Transforming Communities for Inclusion of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities – Asia Pacific (TCI Asia Pacific) is a regional Organization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities, with partner members in 22 countries in South Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. Internationally and regionally, TCI works towards capacity building and policy development towards realizing full compliance with the UNCRPD.

Supported by the International Disability Alliance and the Bapu Trust for Research on Mind & Discourse, the #WhatWENeed campaign is a yearly, social media campaign developed and run by TCI Asia Pacific. The campaign starts with the International mental health week and ends with the International disability day in December, signifying the transition that mental health systems worldwide need to make from the medical model to the social model.

An objective of the campaign is to give voice to users and survivors of psychiatry, persons with identity of neurodiversity, “mad” persons, persons with intersectional identities inclusive of disability and persons with psychosocial disabilities to reclaim the World Mental Health Week (7th to 13th October). The occasion brings together such persons from around the world and articulate unheard voices within the movement, for reframing the debate and to transition towards full CRPD compliance.

The year 2020 has seen unprecedented events on a global scale, including COVID 19, political upheavals and climate change. Psychosocial health and wellbeing is heard everywhere as a priority that needs to be addressed. The world did not prepare for this priority and we are seeing more human rights violations, prejudice, discrimination and exclusion at this time, especially among those living inside various kinds of closed door institutions and those seeking care from the colonial, western type mental health care.

The Campaign brings forward worldviews and stories of oppression by psychiatry, especially as they play out in the global south and in the commonwealth nations; human rights perspectives and mental health practices in inclusion; CRPD inspired writings; and movement(s) news from around the world, with a focus on the Asia Pacific region.

Our location is from within the disability discourse, cognizant of the fast evolving discourse on the CRPD, the various documents and resources released by the UN on our inclusion. The #WhatWENeed campaign will centrally involve us along with our cross disability allies, to clearly articulate our common needs, to enable a dignified life in the community. The campaign will counter the growing medicalisation and coercive treatments of ordinary lives worldwide and in low and middle income countries of the global south.

As evidenced by the campaign last year, it is also a celebration of full compliance of the UNCRPD and a useful resource for our communities worldwide. Emphasizing intersectionality, multiple discriminations, and amplifying unheard voices within the disability movement, the campaign invites all people to participate and is accessible by the use of social media and simple formats.

The #WhatWENeed campaign will provide an opportunity for energizing national advocacy in the Asia Pacific regions with the full engagement of TCI Asia Pacific national partners, Fellows and allies; to strengthen their national advocacy efforts by composing and disseminating strong messages of our inclusion within development and the national, regional commitments under SDGs.

We invite your participation in the #WhatWENeed 2020 Campaign

Other than the regular blog pieces, photostories, videos etc. the 2020 #WhatWENeed Campaign is pegged around 3 program features:

1. CRPD Refresh webinars- Remembering the history and the legacy of the Convention. This segment invites blog pieces from those who are nostalgic about the making of the CRPD, participated in the process, and who want the world to remember
2. Spotlight on movement actors and members – To highlight the fact that everybody is doing their bit in the movement, and not just the leaders. This segment is developed by TCI, featuring interviews, videos and podcasts of people who have been active in the movement
3. Living in times of Covid 19 – With a focus on what comes after. This segment, while having a focus on the psychosocial aspects of COVID 19, will do some forecasting on the world after, from an inclusion point of view.

Contact us:

The website of TCI ASIA PACIFIC and the blog at Madinasia also feature news about the campaign.

For further inquiries and to join the campaign, you can connect with us at tciasia.secretariat@gmail.com. You could also send us your content directly to the email provided.

Find our archives on #WhatWENeed 2018 and 2019 at WHATWENEED

Find us on Facebook or Twitter and send us your contributions there.

Twitter: TCI Asia Pacific
Facebook: What WE Need.
Instagram: @whatweneed20