Annual Conference-Humanity in Solidarity-Hybrid Online-University of Delaware
Summary
Description
Register at Conference Registration
About the Conference
No one is a stranger to loneliness. Each of us has moments when we feel profoundly alone, profoundly other, even if those moments are fleeting. Many people experiencing psychosis and extreme states, however, find that those fleeting moments have become a constant, a profound isolation made even more radical in the face of mental health systems and/or personal relationships that coerce, oppress, or deny one’s humanity. With such isolation, often the first step forward is a step outward, towards others, whether towards a person who can truly listen, or towards a sheltering and supportive community.
Indeed, community matters: if we are to develop true healing spaces, bridges must be built between all of us to create a solidarity firmly rooted in the recognition of our shared humanity. Such solidarity does not come naturally in our society, where individualism and independence are prioritized over collectivism, family, and community. We must therefore foster and create systems of care in which human rights and full personhood are held central, replacing approaches that “other” and reduce experiences to labels of deficit and disease.
We hope you will join us in this effort of solidarity at our upcoming ISPS-US conference on October 27-29, 2023, on the campus of the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, and online. This year’s conference focuses on understanding our shared journey through psychosis, for this is a journey that includes us all, and all are welcome to attend and submit proposals to present. Whether you are a clinician working to change the mental healthcare system; a researcher interested in humane treatment alternatives; a family member advocating for your loved one’s rights; a person who cares about social justice and human value; and/or an individual with lived experience invested in maintaining your freedom, agency, and perspectives, we hope ISPS-US 2023 will offer opportunities for insight, acceptance and integration.