European Conference
Over the last 30 or 40 years, leaders in the disability rights movement have become well aware of disability in the frame of Human Rights. With the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first human rights document of the 21st century, the entire world has finally become aware that part of its population does not have any access to their fundamental rights as human beings. Society has taken a long time to recognise and it will take yet more time to implement the changes that are needed. We, disabled people, will persevere and we will be pragmatic. We will continue to articulate our needs and rights and we will ensure that all disabled people will have the freedom to enjoy their rights.
More than an obligation, living with disabled people is also a resource and not only an obligation, and we know that by accommodating disabled people society as a whole benefits. When we are included, we disabled people became more differently able and can be resources more than charges. Inclusion is better for everybody, solutions for us are facilitating efficiency of everybody and our creativity empowers the society.
The implementation of the CRPD is a great opportunity for the society at all, and knowing that "living together is based on doing together"([1]) the best way to learn how to live with each other is to establish partnerships on an equal basis.
DPI Europe has the ambition to start to define the principles and the rules of these partnerships.
In DPI, we believe that the people who represent disabled people must be disabled people themselves and not others. We believe this because as disabled people our life experience has shown us that self-representation is the only way forward.
It is the time to make our slogan nothing about us without us" a reality in all spheres of life. We must ensure that today’s concept of "participation" becomes a reality tomorrow.
In the negotiations for the UN Convention, the participation of disabled people was central. In all the negotiations disabled people were accepted at full partners. We now have the opportunity to turn all the nice words into actions. Let us see positives instead of negatives. Come with us on this great journey of the last great Civil Rights Movement.
[1] Philippe Mérieux, Professor of the University on Sciences of Education, http://www.meirieu.com/BIOGRAPHIE/biographie.htm
The UN Convention needs the participation of the disabled people to be implemented and all states have a direct interest to support our participation,
§ The solutions which permit our participation are facilitations for everybody
§ Building an environment which makes disabled people able is an empowerment of everybody,
§ Disabled people have the experience of living with the crisis and they found a lot of solutions to overcome it,
§ Living with disabled people is a school of tolerance and mutual respect.
9h30 -12h30:
Making Human Rights accessible for all.
(Plenary session)
Welcoming by Lajos Hegedus & Officials
Opening by Wilfredo Guzman, DPI Chairperson
Orientation speech: J-L Simon: “Knowledge & experience, the human resources of change”
Round table one: Educate: Understanding and Learning Human Rights
Moderator: Gerald Quinn, (TBC) Centre for Disability Law & Policy, Galway University, Ireland
Round table two: Implement: Building and testing inclusive solutions
14h30 - 18h00
Witch partnerships? Rules and Principles
(Workshops)
§ Workshop one: “Biomedicine and the CRPD”
§ Workshop two: "Development and the CRPD"
§ Workshop Tree: “Psychiatry and the CRPD”
16h00 - 17h30
§ Workshop Four: “Fighting Multiple discrimination”
§ Workshop Five: “Shadow report: what does it mean and how is it done?”.
§ Workshop Six: “Inclusive Education”
17h30 – 18h00
§ Conclusion of the workshops & Final statements