Opening event of the campaign ‘Human, not Diagnosis’

On August 4, the opening event of the campaign “Human, not diagnosis” has invited guests to the Latvian National library – people with mental disabilities, children with functional impairments and their parents, media representatives, celebrities, and representatives of the Welfare Ministry. They are not quite sure what they’ll have to do.

Opening event of the campaign “Human, not diagnosis” – a game of respectful cooperation.

Cilvēki telpā runā un gaida pasākuma atklāšanu

The guests are split into teams. Now they can guess that a competition or a game is looming. The teams are waiting for it to begin.

Cilvēki telpā runā un gaida pasākuma atklāšanu

Elizabete’s family has come the longest way. The girl and her parents have arrived at the Library from Smiltene.

Reportāžas foto - stāv vīrietis ar sievieti

Reinis and his mom are eager and excited. They are both on the blue team.

Vecāki kopā ar meitu pozē fotogrāfam

Paula and her parents are smiling the entire time. This family has done a lot in their local community to change the attitude towards children with functional impairments.

Viens vīrietis, neformāli runājoties ar otru, rāda kaut ko planšetē

One of the campaign’s messengers, Arvīds, is laying it all out for a TV broadcast Bez Tabu reporter – what is what in his life. Arvīds lives independently and works at a social enterprise in Ogre.

Tiek filmēts un intervēts vīrietis

Once in a while, a participant is asked on the set. Watch the video and see what the actor Jurijs Djakonovs told the camera crew.

Tiek intervēts vīrietis

Kaspars Markševics, musician, DJ and head of Latvian Orphaned Children’s fund answers the questions of the camera crew.

Vītietis ar sievieti, sēž pie galdiņa un runājās

Actors Baiba Broka and Jurijs Djakonovs are not yet sure what they will have to do.

Cilvēki kopīgi dodas uz pasākuma nrisses vietu

Everybody is invited to go outside.

Stāv četras sievietes

Representative of the Welfare Ministry Edīte Olupe, journalists Jeļena Vihrova and Agnese Meijere, as well as the actress Baiba Broka are ready to do (almost) whatever is asked of them.

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā gaida norādījumus

Finally, the goals are getting clearer. The masterclass of respectful cooperation is about to begin, and everyone must participate. The only thing that matters is who we are! See the human, not the diagnosis!

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā saņem norādījumus no režisora

Everything is photographed and filmed. The game is led by one of the campaign’s ‘Human, not diagnosis’ experts Pēteris Martukāns.

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā gaida norādījumus

Are there any other surprises?

Meitene ratiņkrēslā tiek apsveikta dzimšanas dienā

One of the participants, Elizabete, has a birthday today! Congratulations!

Uz zemes izliktas lapas ar dažādiem vārdiem

Task one: each team must assemble a sentence using word cards and choosing which words stay and which go.

Cilvēki gudro teikumu no uz lapām uzrakstītajiem vārdiem

Cilvēki gudro teikumu no uz lapām uzrakstītajiem vārdiem

What is this sentence going to be?

Cilvēki gudro teikumu no uz lapām uzrakstītajiem vārdiem

The pink team is very active. One of the campaign’s messengers, Pēteris, is on it. And everyone is congratulating the birthday girl, Elizabete.

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā ar lapām sev priekšā. Uz katras lapas ar lieliem burtiem ir rakstīts viens vārds

It is not that easy to assemble the right phrase.

Reportāžas foto stāv vīrietis ar sievieti

Pēteris has guessed the answer.

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā ar lapām sev priekšā. Uz katras lapas ar lieliem burtiem ir rakstīts viens vārds

A mountain does not meet another mountain, a person meets another person. /Latvian proverb/

Cilvēki stāv un savā starpā apspriežas

Yellow team with one of the campaign’s messengers, Iluta. A special asset to the team is Paula, the girl who lives a fulfilled and successful life thanks to the support of her parents and surrounding community.

Cilvēki gudro teikumu no uz lapām uzrakstītajiem vārdiem

Yellow team in action.

Vairāki cilvēki savā starpā apspriekzas

Vairāki cilvēki savā starpā apspriekzas

Debates on the right answer run high in the yellow team.

Cilvēki nostājušies rindā ar lapām sev priekšā. Uz katras lapas ar lieliem burtiem ir rakstīts viens vārds

The blue team have also got their answer. No single tree in the forest is the same as another, no human in the world is similar to another. /Latvian proverb/

Priekšnesums - trīs cilvēki fonā stāv ar paceltām rokām, viens cenšas nostāties uz galvas, viņu aizmugurē piepasē otrs un trešais visu koordinē

What is the blue team showing?

Cilvēki, t.sk. meitene ratiņkrēslos, sastājušies cieši aplī ar gaisā paceltām rokām

What is the pink team showing?

Cilvēki, nostājušies pusapllī, ar rokām paceltām gar sāniem

What should Paula do??

Latvijas Nacionālās biliotēkas pārstāvis uzrunā klātesošos

When the teams have completed their tasks, Latvian National Library’s head of public relations Augusts Zilberts expresses joy about the main task of today – coming together. Latvian National Library is a sponsor of the campaign “Human, not Diagnosis.”

Filmēšanas brigāde intervē sievieti

The event is not over yet. Now the participants must again give interviews to the camera crew. The organizers of the campaign want to know what it would be like if we were all judged by our…. find out what in the video.

 

Tiek filmēts un fotogrāfēts Gatis Eglītis

Press briefing after the cooperation masterclass/game has brought together many media representatives. Gatis Eglītis, Welfare Minister, is addressing the audience.

Gatis Eglītis ar LĪgu Āboliņu sēž konferencē

Welfare Ministry’s deputy head of the Secretary, Līga Āboliņa, talks about the most important aspect in the deinstitutionalization process – the person: “There is a human alongside service and infrastructure development, both the consumer of the society-based service and everyone else. We are supportive in words and we stand for an inclusive society and the rights of vulnerable groups, but we rage against a group apartment being built next to ours. This is the question on our society’s readiness to accept the different.”

Ieva Dreifelde ar Ievu Leimani sēž konferencē

Psychologist, supervisor and campaign’s expert on society’s attitude toward children with functional impairments, Ilze Dreifelde, mentions the conflicting emotions we experience when meeting children who look and behave differently. Ieva Leimane-Veldmeijere, head of the resources center for people with mental disabilities “Zelda”, says that the society’s attitude toward people with mental disabilities is far from what it should be.

TV ekrāns kurā redzama Ārija Martukāne

The campaign’s expert on issues regarding children left without parental guardianship, Ārija Martukāne, speaks about the role of foster families in the mental development of the society.

Text "The only thing that matters is who we are. See a human, not a diagnosis"

 

Back to section ‘People among us’

 

This campaign is organized with the financial support of the European Social Fund.