Special Hearings — Mental Health Workshop — UNKNOWN

PARTICIPANT: Okay can I say something(...indistinct)? I should think (...indistinct) yesterday really we try (...indistinct) why this workshop having had the hearings in May or June? The thing is at that time was that mental health as a field was not (...indistinct) their (...indistinct) It emerged as a Cinderella to - I don't know how to separate physical ends or whatever.
 Okay. Then they felt the only way in which we can do damage control is to bring together a few (...indistinct) Initially we thought we would review submissions which were already in our office. And then some of them of course that's what we did. And we said: "Look let's review them and see whether we can get some more submissions." That was the rationale. I'm answering to the first part that what was (...indistinct) to what was done, it's not. We are supplementing what we did earlier on and it's gonna be merged nicely together as a health report under the TRC report we have section reporting on health, human rights violations related issue. And then we didn't want mental health to be compromised in the TRC report.
 Okay coming to what now has lead to a feeling of a split going into groups and so forth. We have this thing, we looked at the field of mental health, what we call focus or themes. Maybe instead of focus everybody's got that. We thought (...indistinct) and that's how we divided it. The splitting into different groups we know is (...indistinct) but we just thought we need a structure and a time where in which we can think very carefully as to what are human rights issues under each topic and the kinds of recommendations we want to make. But we realise that we'll have to bring the group together as soon as possible. So that those are debated and ultimately we'll take positions as a committee. 
 We felt in smaller groups people would be much more disciplined and can take a shorter period of time than if we do it in a big group like this, we can the whole day. Because each and every person will be interested. In a small group it's easy for everybody to come in quickly. That was just directional.

MR GREY: Okay can I? I don't think we're talking about a split as if everyone is feeling it. That may not be the case. But split is a very emotive word to chuck in to the (...indistinct) psychologist, for goodness sake. But I don't want to lose you in the sense that I do hear what you're saying. It's corny to say I hear what you're saying. And I have experienced that split. I just, I wonder whether your headache is going to go away. You'll tell me, good. And also I mean use that in your contributions. I think that will be useful. That's why we are doing this in a group (...indistinct) in group way. So can we move on and basically I'm gonna sort of tear the two sheets. One group will stay and work in here. One group will work in there and we'll get on with it with me and Zeena scribing and then come back after tea. Which I think should be eleven thirty. Sorry?  What do you want tea now?

PARTICIPANT: No, no.

MR GREY: It's ready, let's have tea and then go into groups. And then groups until lunch time.

PARTICIPANT: (...indistinct)

MR GREY: That's what I thought but in terms of time. Hang on, please, please. (...indistinct) Okay we'll break for tea until (...indistinct) and then have a group, till eleven thirty okay and then we'll come back. So we'll have an hour and a half groups.

PARTICIPANT: (...indistinct)
WORKSHOP ADJOURNED
ON RESUMPTION