human rights to be respected as much as anyone else's. Another advocate commented on the need for the service providers to educate the mental health consumer on their rights. The consensus of the organizers was that the information provided in this forum should be disseminated throughout the system of care.