The conference will bring together 150 participants including many representatives of MHID's user led partner organisations across Eastern Europe and Central Asia to work together to share knowledge and learning on innovative practice from the community level.

The conference will have a significant focus on employment issues and how local people can deliver real jobs and real pay for service users and their families. Case studies and examples will be drawn from projects around the world including micro-credit schemes, user led employment projects, social entrepreneurship and local business initiatives.

Facilitators and key note speakers will include a mix of service users and international representatives from the fields of mental health, international development and community activism.

The first information flyer will be published in September and the conference brochure and call for papers will be available from November 2006.

MHID is working in partnership with the UK charity Kerala Partnership and the Keralan NGO MGM Charitable Trust to deliver the conference.