Castlebeck View

As a lot of people on here would already know about the abuse at Castlebeck View in the UK, It’s a story that I have been following and it makes me wonder if we have come far in supporting People with Disabilities. How can a Profit making organisation be allow to become so disconnected from their very purpose, is it because they have grown so big or is it because training is a cost best saved for the shareholder? Paul Brosnan, the 35-year-old chairman of Castlebeck and son of Denis Brosnan, resigned earlier this month in the wake of the closure of Winterbourne View.” “It employs 2,100 people, providing care for 580 service users at 56 facilities nationwide.” Why so big? http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/28/castlebeck-treatment-residents-serious-concerns-watchdog

“Professor Jim Mansell, the author of the government’s policy on disability care, said: “The staff don’t think that these are human beings just like them otherwise they wouldn’t be able to do what they’re doing. This is the worst kind of institutional care, it’s the kind of thing that was prevalent in the 60s.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8549228/BBC-Panorama-care-home-investigation-four-arrested.html

It is good to see justice taking its course, but what are the long term implications for such large organisations, is profit making the way of the future? The full documentary will be in the Clarence TasTAFE Library after the court has finished with the footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb4neckH9Gk

Cheers
Mark

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Understanding of why it is so important for Willow Court to become a Site of Conscience

Hi all,

In creating understanding of why it is so important for Willow Court to become a Site of Conscience I think we should have more information about the history of  deinstutionalisation, starting with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in 1947 (http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/hrphotos/declaration%20_eng.pdf), the Australian (http://www.wwda.org.au/govtdisoverview.htm) and Tasmanian Government legislation (http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/disability/disability_services_act_consultation_on_draft_bill) that recognised the rights of people with disabilities, and the movement within Tasmania to support deinstitutionalisation.  All of this history is very important to the call for Willow Court to become a Site of Conscience, but may not be understood in the wider community.

Anne Salt

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A big welcome to Members of the Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance

A big welcome to Members of the Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance. It’s great to share this journey with you and trust that the project that you are passionate about will be realised. I think we share many issues and core beliefs.

Cheers

Mark Krause

  • The official Facebook group for the Pennhurst Memorial & Preservation Alliance (PM&PA) founded in 2008 by Nathaniel Guest, Chris Peecho & J. Gregory Pirmann.   The PM&PA currently has about twenty me…
  • 804 members
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Sites of Conscience

Sites of Conscience:

•interpret history through historic sites;

•engage in programs that stimulate dialogue on pressing social issues;

•promote humanitarian values as a primary function; and

•share opportunities for public involvement in issues raised at the site.

Cheers

Mark

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International Coalition of Sites of Conscience

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hNnSGflpAE

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is a worldwide network dedicated to the belief that by remembering the struggles of the past, we can question our current reality and create meaningful change for the future.
Sites of Conscience are memorials of deep human significance, to suffering and struggle, tragedy and triumph.
But they don’t just teach us about the past – they transform us. They help us see our shared goals and our shared responsibilities.
Comprised of sites in countries around the globe, the Coalition helps places of memory become places of action around today’s issues: discrimination, intolerance, xenophobia, genocide.
At the heart of the movement are creative and pioneering projects that bring people together to learn and talk more openly about the past and how we might create a more just future.
Learn more about this organization by visiting our website, www.sitesofconscience.org, or following our Twitter feed, @SitesConscience.

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‎12 years of neglect ended for ward F or Franklin on Saturday night

Franklin House gutted by fire
Franklin House burned down. March 2012, not valued, neglected and left for arsonists. A history ignored and it’s residents forgotten.

 ‎12 years of neglect ended for ward F or Franklin on Saturday night, Buildings that have looked not wanted, not looked after and not valued are easy prey for destruction. Council have now placed a fence around all the oval buildings at Willow Court. This area is up for tender, it’s the fifth call! Is this what our history is worth? We need to talk to our community and let them know what happened here.

Cheers

Mark Krause

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