This Thursday, the Plaza of Their Majesties the Kings of Spain in Benidorm hosted the official commemorative event for World Mental Health Day, an event in which nearly 200 people participated and which was chaired by the acting mayor, Ana Pellicer, who was accompanied by the Councilor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, and numerous members of the Municipal Corporation.
The commemoration began with the placement of a commemorative banner on the façade of the City Hall in the presence of the participants, who then moved inside the municipal Assembly Hall, where the official reading of the manifesto and other events took place. actions, organized by the Association of Relatives and People with Mental Illness of the Marina Baixa (AFEM).
Heriberto Morales, poet and collaborator of AFEM, has been once again the person in charge of reading this manifesto, which he has recited in verse and where he has demanded, among other things, “support”, “protection”, “understanding” and “help ” for people with mental illness. “Now that we are aware of the damage. And experience makes us better. Let’s spread the nets to cushion the impact. Bridges of kindness, empathy,” he stated in his manifesto.
After him, Pompe Muro, the president of AFEM, took the floor, who has focused on demanding two things for people with a mental health problem or illness: on the one hand, more support from public administrations; on the other, supervised housing where those affected can develop their lives with the greatest possible autonomy.
The event continued with the testimony of Hugo Poblet Sánchez, an AFEM user, who recounted the stigma that people diagnosed with a mental illness still endure in their daily lives; and it also had Teresa Martinic as presenter and a performance by Vitto Ostinato, who paid tribute to Julio Iglesias.
This afternoon, at 8 p.m., also in the City Hall Assembly Hall there will be a theatrical performance by the ACB Theater Group, which under the direction of Manuel Palazón will perform the ‘Entremeses del Siglo de Oro’. The entrance to the work will have a donation of 5 euros, the entire proceeds of which will go to benefit AFEM.
