To commemorate the victims of
psychiatry and society
We meet at about 1.30 pm near the statue of Don Quichote at Spanjeplein/Place d'Espagne (not far from Central Station ).
We ‘ll walk in complete silence via Grasmarkt/ Rue Marché aux Herbes to the Bourse (Stock Exchange), where we will lay a wreath.
As a sign of mourning we will be dressed entirely in black
(black scarfs, mourning ribbons, black umbrellas in case of rain etc.).
Please let us know how many people will participate in the march and whether you wish to cooperate to prepare or organize the Black March in one way or another.
We are only responsible for the official banners and leaflets of our movement.
Please send this message to as many friends and acquaintances as possible and ask them to forward it too.
Print this message and make copies you can distribute to your friends and acquaintances. You can enlarge it and use it as a (window)poster.
Resp. publisher: Jan Vanhaelen Kloosterstraat 159 1700 Dilbeek Belgium
Phone/fax: 0032 2 466 48 50 sarahbeweging@skynet.be
Supported by Netwerk Psychiatrie & Samenleving
Belgium is one of the most prosperous regions in the world. But how about its well-being?
In Belgium there are five times more psychiatric hospitalizations than the European average (!) .
In Belgium the number of psychiatric medication prescriptions is at least twice as high as in comparable countries.
In Belgium there is a multitude of psychiatric and mental health accommodations compared with the rest of the world.
As a result, the Belgian mental health situation should be much better and Belgians should enjoy higher levels of psychosocial well-being.
And yet Belgium has twice as many suicides as comparable neighbouring countries. We are among the frontrunners in the field of suicide, depression and psychiatric disorders.
And yet each year more than 30 people die of unknown causes in psychiatric hospitals and death by unnatural causes increases relatively quickly in these institutions.
Direct cost of this madness: around 6,000 euro per person admitted per month or approximately 200 euro per person per day.
These are alarming official facts and figures, unworthy of a civilized country. For more than ten years we have continually been drawing the attention of policy makers and the public to this unacceptable situation. Apparently in our country nobody's sleep is being disturbed by these alarming facts and figures.
It is for this reason that, in Brussels on 7th September 2008, we commemorate the untimely death of more than 50,000 victims of psychiatry and society in Belgium in the past half century.
1. By sending this message to all your e-mail addresses, asking them to do the same to all their friends (forming a chain). By posting this message on your blogs and Internet sites to distribute it as widely as possible.
2. By contacting journalists you know personally and inviting them to advertise the Black March or to report on 7 th September.
3. By printing this message as often as possible (e.g. as a poster), copying it and distributing it at suitable places, where people pass who may be interested in participating in the march.
4. By helping to make our banners.
1. By carrying banners or distributing leaflets.
2. By helping us to remain in contact with the police force (by mobile phone with our police spokesman) and tell them where there is/may be trouble (which we do not expect).
By transferring a small contribution into the account of the Sarah Movement (776-5960833-86), because we have hardly enough money to organize the march. Banners, mourning veils, administration, phone, ink cartridges, transport, postage stamps, posters, flyers, contacts with the media, the city of Brussels and the police all cost a lot of money.
Mail or phone us.
Let us know if you wish to do something to help.
Let us also know the number of people that will accompany you on 7 th September.
Jan Vanhaelen and Mieke Houthaeve
spokesmen Sarah Movement
Kloosterstraat 159, 1700 Dilbeek - Belgium
Phone/fax 0032 2 466 48 50
Web: http://www.sarahbeweging.net
Resp. publisher: Jan Vanhaelen Kloosterstraat 159, 1700 Dilbeek Belgium
Phone/fax: 0032 2 466 48 50 sarahbeweging@skynet.be
Supported by Netwerk Psychiatrie & Samenleving