Gabor Petry, from Hungary, representing Mental Health Europe, joined EDF board in 2013 as the youngest board member of EDF. He decided not to run for elections this time and pass his place to someone else from his Organisation.
Read Gabor’s Biography to find out more about him.
When did you join EDF?
I first attended an EDF event around 2008, on behalf of the Hungarian Autistic Society (the national umbrella representing parents and autistic people, member of Autism Europe), that I was director of. I think we were in Madrid. Then I got a scholarship in 2010 and I spent six months in EDF working on social policy and supporting an internal working group for people with high support needs. I mostly worked with staff members at the time, including with Ask Andersen, Simona Giarratano, Maria Nyman and Janina Arsenjeva. Carlotta Besozzi, EDF director was very supportive throughout my period in EDF in 2010. I got to learn a lot about the work of EDF, I participated at Board meetings already during this period and at other EDF events as well – I was part of EDF staff.
Later, in 2013, as Human Rights Officer of Mental Health Europe (MHE), I was a candidate to the EDF Board, as representative of MHE. I was 35 years old then, and I think perhaps I was the youngest (ever?) elected EDF Board member. It was a huge responsibility to represent MHE in EDF. The previous representative of MHE, Josée Van Remoortel was also a founder of EDF, and she was a passionate advocate for the rights of people with mental health problems at EDF Board. When I was elected in 2013 to represent MHE on the EDF Board, I felt that Josée left me a rich heritage.
What is your favourite moment in your mandate or mandates: a campaign, event,?
I do not think I could name one favourite moment. When we represented EDF in 2015 before the CRPD Committee (presented EDF’s EU shadow report), that was certainly memorable.
Is there something you made in EDF that you would do differently if you could turn back the time?
Oh, there must be many things! For example, I felt that over the years I became very used to sitting on EDF Board meetings, and even though I think I remained active in discussions, but by the end of my second term I lost some of the initial passion I had. I think there is a risk when people sit on these high-level representative positions, that they are likely to get used to procedures (how things are done in an organization) so much, that they start to think ‘this is the best way to do it, because this is the way we have always done it!’. So, when traditions become the most comfortable choice. Perhaps I was starting to think like this as well in the last years. And I did not like this in myself.
Practically speaking, there is also another issue I should have done differently. Around 2014-15, we had an initiative with Erik Olsen, then Board representative of the European Network of Ex-users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP). Together with Erik, on behalf of EDF Board, we asked EDF members (National Disability Councils) to tell us more about their membership from the mental health field, for example organizations of mental health service users. We wanted to give a nudge to these national disability umbrellas to do more to include and support organizations of users, ex-users and survivors of psychiatry in national disability movements. Those organizations are so marginalized even in human rights movements like ours! So, after our initiative with Erik, a survey went out to EDF members with questions, with the great help of An-Sofie Leenknecht from EDF Secretariat, and we did get back many responses – but I felt that job was somehow unfinished. Perhaps I should have proposed another round of actions, asking EDF national members to share widely their best practices about including the psychosocial disability field in disability movements. Where such involvement was lacking, we could have explored the barriers and then ask if we can help tackle them somehow.
What are your plans for the near future? Would you like to share with us? A project, holidays plans, something to wich your are looking forward?
I continue to be part of the disability movement both internationally and nationally. I am supporting Mental Health Europe’s work as their Senior Policy Adviser and I work at the Hungarian National Federation of Organisations of Persons with Physical Disabilities (MEOSZ). Not many people know that I am a researcher, too. Currently I am Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Democracy Institute of the Central European University, exploring how disability advocacy organisations participate in policy-making in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. I am also part of ENIL’s Independent Living Research Network.
Do you have a piece of advice for the new Board members, who joined for the first time?
I am not sure I can give advice to others as I am still trying to reflect on my own EDF Board membership. 😊 What I would say to people new to EDF Board: the jargon and the technical language of EU and UN policies can be exhausting and difficult, but be patient with yourself and ask for help if needed. I have always found members of EDF Secretariat very supportive whenever I needed more information or clarification over certain issues.
Thank you Gabor very much for all these answers. What a nice journey within EDF and the disability movement you made and it is very encouraging to know that you continue. We wish you a lot of success in your Research projects, in your activities whether they are personal or professional. Take care and see you soon!