Calling All Advocates

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May we use the United Nations as our model?
Many of the United Nation's member states have *nothing* in common, except for their *statehood*.
We could establish a formal "Global Autistic Community" (if you have a nicer term, please suggest it) and invite autistic-run organisations from all over the world to become our members.
The only criteria they will have to meet is that they are autistic-run organisations, nothing more!

For example, we could invite: ANI, ASAN, WP, AFF, LARM, GRASP, AASCEND, APANA, SATEDI, WAA, autistics org, Organiserade Autister, Aspies eV, Aspergia eV, PASS-partout, PAS Nederland, Autism Rights Group Highland, Suomen Aspergeryhdistys, ACI, etc.
(as long as they have english speaking representatives)

Do you like this idea?

To Heta: You said "just to name a few". Could you please list each and every autistic-run organisation you are aware of? I would like to invite all of them to join the Global Autistic Community. They will not be asked to cooperate with one another. They will merely be invited to form a circle together.

I don't think Aspies for Freedom is at all significant. They have a very small population, and what, exactly, do they really DO? WP provides the largest online community for those on the spectrum, and ASAN does political advocacy. AFF just gets mentioned in articles occassionally, although it really should be Alex and Ari since they are both leaders in thier respective areas. I'm never heard of LARM. There are lots of regional organizations and this seems like one of them. The fact that its located in London in inconsequential.

Here you demonstrate one obstacle to the kind of approach you suggest, that of just inviting everyone to form a circle.

You would have to decide who to invite. You would have to decide what to call that circle. Could an organisation of "people with autism" be invited, and would they feel comfortable in an "autistic community", as opposed to a community of people with autism? What do you actually know about the reasons behind the choice of words on the WAA website?

Personally, I would hazard this guess: The website and their other materials have been written by people whose first language is German, and who are not entirely fluent in English. They have also been busy with the issues typical of their local societies, and have never given much thought to the whole first-person language issue, if it has even crossed their minds that it might be in some way significant. However, they aren't the least bit less positive in their views regarding autism than aynone here.

I can venture this guess because I've had some long discussions with two key figures of WAA, and I think I understand a little bit about their situations. This kind of correspondence with various people has made me cautious. I would not rush out and invite everyone into something; for one thing I believe many organisations would not take such an invitation seriously. And there would be further selection problems - some groups of people aact like organisations but aren't "official"; some organisations are registered and well organised but don't do a lot; some are half NT, half autistic, and the autistic ones really want it that way. Who's to decide what is good and acceptable? I'd be all for collecting more information though, in a systematic way. The ASAN and Autreach networks for example would be in a good position to do this. Just asking people what their organisation stands for wouldn't offend anyone. Then it might be possible to see what we could have, whether it could be called community, network or circle.

An organisation of "people with autism" could definitely be invited.
Why are you asking *me* if they would feel comfortable? Ask *them*.
They are invited as well.
They are invited as well.
They are invited as well.

Just rhetorical questions. I would love to present the same questions to all the organisations, but personally, as a mother of two just barely scraping by with a small business, I don't have the time or resources. I sincerely hope that energetic young people will take this up. ASAN or Autreach could also do it with a lot more credibility than I could. And along with others, I would be willing to put in as much effort as I can afford.

You are absolutely right. I will suggest this to ASAN's and Autreach's memberships.

I sort of did already with Autreach, but it didn't catch on. Maybe I suggested something too complicated. Sending a few simple questions by email might be enough.

I you provide me a list of autistic-run organisations, I will contact all of them and introduce them to Autreach, to ASAN and to one another.

After over five years since the last posts in this discussion 'Calling All Advocates' - it's time to reclaim that important topic of advocacy esp. as it relates to the very resources helpful towards Aspergers adults boosting independent living.

The LINK 'On Independence' discusses the need to reassess the notions of independence itself e.g, why has there been too little focused discussions on independence (in a nutshell so to speak)?

It might very well be best to address independence by encouraging agencies i.e., AASCEND.net, GRASP.org, various Aspergers society/Autism Society agencies, and even trustworthy people experienced with advcacy to develop an active presence on WrongPlanet.net.

In short, bringing entities (with face-to-face experience with advocacy) "into the loop" provides those concrete and tangible examples; hence bringing that "gravitas" (for lack of a better word) toward reassessing and boosting independence esp. in the views of Asperger adult families.

Further details in LINK 'On Independence' http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt224393.html

Thank-you