NI 452 - May, 2012

Mental health

A note from the editor

As an undergraduate, I took psychology for two years. People who study the subject tend to be drawn to it because they are seeking to solve puzzles in their own mental makeup. I was no exception.

But I was also seeking another connection and answers to the question: what is my place in the world? That led to an informal dalliance with philosophy as well.

I didn’t know it then, but the answers aren’t readymade, and I am still working them out.

An answer I find particularly important is: in order to find my place in the world, I need to be of it. However much I love solitude, disconnection is a dead end.

This has been painfully brought home on the many occasions I have had to visit locked psychiatric wards. Whatever their faults – tedium seems more common now than the horrors recounted by survivors just a couple of decades ago – they can be places where some people in extreme mental distress find the time and space to make peace with themselves. Society at large seldom offers such a space.

The challenge of mental ill health is often seen only as an individual challenge; the social challenge to build inclusive, supportive communities is barely considered, perhaps because it appears too great a task. Or perhaps because it is too much like common sense.

Since this edition was announced last month, readers have been writing in, wishing to contribute on this theme. Sadly, we were fully commissioned by then, but as ever we want to know what you think. So do email or write to us.

Dinyar Godrej for the New Internationalist co-operative.
www.newint.org

The big story

John Mc Carthy, founder of Mad Pride Ireland, followed by Molly Buckley, Mayor of Tullamore, and supporters at a Family Fun Day in the town in 2010. Mc Carthy’s goal – to battle stigma through community, laughter and love.

Harvey Photography

NI 452 - May, 2012

Mental health

A note from the editor

The big story

Mental health shouldn’t just be about individuals, we need strong communities too. Dinyar Godrej makes the case.

Features

Is a Western approach the best way to engage with the mental health issues of other cultures? Nick Harvey visits Burmese refugees in Thailand to find out.

Look at Peru if you think mining giant Xstrata should merge with Glencore. Stephanie Boyd reports.

Young First Nations people in Manitoba tackle their number one problem – suicide among their peers. Janet Nicol reports.

Big business sees water scarcity as a money-making opportunity. Joyce Nelson uncovers the dodgy dealings of the Aqueduct Alliance.

Liberating communities from prejudice in Ghana, by Peter Yaro.

The reality of conflict, from World War One to Afghanistan, has had a terrible impact on Joe Glenton and his family.

Consumer culture is collective insanity and driving us to destruction, says clinical psychologist John F Schumaker.

Prevalence, provision, dangerousness and discrimination-related figures for mental illness worldwide: a zoomable infographic.

Blogs

A young dance company is tackling tough issues through its performances, as its founder Kwame Asafo-Adjei explains.

As workers rally on May Day, FairPensions call on ordinary investors to tackle over-the-top remuneration.

Opinion

Steve Parry's daughter is being brought up in a radical household. But could this tactic backfire?

NGO director Jamal Kidwai and activist and writer Praful Bidwai go head-to-head - read their arguments and join the debate.

Pakistan is the deadliest country to be a journalist, as Manzoor Ali knows only too well.

Many Americans are in denial about their dependence on social spending, says Mark Engler.

Agenda

Azerbaijan's hosting of the event on 26 May has caused tensions in the region as Armenia pulls out.

The country's 30-year war with Ethiopia has been followed by 21 years of repression, says Saleh 'Gadi' Johar.

Nick Harvey and Julien Tremblin look at the plight of Tuareg refugees caught in the crossfire of a conflict that’s as devastating as it is complex...

In China large protests are taking place against coal pollution, writes Dinah Gardner

Regulars

The country's unequal wealth distribution and rapid population growth have made it one of the poorest in Latin America, writes Anna-Claire Bevan.

The 71-year-old legend of social movement politics in India shows no signs of slowing down, as Richard Swift discovers.

When the Botswanan football team went on a winning streak, a whole nation was inspired, writes Lauri Kubuitsile.

Film, Book & Music Reviews

Films, books and music from around the world reviewed.

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