To commemorate the International Day of Holocaust Victims, this past weekend, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) held an event in Kensington, Johannesburg North and Pretoria to introduce members of the community to what caused the Holocaust and how there is a common denominator between the Holocaust and the Apartheid – psychiatry.
While the insanity of Hitler is undeniable and he did slaughter millions of innocent people out of sheer racism, he had a vicious bed-fellow: psychiatry and psychiatrists who helped him commit the worst crimes against humanity – the Holocaust.
On this side of the world, there was apartheid. During the event, CCHR volunteers went into the use of psychiatry during the period of Apartheid in South Africa to create racism – news which impacted the audience. Several chapters of the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death documentary were then shown, which left many gaping, shocked and speechless.
As many of the guests in attendance were not aware of these psychiatric abuses that were in existence and still remain so, most of them became very determined to do something to eradicate psychiatric abuse and decided to become active on CCHR and sign up for the campaign as volunteers, as well as starting their own CCHR chapters.
In Pretoria, a past victim of psychiatric abuse himself was also very inspired to become active on CCHR, and help educate others and spread awareness in his community in eradicating psychiatric abuse. He said, “The CCHR campaign saved my life in the past. Now I need to help save others with this campaign. You have my support in being a human rights activist for CCHR.”
In Johannesburg North Org, Mrs. Glory Matipile, CEO of Baagi Ba South Africa (Builders of South Africa) NGO, human rights activist and a CCHR volunteer, was a guest speaker. She brought along several members of the Positive Compatriots Africa Organization, an NGO specializing in community empowerment. Her speech was very personal, touching and created quite an emotional and moving impact on the audience.
Mrs. Matipile stated, “My young daughter was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and exposed to psychiatric drugs – Ritalin. At the time, I did not know the dangerous effects of these drugs and thought it would be something to help her. When she started taking the Ritalin, she would sit in front of the T.V. with her body completely frozen, eyes stuck to the screen and not moving at all. I had not once in my life seen my daughter act like this.”
She narrated how it even became worst. “Her neck started giving her problems, where she was unable to move her head around. Thankfully, I was introduced to CCHR, educating and empowering me with the truth about psychiatric abuse. Since then, I managed to get my daughter off of the Ritalin. I thank CCHR for all they have done and continue to do, in getting these programs out in the community.”
Inspired by her speech and the information provided on psychiatry, her guests all decided to be a part of the movement and signed up to join her CCHR chapter.
A President of an NGO empowering individuals with entrepreneurship opportunities, was also in attendance at Johannesburg North. Astonishingly, she stated, “I lost my husband last Christmas due to psychiatry-based treatment. They got a hold of him eleven years ago and since that time, he was completely lost mentally and spiritually. This is what led to him unfortunately losing his life.”
She then decided to join the movement with CCHR to get the knowledge of psychiatric abuses out there in the community and eradicate these mental health violations throughout South Africa.
The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was co-founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus Dr.Thomas Szasz at a time when patients were being warehoused in institutions (including in South Africa) and stripped of all constitutional, civil and human rights. It is a non-political, nonreligious, non-profit organization dedicated solely to eradicating mental health abuse and enacting patient and consumer protection.
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