Bapu Trust was set up in 1999 with a view of visibilising the experiences of people who have been through intense psychological experiences or have had to use mental health services in India. Bapu envisions being a space used by people to express themselves on the injustice faced by them within the mental health system and in society; as well as heal and invigorate them selves in other ways.

Bapu Trust is a member of the World Network of Users & Survivors of Psychiatry [www.wnusp.net] for the last few years. We have fully participated in the making of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] [www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention] as a part of Disabled People’s Organisations. We are also networked with various users and survivors’ organizations around the world, including Mind Freedom International [www.mindfreedom.org], International Network towards Alternatives & Recovery [www.intar.org] and the Safe Harbor Project [www.alternativementalhealth.com].

Bapu Trust has users and survivors on the Board as well as among the staff, making it a user led national organisation. But we have always worked without naming user and survivor politics explicitly in its work. This has had its advantages, notably, non-stigmatisation as individuals and as an organization. However, at the Thematic Meeting of the Bapu Trust in May, 2006, a key topic which was processed related to how Bapu spaces can actively name user and survivor history and politics and fully participate in the global mental health users’ human rights movements. The need to develop more core activities that will allow users to participate in and shape our work politically was also discussed.

In order to sow the initial thoughts for a user and survivor led thinking for mental health in India, 3 User and Survivor consultations were held in Pune.

If you are a user and survivor of psychiatry, anywhere in India, and would like to connect to us or start your own group in your locality or region, discuss your experiences or ideas, write to Bhargavi at bvdavar@gmail.com

Maitreyee Desai at CAMH can be contacted for more information about our work at the center.

Related Links
	Users and survivors of psychiatry: Consultation – 1
	Users and survivors of psychiatry: Consultation – 2
	Users and survivors of psychiatry: Consultation – 3