Speakers

ELLISHA OTHMAN Clinical Psychologist & Managing Director, SOLS Health(Malaysia) Session: • Day 1: Mental Health NGOs: The Power of Advocacy Ellisha is a Clinical Psychologist at SOLS Health, a community-based behavioral health centre. Prior to her career in psychology, she pursued a career in the area of corporate finance. Currently as the Managing Director of …

DR. ANG KIM TENG Hon. Secretary General, Malaysian Mental Health Association (Malaysia) Session: • Day 1: Mental Health NGOs: The Power of Advocacy Dr. Ang Kim Teng obtained her medical degree from the University of Malaya in 1977 and Masters in Public Health from the same university in 1981. A medical doctor and public health …

VISHALATCHI A/P ARUNAGIRI Author, Mental Health Advocate (Malaysia) Session: • Day 1: Journey to Recovery: The Power to Persevere (forum) Vishalatchi Arunagiri (Visha) has been on the journey of Schizophrenia for the past eight years. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 19 years old and although she still struggles with the illness today, …

DR. MONTHIAN BUNTAN Senator, and Member of the UN Expert Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Thailand) Session: • Day 2: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) Dr. Monthian Buntan has served as a Senator of the Upper House of the Royal Thai Parliament since 2008. He is also an …

MATRIKA DEVKOTA Mental health advocate; Founder of Koshish Nepal (Nepal) Sessions: • Day 2: Challenges of CRPD Compliance in Community Service Mr. Matrika Prasad Devkota started experiencing psychosocial issues when he was 15, but it wasn’t till ten years later that he got with a psychosocial support.   After his recovery, Mr. Devkota realized that …

DR. AHMED HANKIR Physician, Senior Research Fellow and Author of “The Wounded Healer” (UK) Session: • Day 1: Stigma Amongst Mental Healthcare Professionals I would describe myself as a proud British Muslim, survivor of psychological trauma/torture, mental health campaigner, researcher and physician working for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. I have an …

JHILMIL BRECKENRIDGE Poet, Writer, and Founder of Bhor Foundation (UK) Sessions: • Day 2: From Lived Experience to Advocacy (forum) • Day 2: Experience & Recovery Jhilmil Breckenridge is a poet, writer and activist. She is the founder of Bhor Foundation, an Indian charity, which is active in mental health advocacy, the trauma informed approach, …

KAVITA SAJU NAIR Trustee & Consultant, Bapu Trust (India) Session: • Day 1: The Paradigm Shift from the Medical to the Social Model Kavita is currently working as an Art-based-therapistand project leader with the BAPU Trust, Pune. She is also pursuing ABT Educators Program with the WCCLF, Pune. She oversees the therapeutic groups in the community, …

BHARGAVI DAVAR President, TCI Asia Pacific (India) Sessions: • Day 1: Zero Coercion on Mental Health • Day 2: From Lived Experience to Advocacy (forum) Bhargavi V Davar is a childhood survivor of the Indian mental asylums, being exposed to a variety of them for years in early childhood. Compelled by those early enduring trauma …

USTAZ MOHD. NOOR DEROS Independent preacher, Spiritual healer, Vice President 2 of MIASA (Malaysia) Sessions: • Day 1: The Journey to Recovery (forum) • Day 1: Islam / Spirituality and Mental Health. Ustaz Mohammed Noor is a graduate from Madrasah Al-Junied Al-Islamiah (1991-2003) in Singapore and the University of Al-Azhar, Faculty of Usuluddin, specializing in …