What is a *value*?  My dictionary says "the principles or
moral standards of a person or social group, the generally
accepted or personally held judgement of what is valuable
and important in life" (Shorter Oxford, 1994, p 3542)

As people who experience mood swings, fear, voices and
visions, what are our values?  Is there general agreement on
*what* they are?  Is there any agreement on how to rank
them?

In Dublin, Paolo made some suggestions in his opening
remarks.  Are these all *values*?  Have you additions,
deletions?

     Respect & Dignity: we recognize and uphold that
     everyone has a right to be treated with these basic of
     human values;

     Mutual Support: we provide peer-based assistance based
     on having experienced common issues and help one
     another cope and overcome these similar struggles;

     Empowerment and Self-Determination: we value the
     necessity of everyone having the right to fully
     participate in decisions effecting our lives - of being
     able to speak for ourselves and be actively involved in
     matters that impact upon us;

     Social Action and Advocacy: we recognize the
     fundamental necessity of striving for rights
     protection, systems change and social justice;

     Education: we recognize that education and knowledge
     are the paths to empowerment - that information is a
     powerful tool in our overcoming our struggles;

     Diversity: we celebrate and respect our differences and
     recognize that they are a source of strength;

     Collectivism: we value the concept of "building
     community" and the importance of collaborative actions
     -that there is strength in numbers and in unity;

     Egalitarianism: we are all equals or peers - no one is
     "better" or "lesser" than any other - we operate in a
     non-hierarchical, democratic fashion;

     Freedom and Independence: we strive towards freedom
     from abuse and harms both within the mental health
     system and from society at large - we strive towards
     being independent, productive citizens and away from
     dependency on the mental health system;

     Choice and Voluntariness: we recognize the implicit
     value of choice in services, in housing, and in all
     aspects of our lives as do other citizens; we recognize
     that all services - including those that we provide -
     are voluntary and free from all forms of coercion and
     force;

     Responsibility: we recognize that along with
     empowerment comes responsibility - power must be used
     in a productive fashion and not to repeat the mistakes
     of the mental health system or society at large;

     Community Integration: we value the importance of being
     accepted members of society in where we live, where we
     work, where we socialize, with our families, etc.;

     Individual Worth and Strengths: we recognize that
     everyone has something to contribute and that we all
     have talents, abilities, and skills to offer;

     Hope and Recovery:  we hold true that there is hope -
     hope for a better tomorrow for ourselves, hope for our
     brothers and sisters and hope for society as a whole.