A world-wide autism "congress"?

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Autisits of the world - unite?

Just thinking about it - after the internet got us so far, shouldn't we take it to the next level?

It's very basic what I'm saying right now - I've explained a bit further in my local community for start, and even there, there is more to be explained.

But the principal points:
1. Each autistic person has some community to join, at least a virtual one.
2. This community is free to all autistic people, as well as to NT people who want to listen.
3. If this community takes action, it's democratic, everyone can vote, and express their opinion. If it does decide on an action, it clarifies that it's not in the name of EVERY member, but of the MAJORITY - there's a difference...
4. Of course I'm not intending any actions such as "kidnap someone from Autism Speaks", if it isn't obvious - our weapon is knowledge, in order to fight ignorance! We shall win with our brains, not with physical power.
5. Later on, each community can join a larger local community, or directly a universal community.
6. Each democratic polls will be transferred to the universal community, with the exact numbers. So, it's not like Israel has 1 point, and Spain has 5 - we count all the votes together.
7. Everything is transparent, as we can count on each other. Everything is published online, and we are free to protest - if not in our community, than in the world community forums (WP?), and everything will be checked.

I'm not talking about a political party - as we all care about other issues, and don't want to lose our voices on this very important issue.
I brought it up as a topic in my local community, and I want to see how we can get it further from there. If people will believe in the idea there, I will reveal a bit more of my plan, to more specific details, which you can debate yourselves, of course.

But so far - in general - any opinions?

Oh, and important disclaimer: If you see some fallacy, please don't say "it won't work because your point about X is wrong" - correct it! If you see a specific problem, bring it up.

It's a novel idea, but...

How do you make sure that everyone who joins is a legit autist?

Also, you would have major security issues. Such a site would present a large target for DOS attacks and hacking. Remember, if you can gain access in any way, you can change votes. This is the reason fully electronic ballots are not used in the US. Prototypes have been tested by white hats, who got into the system and altered thousands of votes in seconds. There's just no way to sufficiently nail it down.

Short of that... it sounds like WP.

Yes, let's do it. But how do we start? What do we need? How can we help? At the moment I am working on a similar project for the UK. The plan is to then get something similar in as many other countries as possible- a bottom up approach. This could be part of a pincer movement linking to a top down project. Our approach involves one growing UK wide organisation called ARM UK that is Autism run and a growing network of associated local autistic organisations that are more flexible. Voting is currently ofline due to security concerns. Perhaps we need to set up an international autistic organisation called something like IAM- International Autistic Movement with this explicit aim and then work to involve as many groups and individuals as possible...

That's a good question. First of all, I want to know if people are interested in it in the first place.
As Noam Chomsky said about anarchism - he doesn't have an automatic solution for everything. We have to see how things go, and then decide.

As for my local community - I was "accepted", though it's nothing official, by opening a thread that was moved (due to my request) to the close forum, where only spectrum people have the access. The thread asked if I sound autistic. After many people confirmed me that I definitely describe autistic traits, and after I kept talking, and saw many similarities between myself and another spectrum people, it became clearer and clearer to me. I was afraid I'm "invading" a private area - but the administrators confirmed me that if I think I'm autistic, and want to check it out, there's nothing wrong about it. I share many traits, and respect everyone, so they didn't have any problem. And that's how I diagnosed myself - I'm thinking about getting an official diagnosis, to help some problems I have such as anxiety when I care for someone "too much", but I don't need it - I've read enough, and discussed with enough autistic people, so I know I am.

The point is, in my opinion - if we're interested in this kind of thing, we shouldn't ask ourselves whether it can work, rather how it can work. I think closed private forums may be a decent way for autistic people to describe themselves, and "show" that they are part of us, or at least share enough traits to be considered "a cousin". Otherwise, if someone doesn't wish to talk, but can show a medical diagnosis - that's fine as well, when hopefully in the end he can feel open enough, when he is surrounded by people who don't think he's weird, and insist that he has nothing to be embarassed from, not when talking to us. Of course, he still has the right to remain silent. In addition, we may think of more possible ways to make sure people are autistic - you can add your ideas as well. That's the whole point of this community, letting everyone speak.

The votes should be by community, in my opinion - than sum them up. More secure.

It sounds like WP - but it's not the same as WP is right now. It's more of an organised way. WP is the best thing that happened for autistic people, perhaps - I think that we should use it better. We do use it right now, but if we're more organised, and pay more attention to actions, to local problems, etc, it would be better - in my opinion. For example if one community in some place suffers a problem, we should know that, and try to help. So another difference between what I'm proposing and WP, is that we should have small communities, that form some kind of a federation - which may be represented here in WP, for instance.

If it isn't clear, by the way - no money involved. Only donations, if needed. No membership fees or stuff like that. We're here to help the people who can't make a decent living, among other goals. I wouldn't be fair to count anyone out. We should have a sense of brotherhood - because we have the same difficulties and the same goal, and for myself it's because I favour fights for human rights. I also feel brotherly love towards non-autistic people, just to make it clear.

I do favour the bottoms up approach - if my friends and I start something in Israel, and another one starts something in Greece, for example, we should consult each other, and inform about our actions/decision. "Action" is also publishing an article, for instance - say that every member publishes a link to an article about what autism really is. The article should be voted as appropriate or not appropriate, and other members have the right to propose changes, which we shall discuss together. In the end, after we have enough communities like this, we can join together to an international one. That's my vision.

Remember - we don't have the threat of "dictatorship" or corruption, as long as we keep living with our NT families and environment, and this community isn't a place to physically live in, and as long as we are loyal to ideas such as free membership.

That would be very interesting. It sounds very good in theory, but I'm not sure how good it would be in practice. As Aspera said, it would be targeted. Remember, we have some powerful adversaries. Remember when Cure Autism Now shut down the satirical website Cure Neurotypicals Now? These people are not afraid of lawsuits. Not to mention griefers and crackers on 4Chan. I think Anonymous has made it clear on Encyclopedia Dramatica that they don't like Aspies. There is also the concern of infiltration by neurotypical supremacist organizations in order to subvert the organization. It's a novel idea but there needs to be some mechanisms to prevent attacks.

So far, only 9 comments - but all in favour, at least in theory. That's good.

There has to be some mechanism, you're right. The question is how. I'm sure that someone can offer ideas.

However, I would like to quote what you said - "These people are not afraid of lawsuits".
As that RATM song goes, "they don't gotta burn the books, they just remove 'em".
That's what gives me even more confidence in the idea - we're fighting to spread knowledge.
Therefor I'm also personally against anti-NT websites etc., unless it's satirical and says clearly "that's how we feel when you talk about us", for example, and that we don't hate non-autistic people.

I just think we have to follow 2 major guidelines:
1. No demagogy, no lies, no ill propaganda. Just the truth, as we believe in it.
2. We need to get attention. Even local papers, for start, if there is some protest. Or post it on Facebook, let's say.

We just have to remember that we're fighting for tolerance, acceptance, humanity and truth.
The defence mechanism is a good question - anyone has an idea?

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network already has 14 chapters across the US, as well as one chapter in Australia. In addition, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network works in cooperation with Autism Network International, with the London Autistic Rights Movement, with the Autistic Community of Israel and with other autistic self-advocacy organizations across the world.
The Autreach project aims to serve as an umbrella organization for autistic self-advocacy organizations from all over Europe. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network cooperates with Autreach as well.

A world-wide network of autistic self-advocacy organizations is a good idea, but it seems that such a network already exists... (not formally, but in practice).

There should be an Autistic nation with its own culture, like autistic people aren't members of the NT society they are born in but are part of a different society with its own culture, schools, places etc.

I think thats what it would be like in the future.

Eventually we will have a physical nation somewhere too.

They say anythings possible if you mix a bit of creativity with practical knowledge.

I'm not against those organisations as the means of my own goal.

I'm indeed interested in them, and as we're both Israelis I'll guess we'll get to meet in person at some point

Sure.
You know where to find us: Second Thursday of every month, 6pm, at Beit Issie Shapira, in Ra'anana.

"What are the marks of a sick culture?

It is a bad sign when the people of a country stop identifying themselves with the country and start identifying with a group. A racial group. Or a religion. Or a language. Anything, as long as it isn't the whole population.

A very bad sign. Particularism."

-Robert Heinlein

"The Autistic Self Advocacy Network already has 14 chapters across the US, as well as one chapter in Australia. In addition, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network works in cooperation with Autism Network International, with the London Autistic Rights Movement"

The ARM UK I mentioned earlier is approximately what the London ARM is evolving into. So this project really is underway but is still gaining momentum. What we are doing with the ARMUK is more than just an Internet forum, we are involving ourself with the local authorities and national government and negotiating positions where we can inform policy etc. We are also developing strategies such as advocacy and sharing what we learn throughout the whole network. I would like to see this for an international movement, a synchronised collaberative project with a standard template that can be applied in a given region so we start to get fractal self similarity as we embed ourselves into local communities.