An Historic and Unprecedented Opportunity

An Historic and Unprecedented Opportunity

Over forty years ago a group of psychiatric survivor activists and progressive mental health professionals from the San Francisco Bay Area got together to create a newsletter that would be distributed to treatment centers and individuals throughout the "madness network." That newsletter, Madness Network News, evolved and grew into a nationwide newspaper that sparked the "Mental Patient Liberation Movement" both here and abroad. The critiques and advocacy found within its pages, though often unknown or unacknowledged today, have, nevertheless, left an indelible legacy and imprint on the lives  of people diagnosed with mental illnesses, their human dignity and civil rights, as well as in the policies and practices of the mental health treatment system.  Most of today's Peer Specialists/Counselors/Advocates and the people they serve are the direct heirs and beneficiaries of the work started by these early pioneers in the psychiatric survivor movement yet have no idea of the ground-breaking work started by their predecessors. This complete collection of Madness Network News is an unprecedented opportunity to reclaim and rediscover the history of the millions of people who have been marginalized and discounted as "mental patients," their despairs, their struggles, and their hopes.
"If you know whence you came, there are no limitations to where you can go.” James Baldwin
Now, for first the time in nearly thirty years this untold history of the psychiatric survivor movement, as told by those who lived it, is being made available, to the general public, universities, and public libraries in textbook format. These rare, hard-to-find newspapers which were originally published on 11.5" x 17" stock newspaper have been re-sized to standard 8.5" x 11" letter-sized pages so that they could be reproduced and converted into softcover textbooks. Few public libraries nationwide possess original copies of Madness Network News, and those that do, display them only as reference literature, not as rentals. Madness Network News is also now available as full volume e-books on Google Play and Google Books or as single issue e-books by downloading the CopySafe PDF Reader. "Let's restore Madness Network News and the Psychiatric Survivor Movement to their rightful place in history." David Gonzalez, 2003 Fast for Freedom in Mental Health Hunger Striker

Madness Network News

Madness Network News (MNN) began as a San Francisco Bay area newsletter in 1972 and then evolved into a quarterly newspaper format whose readership extended to a national as well as an international level. MNN became, in essence, the voice and networking center for the "Mental Patient Liberation" movement in the United States, unapologetically advocating for the full human dignity, self-expression and civil rights of people diagnosed and labeled as mentally ill. As a quarterly journal, Madness Network News published personal experiences, creative writing, art, political
theory, and factual reporting from the point of view of people who had been on the receiving end of psychiatric treatment and who now found themselves treated as social pariahs, living in oppressive conditions and denied even the most basic aspects of personal choice and self-determination. Known for its use of humor and sense of irony, Madness Network News wrote on its masthead that it covered "All The Fits That's News to Print". Ceasing publication in 1986, Madness Network News remains an invaluable historical and primary source material that continues to elucidate the concerns and lives of people labeled as mentally ill both in the past and today.

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10 Things You Must Stop Doing Today to Believe In Yourself

10 Things You Must Stop Doing Today to Believe In Yourself

Reflecting on the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s achievements, it’s important to consider the one thing that made it possible for him (and many others) to indelibly impact the world: belief in self, first. Dr. King’s “dream” is often noted and recited. Still, it’s important to remember that in order to express and ultimately realize your own dreams, you have to believe in yourself.
Everything we have in life comes because of our belief that they are possible.
Yet, believing, especially in yourself, is much easier said than done. I know this first hand, because for the majority of my adult life, I suffered from one of the most debilitating diseases known to man – a disbelief in myself.
It started for me in high school. My teachers (while giving inspiration to other students) lowered their expectations for me and attempted to narrow my vision. Although this didn’t break me, it didn’t make me stronger. I carried with me, for years, a poison of self-doubt. Even during early career “successes,” my exterior image projected fearlessness; yet, inside I fought low self-esteem. Even worse, I felt like a phony.
Over years of pain (which is a great teacher) I taught myself how to cultivate self-belief, and I want to share with you what I have found to work. Believing in ourselves and our plan is not easy. If you want to believe in your greater purpose, there are ten things you must stop doing:
1) Not Guarding Your Heart
Your heart is the most important tool you have. It is not your experience, knowledge, or skills. It is your heart that matters most of all. Don’t allow just everyone to have access to it. Guard your heart with all your might because everything you create comes from it. If we lose our heart, we have lost everything.
 
2) Allowing Garbage In Your Mind
In this day and age, more content (blogs, tweets, Facebook posts, etc) gets published than at any point in the history of the world. Whatever we want to consume is accessible. The issue is what often lands on our plate is filled with negativity – from gossip posts to pure brainless themes like Cat memes. While individually, this content doesn’t do real harm, over time it eats away at our mind like a disease. Consume a disproportionate amount of inspirational content and cut out the crap.
 
3) Not Knowing What You Live For
“What’s my purpose?” This was a question I asked myself a few years ago.  Answering it changed my life instantly. It’s hard to know where you’re going unless you know who you are – your truth. To create your life roadmap, first identify and prioritize your values. Doing so will give clarity of what you need in life as opposed to what you simply want.
4) Not Training Your Belief System
The first step to training your belief system is to use affirmations. Affirmations like, “Why am I so confident? Why do I believe in myself? Why do I trust my intuition?” are empowering questions that focus your mind on why you are, in fact, confident. Next, force yourself into creating a habit of belief. Some people are born with an innate self-confidence, but most of us are not that lucky. It’s a good thing we can teach ourselves new habits. Most experts agree it only takes 30 days to change our behavior. Just like a good exercise program, use the suggestions in this post to map out what you will do daily to boost your “belief muscle” over the next 30 days.

5) Thinking You’re The “Only One”
Do a quick read of ________’s biography (fill in the blank with the most inspirational person you know), and you’ll see how they also faced self-doubt at certain points in their life. If you are human, you have struggled with belief. I often find myself returning to Steve Job’s Stanford commencement address as a source of inspiration and guidance on how one of the most innovative men of our time dealt with self-doubt. This video is a different kind of soul food!
 
6) Allowing The Word “No” To Impact You
No one ever succeeds without being rejected (many times). Expect to hear the word “no” time after time, and you’ll be ready to overcome, time after time. As best-selling author Karen Quinones so eloquently said: “When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.”
 
7) Not Accepting Compliments
This is critical towards building your self-esteem, which is an important part of believing you can step into your purpose. Next time someone gives you a compliment, resist the urge to dismiss it, or question its authenticity. Instead, imagine it is true and you might just find that it is.
 
8) Going At It Alone
I write frequently about the importance of surrounding yourself with as many good people as possible. But let’s face it, sometimes the well for good friends is dry. That said, I don’t believe we were put on earth to be alone with our ideas. You must find your one supporter! When I decided to become a matchmaker, everyone told me I was crazy but I was able to find support from my wife. All you need is one person to have your back and it makes your belief infinitely easier.
 
9) Not “Faking It Until You Make It”
This begins with simply speaking confidently and assertively (even if you’re not). I’ve seen first hand that by simply speaking in a strong manner, people will believe what you have to say. Therefore, it gives you greater control over your ability to influence, and it helps to drive your actual confidence.
 
10) Not Surrendering
From working with and observing some very successful people in life, I noticed a common theme that I have adopted for myself: a) Work your ass off. b) Identify what you can control. c) Identify what you can’t control. d) Surrender to a higher power. It’s important to realize that no one has ever fallen while stepping out on faith.   And understand that, in the eternal words of Dr. King, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I think about this single point daily.
Self-doubt is crippling and will cause you to live beneath your privileges. To believe in yourself is no easy feat. Yet, it’s essential to living a fulfilled life. If you’re doing any of these ten things to yourself today, stop so that you can start believing in yourself tomorrow.

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'He's a miracle from God': The greatest ever quotes about Lionel Messi

'He's a miracle from God': The greatest ever quotes about Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi defies description - but that doesn't mean people haven't tried to put his talent into words. Here's our pick of the most profound, wittiest and most eloquent pieces of wisdom about one of the undisputed greats of football history:
"I have never seen anyone like Leo Messi. He is a miracle from God! I like it when he does his things on the field. It's not jealousy - I feel good, for instance, when he nutmegs someone." - Arda Turan "Once they said they can only stop me with a pistol. Today you need a machine gun to stop Messi." - Hristo Stoichkov "Messi is the Mozart of football." - Radomir Antic "It is clear that Messi is on a level above all others. Those who do not see that are blind." - Xavi "For me, to watch Messi play is a pleasure – it’s like having an orgasm – it’s an incredible pleasure." - Luis Figo "This Barca will be remembered as Messi’s Barca. He’s well above anything else I’ve ever seen. He’s an alien." - Messi's former team-mate Carles Puyol
"Messi is the best in the world without any doubt and for me the history of football." Luis Enrique

"Messi is God, as a person and even more as a player. I knew him when he was a boy and I’ve watched him grow. He deserves it all." - Samuel Eto'o "Although he may not be human, it’s good that Messi still thinks he is." - Javier Mascherano "They tell me that all men are equal in God’s eyes, this player makes you seriously think about those words." - Football commentator Ray Hudson "Newton and Einstein had a certain level of autism - I hope that, like them, Messi surpasses himself every day and continues to give us his beautiful brand of football." - Romario "Life with Leo is prettier, of another colour." - Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu "There are three or four important things in life: books, friends, women… and Messi." - Portuguese writer Antonio Lobo Antunes "Barca will never have a player like Messi again. Messi’s greatness is present on and off the field of play." - ex-Barcelona president Sandro Rosell

"Seeing Messi play is like watching a video game… What Messi does on a football field is simply unthinkable… The way he walks from side to side, and once he sees an opportunity, he simply creates magic." - tennis superstar Victoria Azarenka.

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Educational System in Uruguay

Educational System
 
The Uruguayan education system is organised into levels:
Pre-School Education
Primary Education (6 years)
Middle School Education: basic cycle (3 years) and second cycle or baccalaureate (3 years)

Tertiary or Higher Education
Pre-School or Initial Education:
The infant population between 3 and 5 years of age attend and it is mandatory for children of 5 years of  age.
Primary Education

The population from 6 to 14 years attend in common, special (attended by children with different abilities) and rural education modes. It is mandatory and free.
Middle School Education

Basic Cycle: Is attended by the student population which progresses from primary education. It is common to students with all preferences and is mandatory in nature.
Second Cycle: Diversified Baccalaureate and Technical Education. The first level of baccalaureate is divided into three basic areas - Biology, Arts and Sciences - which are diversified into 6 options in the second and final levels and are required for entry to tertiary studies.
Technical Education: This has different modes lasting from 1 to 7 years. It is divided into four sectors - Agricultural, Industrial, Craft Artistic and Services.
Professional Technical Education: Its most advanced courses enable entry to University and Teacher Training studies.

Tertiary or Higher Education

This level is divided into University Higher Education and Non-University Higher Education, according to Decree 308/995, approved on 11 August 1995.
Higher University Education comprises the Universidad de la República (autonomous and free), as well as four private universities (Universidad Católica, Universidad ORT, Universidad de Montevideo and Universidad de la Empresa).

Non-University Higher Education comprises Teacher Training Institutes, the Centro de Diseño Industrial within the ambit of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Escuela Militar, Escuela Naval and Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica in the ambit of the Ministry of Defence, Escuela Nacional de Policía in the ambit of the Ministry of the Interior and private Institutes.
Structure of the University Education System

The Private Tertiary Education System in Uruguay is regulated by Decree 308/995 for "Regulation of the

Private Tertiary Teaching System".

According to this, "tertiary teaching is that which, assuming due to its contents that its students have studied and passed the full primary and secondary or professional-technical cycles in state or authorised private institutions, deepens and extends the training in some field of knowledge" (Article 1). Within tertiary teaching is university teaching, which corresponds to that teaching which integrates processes for generation and application of knowledge through research and the extension of its activities to the social medium.

Decree 308/995 anticipates two types of university institutions (Article 4):
those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in one or more related disciplines or in two unrelated disciplines and which receive the name "University Institute"; and  those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in three or more unrelated disciplines and which use the title of "University".

Professional Degrees

A professional degree is that which accredits having taken and passed, in university institutions or universities, the studies corresponding to a full university course.
These professional degrees can be:

First University Degree, accrediting the completion of a first degree.

Specialisation, accrediting the completion of specific studies deepening knowledge in one discipline or a group of related disciplines, comprised in first university degree studies.

Master's, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into first degree level university studies and research tasks which involve the active and creative management of knowledge, including the writing of a final thesis or report.

Doctorate, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into master's studies and the carrying out of higher, original research tasks, involving the writing of a thesis.

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Monster figurehead returns home – after five centuries

Monster figurehead returns home – after five centuries

A figurehead from a Danish ship that sank in the 1490s has made it home to Copenhagen after it was hauled from a Swedish sea bed last summer.


 

Experts at the National Museum in the Danish capital will now begin work to restore the massive ornament to its former glory – a process that’s expected to take almost three years.

Marcus Sandekjaer, the head of Blekinge Museum in Sweden, made the trip to Denmark with the figurehead, one of the world's oldest preserved wooden carvings of its kind.

“It felt like closing a circle: the figurehead returned to Copenhagen 521 years after it left the harbour there,” he told The Local.
The carving went on display at his museum after it was dragged up to the surface in August last year.

The wooden face, which resembles a monster or a large grinning dog, had been lying on a seabed off the southern Swedish town of Ronneby for more than five centuries. It holds in its jaws a (wooden) human head.
“A few of us have spent a lot of time with this really ugly figurehead,” said Sandekjaer said with a laugh.

“We’re going to miss this guy.”

It is thought to have broken off from the Gribhunden ship, commissioned by King Hans, who ruled Denmark from 1481 to 1513.

The Gribhunden set sail from Copenhagen in 1495. A fire broke out when it was anchored off Ronneby, causing the vessel to explode and sink.

It is not known if the fire was an accident or sabotage, or how many of the 150 people on board survived.

Blekinge museum preserved the figurehead in a bath of sweet water for the past few months, designed to remove the salt it had absorbed from the sea.

The Danish team will now begin a new three-step process to conserve the creepy figurehead, which weighs 300 kilograms and was discovered by divers in June.
“First they will try to find traces of paint. We still don’t know if it was painted or not,” said Sandekjaer.
“Then it will be put in a chemical liquid for two years to stabilize the wood – otherwise the cell walls would collapse.”

“After that it will be freeze dried in a huge chamber for another six months.”
Sandekjaer believes the figurehead to be the only one of its kind remaining in the world from a 15th century ship.

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Is Germany a developed country

Is Germany a developed country

Germany is a developed country. A country with a developed economy typically exhibits strong gross domestic product (GDP), industrialization and overall infrastructure development. In addition, citizens of a developed country must have access to adequate health care and education. With both a thriving economy and a high quality of living for its residents, Germany does indeed demonstrate that it is a developed country.

Strong Economy
Germany is Europe's strongest economy, and it is the fourth largest economy in the world. Germany's economic strength is driven by its highly skilled labor force. Germany is known for delivering world-class quality in products including machinery, motor vehicles, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Germany recently surpassed China as the world's largest surplus economy, with its exported products exceeding its imported products. Top German companies include Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG, Siemens AG, BASF and Bayer AG.

Education and Health Care
German citizens enjoy access to universal health care coverage. All Germans must belong to a nonprofit sickness fund that covers most necessary medical procedures and medications. In addition to providing adequate health care programs, Germany also provides public education to all of its residents. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), German children are provided with access to early education programs. The German education system has a dual vocational and academic track, training students to easily move into employment if they choose not to attend university. In addition, German students have recently shown progress in both reading and math performance.

With relatively high public safety, the fourth largest economy in the world, and adequate access to health care and education, Germany is by all measures a developed country.

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