TCI Programs
Quarterly Highlights (June-July-August)
Transforming Communities for Inclusion is a membership-based organization and works for the empowerment of organizations of persons with psychosocial disabilities for leading advocacy initiatives at National, Regional, and Global levels guided by the UNCRPD.
TCI has supported the development and capacity building of a number of OPDs since inception, across global south regions. TCI has created and tested several program instruments such as Fellowships, OPD grants, Microgrants, etc to build the capacity of its national, individual, and organizational members.
This quarterly newsletter shares a glimpse of actions TCI members have taken through TCI program opportunities.
TCI Fellowships
- ALCE organized a stencil crafting event and mobilized its peer support group (GAM) to feature messages aligned with mad activism. ALCE made efforts to take the messages to the general public and displayed their creations. Some of the messages included:
“No hay salud mental sin justicia social” (There’s no mental health without social justice)
“El Xánax no me sana” (Xanax doesn’t heal me)
“No más asimilación” (No more assimilation)
- ALCE is also designing a legal strategy in their organization to support people with psychosocial disabilities in accessing justice. ALCE is actively supporting a young Black student who experienced racist violence and attempted suicide. The case is now before Colombia’s constitutional court. ALCE is also providing support to individuals with psychosocial disabilities in various legal cases. These cases include sexual violence against a woman committed by a psychiatrist, labor discrimination against a woman with a psychosocial disability, and a case concerning a transgender man who attempted suicide and is currently in a vulnerable state.
- ALCE also engaged with various stakeholders and participated in the conference of the state parties 2023. They also participated in a plenary on abortion and disability during the regional convening of the Latin-American consortium on safe and legal abortion. ALCE also participated as one of the key panelists at the Mad Pride Convening and engaged with the audience through his performance titled “Declarations from Exile” and spoke about gender and psychiatry.
- ALCE team engaged and mobilized a support system through its GAM peer support group for people with psychosocial disabilities during the crisis situation.
- PSA participated in the Inclusive Elections Workshop and advocated for developing a work plan and an inclusive vision and mission for making electoral processes inclusive for persons with psychosocial disabilities. PSA emphasized the importance of inclusivity for people with psychosocial disabilities during elections. PSA also highlighted the legal contradiction between the Disability Act and the Constitution, aiming to strengthen the rights and representation of people with psychosocial disabilities in the electoral process. Followed by the process, PSA was able to include in the EDAWG work plan of Fiji to change the term “unsound mind” in the constitution.
- PSA organized a comprehensive initiative in Fiji’s Northern division. Their goal was to promote inclusivity, respect, and equal opportunities for those with Psychosocial disabilities. They conducted training sessions to educate participants about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its impact. They also conducted a survey to understand the challenges faced by individuals with Psychosocial disabilities, which will reform future advocacy efforts. Additionally, they ran an awareness campaign to disseminate information and promote our inclusion in the community. this space to add more details about your brand, a customer quote, or to talk about important news.
- PSA organized a comprehensive initiative During this tenure, the Fellowship program facilitated PSA to access funding opportunities for working on economic empowerment and advocate access to employment opportunities for persons with psychosocial disabilities. PSA is also in the process of drafting of its five-year strategic plan, developing policies, and working on governance systems of PSA for organizational development. conducted various Disability Inclusion sensitization sessions at the community level to ensure access to mainstream community services such as general health, access to community courts, police stations, etc for people with psychosocial disabilities.
- During this tenure, the Fellowship program facilitated PSA to access funding opportunities for working on economic empowerment and advocate access to employment opportunities for persons with psychosocial disabilities. PSA is also in the process of drafting of its five-year strategic plan, developing policies, and working on governance systems of PSA for organizational development.
TCI OPD Support Grant
Championing for Inclusive Communities in Kenya
- Karen Muriuki, a member of CIC-K, was honored with the title of “Best Disability Inclusion Influencer” at the Inclusive Africa Conference.
- CIC-K worked in partnership with the national umbrella organization of persons with disabilities in Kenya for the development of a shadow report to highlight the issues and policy gaps for the inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities in Kenya. CIC-K also participated in the UNCRPD committee review held in Geneva.
- CIC-K arranged an advocacy exercise on eradicating discrimination against women and girls in the community of Kisumu County. The Youth passionately chanted the slogan ‘end triple discrimination’- which translates as age, gender, and disability.
- CIC-K organized a training workshop focused on community inclusion for individuals with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.
- CIC-K conducted Training on the inclusion of youth with psychosocial disabilities in the formal and informal sectors of employment. The participants were engaged in an interactive section on support and accommodations for persons with psychosocial disabilities in employment.
- CIC-K provides peer support through various member organizations for community inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities. In Kisumu County, CIC-K facilitated multiple corner meetings with youth with psychosocial disabilities and the grassroots community.
- CIC-K held dialogues with the County Commissioners and the Assistant Officers in charge about a potential partnership with the National Government to build the stakeholders’ capacity on Inclusive Communities that will eliminate barriers to inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities to access community support services and mainstream services.
TCI Microgrants
Indonesian Mental Health Association (IMHA)
IMHA is working with the Indonesian government (Ministry of Women’s Empowerment) for the redrafting of the Anti-sexual and Violence Act as many women and girls with psychosocial disabilities are subject to violence inside the institutions. IMHA conducted hybrid meetings with all OPDs from Cross-disability to collect inputs and develop an inventory of issues concerning violence against victims with disabilities.
IMHA also organized a consultation workshop for input on implementing regulations for the Anti-Sexual Violence Act. IMHA held a meeting between CSOs and the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protect to report on the progress of all derivative regulations of the Anti-Sexual Violence Act that is about to enter the harmonization stage by the government.
Opromamer
Taiwan Mad Alliance
TRIUMPH
TRIUMPH conducted a series of Bilateral meetings with key government departments in their district to raise awareness and advocate for the implementation of the DI Guidelines. TRIUMPH is also in the process of conducting a rapid assessment to ascertain knowledge about the Deinstitutionalization Guidelines and has conducted key informant interviews for the research.
CAF
CAF organized a consultation workshop for its members at the National level to have in-depth knowledge on the subject of Community Inclusion. CAF reformed its human library tool to highlight issues faced by people with psychosocial disabilities in the community. Followed by their mobilization in the cross-disability movement, CAF established a task force to ensure community inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities. CAF also ensured the participation of cross-disability networks through their Laymen’sDen initiative in workshops.
KOSHISH
KOSHISH translated DI guidelines into the Nepali language. They organized a learning program for their team members working at the provincial level to learn more about the DI Guidelines. KOSHISH also organized a sensitization workshop for various stakeholders including the Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Social Development, the national umbrella organization of persons with disabilities, and other relevant government departments.
