AUTUMN 2015

Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy Issue 20

Topic of the issue:

VIOLENCEON PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

2 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

EDITORIAL

EditorSenada Halilčević

JournalistHrvoje FornerSnježana KanjirFadil Špuren Nera BajzecGordana HuzekTomislav Ivašković

AssistantsSanja MartinovskyIvana Poslon HrvojDamjan JanjuševićMladen Katanić

This newsletter wassupported by a grant fromthe Open Society Fundationsand the City of Zagreb.

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

3

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

Voice of Self-Advocates

4 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

5Voice of Self-Advocates

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

6 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

7Voice of Self-Advocates

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

1.2.

3.

4.

5.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

8 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

112

6.

7.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

9Voice of Self-Advocates

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

10 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

11Voice of Self-Advocates

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

12 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

ZABAVNIK

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

13Voice of Self-Advocates

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

14 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

15Voice of Self-Advocates

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

16 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

17Voice of Self-Advocates

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

SPORT

UEFA Champions League 2015 / 2016Dinamo is in a group F with Olympiacos, Bayern and Arsenalin the UEFA Champions League.Dinamo won the first game against Arsenal 2 : 1.The game was played 16 September 2015.On 29 September 2015 Dinamo was defeated by Bayern with big 5 : 0.On 20 September 2015 Olimpiakos defeated Dinamo 1 : 0.We won one game, and lost two games.

Written by: Nera Bajzec

b) stealing your moneya) hitting somebody c) ignoring somebody

b) visit grave of their loved ones

a) go on a summer vacation c) go on a picnic

You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

What types of violence exist?There are more types of violence:

physical violencepsychical violencesexual violenceeconomical violence

Physical violence is when a person uses physical force.Physical violence exists regardless of whether it did or did not occur.Examples of physical violence:

pushingphysical injurychokingkickingpinchingtearing off the clothes

Psychical violence causes feelings of fear, anxiety and disturbance.Examples of psychical violence:

offendingmockingcursingcalling bad namesdisturbingdisturbing over electronic media like Facebook

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual behaviourthat the person does not want.For example:

forcing to sexual relationstouching of intimate body partsinappropriate sexual comments

Economical violence means destroying your properties andstopping you from managing your money.For example:

taking away your moneytaking away your propertiesstopping you from using your properties

Prejudice and discriminationPrejudice are bad attitudes or views onsome event, persons or a group of people.Because of prejudice people often hate other people orthink of them as less worthy.Some of prejudice attitudes towardspersons with intellectual disabilities are:

stupidworthlessidiotsretardsincapable

Prejudice often serves as a justification for violence and discrimination.Discrimination is when someone violates your rightsjust because you are a person with intellectual disabilities.Discrimination is violence.

Hate speech and hate crimePrejudice leads to hate speech and hate crime.Hate speech is when due to prejudice people talkugly things about some person or a group of people andencourage violence or discrimination towards them.Especially dangerous is hate speech in the mediabecause the media are followed by many people.Hate speech often causes hate crime.Hate crime is when people commit violenceon a person or group of people because of prejudice.Hate crime often starts with hate speech or smaller violence like:

offensive talk,sending offensive messages to persons with disabilities,spitting,abuse,bodily assaults on persons with disabilities or their properties.

That is why it is very important to pay attentionto this or similar types of violence because itoften leads to bigger and more serious violence.

we can see that most of us during our livesendure threats, insults and mockeryjust because we have intellectual disabilities.

The issue of violence is discussed at groups when we talk aboutmanaging our money and other things we have.

But, hardest to recognize for self advocates is economical violence.Very often persons with intellectual disabilitiesdo not know how much money they earn andon what the money is spent.

For example, they do not the amountof their disability allowance or salary.

That mostly happens when we aredeprived of legal capacity andour guardian manages our assets.Very often our guardians and support manage our money without ourpermission and without respecting our decisions.

Everyone should be explained how to much money they earn.We have a right to decide how we shall spend our money.

Some persons with intellectual disabilitiesare owners of very valuable assetslike apartment, house or land parcel.But, many of them do not know how rich they are andthey do not have the right to managetheir assets the way they want.For example, they cannot live in their house,rent or sell their apartment and decidewhat to do with the money they earn.

Guardian usually manages these assetsat the expense of the owner andthus commits economical violence.

What does the Convention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities say about the violence?According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesmember states have to protect and give support to persons withdisabilities in cases of violence.

Article 16 - Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse:states will protect persons with disabilities from exploitationstates will provide persons with disabilitiesto report exploitation, violence and abuse.states will take care that persons with disabilitiesare protected from exploitation, violence and abuseby people who support them.states will help persons with intellectual disabilitieswho experienced exploitation, violence and abuseto recover as soon as possible and include in the society.states will try to discover and punish everyexploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities.

Situation in Croatia and EuropeIn Croatia and Europe discrimination and any kind of violence towardspersons with intellectual disabilities is forbidden.

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Europe are:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCharter on the fundamental rights of the European UnionEuropean Convention on the Human Rights

Documents that protect persons with disabilities fromviolence and discrimination in Croatia are:

Constitution of the Republic of CroatiaConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesCriminal LawAnti-Discrimination ActFamily Violence Protection ActMedia Act

How can you stop and fight against violence?No one should endure violence.We all have the right to a safe life.Violence is very bad because it doesbig harm to people and causes new violence.This is why it is important to stop the violence andfight against it.

You must oppose to violence whenever you can.This means you must not let others:

to yell at youto hit youto touch your intimate parts of your bodyto force you do something you do not want toto take away your properties or money

You can experience violence from people close to youlike your parents or assistants.

In that case you also must oppose to thembecause no one should be violent to you.Never feel ashamed just because someone was violent to you.The one who is violent should be ashamed.

These are the ways how you canfight against the violence and stop it.

Never be violent towards other people.Give example with your own behaviourhow others should behave.Learn about the different types of violence.This way you will be able to recognizewhen someone is violent to you and others.Pay special attention top hate speech on streets andin the media like television, radio, newspaper,internet and Facebook.Hate speech can causeterrible violence and hate crime.If somebody is violent to you take be firm and decisive.Tell to a violent person to stop andtry to calm the person with words.

Senada talked about experiences of self advocateswith physical, psychological and economical violencethat we talked about at our meetings.

After the speakers opened the topic on violencewe had a group work.In the groups self advocates sharedtheir experiences with violence.

In continuation you can read about these experiencesas well as about experiences of self advocatesthat we talked about at our meetings.

Experiences of self advocates shared at the 5 Conference ofCroatian self advocates.During the group work self advocates told whetherthey have experienced violence, where did it happen,who did it and what were the consequences of violence.

We heard that self advocates experiencedviolence at various places.For example, self advocates experienced violencefrom other students in school.One self advocate told usthat her school colleagues were throwing stonesat her just because she was the persons with disability.Other self advocates was forcedto eat snow by other students in special school.One more self advocate sharedhow other students in special school werebeating him with fists and legs over all of his body.

Many female self advocates experienced sexual violence.We heard from one self advocate that she often received unsettling andugly comments from other passers-by in the street.Other self advocate told us that her father’s friend wanted to rape her buthe was stopped in the last moment.We also heard the story of self advocatethat was beaten and raped by her husband.

Persons with intellectual disabilities in Croatiamostly experience psychical and then physical violence.

The violence commit in most of the cases close personslike family members and acquaintances.Experts from health, education and socialcare also commit violence.

In Croatia and many countries of Europepersons with intellectual disabilities livedfor many years in institutions.There they experienced many forms of abuse.

Many persons with intellectual disabilitiesnow come from institutions to live in the community.

Persons with intellectual disabilitieswho live in the community with supporthave much more opportunities for a better life.But, in the community there are many peoplewho can commit violence because of their prejudicetowards persons with disabilities.

Big problem is that persons do not report violencebecause of fear or they do not how.That way many of perpetrators remain unpunished.

Likewise, there is very little investigation on this topic.

This is why the violence on persons withintellectual disabilities is a very important topic.Violence must investigate and try to stop together persons withdisabilities, experts, schools, police, support services and publicinstitutions responsible for protection of human rights such as DisabilityOmbudsman.

This way life of persons with intellectual disabilitiesin the community will become safer.

Dear self advocates,by talking with self advocateswe heard that many of them experienced violence.Sometimes it is hard to recognize violence.That is why we have decided to writeabout this important and hard topic.Violence was also one of the topicsat the past Conference of Croatian self advocates.I hope that the new issue of Voice of Self advocateswill help you to recognize and gain courageto confront any violence.

What is violence?Violence is when somebody intentionallyharms you and makes you feel bad.

Violent persons always attack personswho are weaker than them andcan hardly defend themselves or ask for help.Persons with intellectual disabilities are such persons.

People commit violence because they think it is oftenthe only way to achieve or get what they want.For example:

when a person attacks and robs somebody becausehe or she does not have money,when a man has sex with a womanwithout her permission.

Violence is a sign of weakness or powerlessness.Violent person is usually the one whohas also experienced violence.That is why the violence is the only waythis person knows to solve her or his problems.

When we talk about violence at our meetings of self advocatesfor a few moments silence fills the room.Discomfort and tension can be felt.Only after that self advocates tell their experiences with violence.

One self advocate told us her experience with violence in family.Her father drank very often.After coming home drunk he would have startedto beat her mother, sister and her.Even the slightest thing could make him enraged andmade him wanting to beat them.She had bruises all over her face and body.In a town where she lived everybody knewwhat was going on, even her doctor.But no one did a thing.

She called social service many times.Social workers talked with her father,and when they would have left, she would have got beaten again.

On one occasion when her father beat her up she called the police.When the police officers came, they just made a report and left.He started to yell again, but she ran to her room.She was feeling miserable, abandoned, powerless, worthless.

She spent her youth in fear.She never knew what would cause violent behaviour of her father.

One evening after a family fight she decided to leave her home.

Because of violence she ran away from her familyand end up in institution.

We self advocates easily recognize physical violencebecause it is direct attack to our body.

When we mention psychical violenceself advocates do not know what it actually is.But when we start to talk about it,

Tell others about violence.This is very important because this way you raiseawareness of other people on the harmful effects of violence.Report violence that has happened to you or others.Report any hate speech that you hear or seein the streets or in the media.Demand from others to take action in order tostop violence and hate speech.

To whom you can talk to if you experience or see violence?If somebody is violent to you talk to a person you trust.You can talk to us in the Association for Self-Advocacy.

In an emergency you can report violenceby calling free telephone line number 112.This is the European emergency phone numberavailable free of charge everywhere in the EU.

You can dial number 112 from any phone orstreet phone booth in any time of day or night.

You can also report violence:to policeto state attorney’s officeto social care centrein a hospital

They are obliged to protect you.

EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

At the last Conference of Croatian self advocatesone of the topics was violence onpersons with intellectual disabilities.Advisor of the Ombudswoman Branka Meić Salie,professor Daniela Bratkovićand self advocate Senada Halilčevićtalked about the violence.

Unfortunately, many self advocates experiencedviolence right in their families.We heard how one self advocate’s father was beating him,locking him in a barn and lowering him in a well.

In order to protect persons from violencetheir guardians were placing them in institutions.

But, we also heard experiences of self advocateswho were experiencing violence precisely in institutions.One self advocate told that he was locked awayalone in a small room every timehe would have done something wrong.They were not letting him out for hours oreven for a whole day.Persons in institutions could not ask for helpbecause they did not have access to the phone.

Many self advocates experienced violence in their childhood.Although they are grownups now they still feelthe consequences of violence.When they speak about these events they feelfear, rage, pain and sorrow again.

Self advocates concluded that many of themexperienced violence just becausethey were persons with disabilities.Very often violence was occurring for a long timebecause self advocates had no one to complain to.Persons who experienced violence escaped itonly when they left their families or institution.We heard that many of violent personswere never prosecuted or punished.

Violence around us: Senada HalilčevićEvery one of us experienced violence throughout our lives.Violence occurs everywhere around us:in schools, on streets, in families.

Many persons exploit intellectual disabilityas our weakness and demonstrate their power in a bad way.They know that many of us cannot recognize economical orpsychical violence or that we shall not dareto talk about physical violence.They know that even if we talk about it,very often others will not believe us.

That is why we need good support and monitoringto report violence without fear.State must provide us support and properly punish violent persons.Only then we shall be protected from violence and have a safe anddignified life.Senada Halilčević

NEWS

3 Conference of European self advocatesHear our voices: My life, my decisions3 Conference of European self advocates titled My life, my decisions washeld In Madrid, capital of Spain, from 2 to 4 October 2015.Conference was organized by EPSA in cooperationwith Inclusion Europe and Plena Inclusión.

For three days self advocates from26 European and world countries workedin workshops and plenary sessions very hard.They discussed about legal capacity andmaking decisions with support.

President of EPSA, Senada Halilčević,held a speech and workshops on legal capacitywhich were very well attended.At the end of the conference self advocates declared their joint message:We are on a voyage to full inclusion!We all have to be on board!All means all!

b) Belgiuma) France c) Austria

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You can see the photos from the conference at the internet link below:https://www.facebook.com/maxepsa/

Final conference of the New Paths to Inclusion projectOn 4 and 5 November 2015we participated at the final conference ofthe New Paths to Inclusion project.Our member Senada Halilčević andthe President of the European Platform of Self advocatesparticipated at the conference.Senada had the honor to give a final speechat the conference on behalf of European self advocates.In her final speech Senada sad expressedher gratitude to the organizers of the project.She also pointed out that self advocatesmust get opportunity to learn and to participatewith other people in all community activities.Experts and self advocates from around20 countries participated at the conference.Special attention in this project was payed togroup learning and person centred planning.American experts Beth Mount and John O’Brianheld a few lectures on „U learning theory“.More about the final conference,person centred planning and the U Theoryyou can find at the project web page:http://personcentredplanning.eu/index.php

Education for assistants in StančićAssociation for Self-Advocacy held in November 2015 a workshop forassistants at the Centre for rehabilitation Stančić.Assistants from Centre Stančić learned about:

• self-determination• organization and provision of support to self-advocacy group.• employment with support

Projects of the Association for Self AdvocacyAssociation for Self Advocacy has been carrying outtwo projects for 10 months already.The City of Zagreb gives part of the money for these projects.The projects are: Let my voice be also heard and Stop hate crime!Within this project self advocates learn abouthate motivated violence andmake the newsletter Voice of Self Advocates.We shall use this opportunity to explainhow do we make the Voice of Self advocates.Every month self advocatesdiligently write and collect articles.We write articles by ourselves,but often we receive help from our friendsin the Network of Croatian Self Advocates.Sometimes we even get articles from self advocates in Slovenia.After we collect and write the articles, newsletter redaction has discussionabout which articles will be published.When assistant Mladen prepares the newsletter for printing,we send it to the printing studio.After the new issue is printed out,we send it to our faithful readers from all parts of Croatia.We also share the newsletter in social care centres andthe Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.You can also receive the newsletter at the Association for Self Advocacy.

We proudly announce three new projects.

The first project is a support which Association for Self Advocacy willreceive for organizing and working of Platform 112.As the long year member of Platform 112Association for Self-Advocacy submitteda project proposal to the National Foundation for Civil SocietyDevelopment for co-financing of Platform 112's work.The support will enable Platform 112 to make an analysis of the situationon human rights in Croatia.In addition, better cooperation among Platform 112’s members will bemade possible.

A legal team will also be founded.It will be tasked with providing legal aid when we detect especiallyimportant cases of human rights violations.Association for Self Advocacy will report to Platform 112 on violations ofhuman rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The other project is called Hands-on Advocacy.We shall continue good cooperation with GONG within this project.Three years ago, in cooperation with GONGwe carried out a successful advocacy campaign.This campaign succeeded in changing the Voters Register Act.Thus, we made possible for persons deprived of legal capacityto gain their right to vote in elections.GONG will provide us with support and training in the new project.After that, together we shall try to change some things which are not inline with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The third project is called Together.We carry out this project in partnershipwith association Solem from Macedonia.

The project is continuation of the cooperationwith Macedonian self advocates.We shall help association Solem in educationof self advocates through this project.We hope that upon completion of this projectMacedonian self advocates will get connected andestablish regular cooperation.

Projects Hands-on Advocacy and Togetherare financed by the European Union.

FUN PAGES

QUIZ1. What is psychical violence?

2. What the majority of people do on All Saint’s Day?

3. In which country German language is spoken?

WORD SEARCH

Find in the word search:

RISK

PRISON

INJURY

LAW

PUNISH

SECURITY

FIGHT

THERAPY

HATE

VIOLENT

GOGA’S RIDDLEWhen the electricity is outshe is here first to help.When she burns,she melts away.

Candle!

18 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

19Voice of Self-Advocates

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