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14 September 2007 |
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More than 2,500 people with and without disabilities from more than 71 countries met in South Korea 5-8 September 2007. DPI is pleased to announce the following elections to the Executive Committee: - Wilfredo Guzman, Peru (Chairperson) DPI’s World Assembly in Korea has ended. Delegates have said their goodbyes, packed their luggage and returned to their homes. We don’t want to forget the camaraderie, opportunities for dialog, and what we have learnt from one another. We look forward, therefore, to sharing with you some of the papers presented by our colleagues on issues related to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in our upcoming Proceedings. We would remind those who presented to forward copies of their papers in English to Dr. Cassandra Phillips at info@dpi.org. We also appreciate any photos of the event. We invite submissions and more photos for our next issue of Disability International on the theme Indigenous Peoples with disabilities. If you attended the World Assembly, describe your experiences networking with other Indigenous groups. If not, then we still want your stories, your thoughts and ideas. Please mail contributions, plus photos, by 1 November, 2007 to Cassandra at info@dpi.org. Let’s make this a memorable issue. On a sober note, once again, around the world this week are reports to support the abuse of vulnerable populations. Disability and Human Rights The results of a 2006 Survey of persons with disabilities have just been released in a report titled “The Forgotten Tribe: People with Disabilities in Zimbabwe.” According to an article written in Progresso by Tsitsi Choruma, “government and civil society are failing to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The myths and misinformation about disability still prevalent in Zimbabwean society and culture mean that discriminatory attitudes are still commonplace.” The report includes the opinions of persons with disabilities re policy change. For full report please go to http://www.ciir.org/progressio/s/basket/93639/the_forgotten_tribe__people_with_disabilities_in_z/ (or http://tinyurl.com/2awurp ) Abuse in Private Nursing Homes Many people with disabilities are placed in long-term care facilities where they are isolated, alone, and subject to abuse. Of relevance, therefore, is the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ 18th Report, which documents the systemic widespread abuse of people, particularly the elderly, in private care homes. Earlier this year the House of Lords (United Kingdom) ruled that people in private care homes are not covered by sections of the Human Rights Act. The rights of the most vulnerable are not being protected. Governments need to be made accountable. To read the full report, please go to http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200607/jtselect/jtrights/156/15603.htm Conferences With the generous support of Irish Aid, African women with disabilities from thirteen countries will gather in Malawi on 11 September 11 for 5 days of discussion and strategizing to ensure the voice of African women with disabilities is heard in the work of the African Decade. The agenda was developed by African women with disabilities who anticipate resolutions on a number of the many issues, including education, employment, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive rights. The conference was organized jointly by Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA), DPI HQ and the South African Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) and will be chaired by Rachel Kachaje. A report of the conference will be available at a later date. Setting an Example on Youth Participation at a Youth Conference 78 young people with disabilities from 29 European countries will gather in Lisbon for a two-day Youth Conference on Education 16-17 September, 2007. On day one, youth will discuss their educational needs; on day two they will present their findings to the Portuguese Parliament (Assembleia da Republica, Palacio de S. Bento, 1249-068 Lisboa). For information and to register, contact European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education at brussels.office@european-agency.org or |
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