STATEMENT FROM FCCSM REGARDING THE RULING AND CURRENT SITUATION
“FOR JUSTICE, DIALOGUE, AND RESPECT FOR PEOPLE”
The values that have inspired the Catalan Congress of Mental Health Foundation since its establishment in 2000 include, among others, the ethical and responsible commitment that gives meaning to the human adventure.
In the midst of such a harsh, sad, and unjust reality as the one we have been living in this country for several years, with unjustifiable use of violence, manipulation, confusion of norms, laws, and wills; the recent celebration of a trial where many truths have been ignored and the imposition of an unjust and oversized sentence, has deeply affected a significant part of society.
The experiences of people who personally suffered or whose families suffered the violence of the 1936 war and the subsequent repression are still very much alive, and we know of the devastation these experiences have caused and continue to cause to the mental health of those affected and the public as a whole.
Even though more than 80 years have passed since that coup d'état, we are again living in recent years, in a situation conducive to people suffering renewed anxiety, fear, and sadness in the face of an uncertain future, in a climate of restricted freedoms, arbitrary sanctions, lack of sincere dialogue, and mistreatment of institutions.
The resurgence of the far-right has been trivialized, in Spain as in other European Union states and elsewhere. The history of corruption we carry in the state and in political parties has been minimized. Likewise, various strategies of disregard for the reality of Catalonia have been on the rise.
For all this, in addition to adhering to the public and unified expression of discontent, we want to express from our mental health perspective, a reflection that is a warning and a proposal, to which we commit ourselves as an organization:
Exacerbating people's emotions is very dangerous, immoral, and terribly irresponsible, and we observe that it is a frequent practice in political discourse.
Only an open and constructive dialogue, not imposing, generous, and transparent, can help promote people's health and well-being, as well as the social fabric that allows for coexistence with differences, in all their aspects.
With FCCSM, we are committed to promoting and supporting all entities, proposals, and actions that facilitate reaching a new situation that allows for dialogue and commitment towards a peaceful solution to the current critical situation, respectful of diverse sensibilities, solidary, and joyful.
Catalan Congress of Mental Health Foundation
October 2019