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March 31, 2009

Report on Nyunt Nyunt san-Myanmar

Vocational Training School for Adult Disabled was established in 1978. And it is located in Yangon and supervised by Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

The school provides various types of trainings such as electronic engineering（TV, radio repairing）、tailoring、silk screen printing、photography、hair dressing、and basic computer skill.
The trainees can receive these trainings for free include accommodation, and meal. 50% transportation expenses are covered for those who commute from their house.
Most of trainers have disabilities, and some of them are the graduates of this school.

Ms. Nyunt Nyunt Win, a former participant of Leadership Development Course 2000 works as Deputy Principal of the school now. And she's been making untiring efforts to improve the contents of training programs by using advanced technology such as digital camera or new PC software and so on.

Posted by jicafriends at 02:23 PM | Comments (3)

March 30, 2009

Good news from Shalika-Sri Lanka

Dear jicafriends,

The Sri Lanka Council for the Blind has been able to persuade the Ministry of Public Administration of Sri Lanka to remove clauses detrimental to PWDs in gazette notifications and ammend the scheme of recruitment. Furthermore, it has been decided that the Department of Labour Relations and Manpower Development will take over the responsibility of placing PWDs in jobs from the Ministry of Social Service and Social Welfare. This is good news for all PWDs in Sri Lanka. Now PWDs with the requisite qualitications will get the opportunity to get equal opportunity in getting a job. PWDs with no educational or professional qualifications will be trained and placed in jobs. The special ID for PWDs is also being processed these days and we hope it will become a reality soon.

Shalika

Posted by jicafriends at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2009

Report form Kugan-Sri Lanka

We also received a progress report from Mr. Jayakugan, a former participant of Leadership Development Course 2008.

Please refer to the following page.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/projects/asiaandpacific/srilanka/008jayakugan/index.html

The secretariat of jicafriends

Posted by jicafriends at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)

March 25, 2009

Report from Miiro-Uganda

THE JICA/JSRPD PROGRESS REPORT; 13th,DECEMBER’08 - 13th, MARCH’09

INTRODUCATION:
Today, 13th, March 2009, marks it the 3rd month since I completed Leadership Development for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, together with other eight participants. At the end of the course, I developed a project proposal entitled “ENABLE ME WORK TO LIVE INDEPENDENT”, which is to be implemented in Masaka District. I am sorry to report at this moment, that I have not yet raised the required funds to implement this project, but I am still searching for the funds.

In these three (3) months, I have been able to do the following based on the knowledge acquired from the course.

ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED.
1. Detailed report training on the Leadership Development for Persons’with Disability was made and shared to all stakeholders. The report also included 4 detailed recommendations like Disability
Track System (Disability ID), Employment Quota System for Persons with Disability, Promotion of Measures for Persons with Disabilities and Main streaming the Disabled persons Organizations
2. I have organized 4 dissemination meetings with the Disabled persons’ organization, which included Masaka District Union of Persons’ with Disabilities (MADIPU), Masaka District Association of the blind (MADIAB), Masaka District Association of Parents of children with disabilities and Kingo Parents of children with disabilities. These meetings were meant to share knowledge and experience that I learnt from Japan and also make them re-organize them selves as the Japanese disabled organization.
3. I received a wheelchair from JSRPD and I am happy to report that this wheel chair was donated to Mugenyi Ronald, a young boy (16 years) with hydrocephalus and physical impaired, in the presence of his father called Mr. Kigganda Moses of Mirambi LC1, Mirambi parish, Kibenge Subcounty, Masaka District.
4. Also I lobbied the Masaka Rotary Club, which donated 90 wheel chair, 6 Wheelchair from Send A cow and Hon. Namagwa S. Mugerwa who donated 30 wheelchairs to the PWDs in the district
5. I have also written to the entire sub county authorities in Masaka District to include PWDs in their planning activities for the financial year 2009/2010. As in most cases PWDs are left out in the planning processes hence not addressing their needs.
6. To address the issues of HIV/AIDS among the PWDs, I have been able to;
 Give out 3000 condoms to PWDs from Kisseka Subcounty, Kyanamukaka Subcounty and Katwe/Butego Divisions. This was possible with support from the District Health Department.
 Organize radio talk show on HIV/AIDS prevention among PWDs. This was made possible by asistance from NUDIPU
 TASO and NUDIPU have also trained disabled persons in Masaka, in basic HIV/AIDS counseling so that they too can be master trainers to PWDs in the District
 Civil Society Fund (CSF)/Global Fund approved the project proposal on HIV/AIDS prevention among PWDs in Lwengo Sub county and Kimanya/Kyabakuza Division. I personally wrote this proposal on behalf of MADIPU and I am happy to report that the activities have kicked off.
7. Lastly, I have written to the Chair person of the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities in the Parliament of Uganda on the issue of supporting the Disability Identity Card

CHALLENGES TO PWDs:
a) I had lost my baggage, which included a bag containing all my documents and files had in Japan and my wheelchair. However after a month I got them back having worked well the Kenya Airways. But this also hindered me, in some way or the other.
b) I have not started on my project and still feeling disappointed. As the project is to address the issue of unemployment and promotion of vocational training among PWDs, which if employed, they
would fight poverty among them selves.
c) Many persons with disability especially the learning difficulties, deaf, blind and deafblind are still highly discriminated in the villages and urgently need proper identification (ID)
d) The Education of the PWDs is very low especially the blind in the only blind primary school (SPEED) in the district, which doesn’t have the necessary Braille materials, reading and sports
equipments. Worse still the parents are poor to take them to Iganga or Soroti District which have well equipped schools
e) Access the rural areas where the PWDs are the majority, is also a hindrance to the project.
f) Inadequate access to rehabilitation services especially in the rural areas.

CONCLUSION:
In a conclusion, I still have hope that the government or a donor will support my project, which will later spread to the rest of the country for the good of PWDs in Uganda.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/projects/africa/uganda/001miiro/index.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:45 PM | Comments (1)

March 24, 2009

Braille Without Borders - India

The following information was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.

The International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs is a not-for-profit educational training center for blind and partially sighted adults who have a desire to foster social change in their communities and throughout the world. Located in Kerala, India, this eleven-month training course founded by Braille Without Borders offers full scholarships and transport to qualified, motivated candidates.
The course covers business management, communication, project and financial planning, open source computer technology, English, public speaking, and fund-raising, among other subjects.

The institute is now accepting applications for the course beginning January, 2010. In order to ensure that we reach as wide a pool of potential candidates as possible, please refer to the following information.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Do you experience social discrimination?
Is it your dream to change and improve the situation?
If yes, the International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE) is the right place to be. The IISE seeks to empower people, especially blind and partially sighted, to become social entrepreneurs in your communities.
Candidates from all over the world who are at least eighteen and older and who can read and write English are invited to apply for this one-year program before the 30th of June.
Computer literacy training, public speaking, fund raising, and management are some of the courses offered here.
For more information please visit our website at http://www.bwb-iise.org/ You can also write to BrailleWB@gmx.net or per regular post to:

Braille Without Borders
International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs c/o P. Kronenberg Vivekanenda Nagar, Vellayani, Ookode, Nemom PO, TRV 695020 KERALA, INDIA or fax your questions to: Fax 0031848307904

More languages of the above text can be found on our website

Please find below the application form for the 2010 course. If you feel like you are the right one for this training, please copy the questions in a Word or Open Office document, answer them by yourself with the English knowledge you have and send it together with your CV to BrailleWB@gmx.net. Add in Subject: "application" and your full name.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

APPLICATION FORM: 2010 IISE COURSE:

Name
First
Surname
Date of birth
Address
Post code
City/town
Country
Tel
Fax
Email
Gender
Gradation of blindness
Language skills
Education

Please send two letters of recommendation, pererably from a present or former employer, teacher or colleague which include their contact details.

1. Please tell us your reason(s) for applying for the IISE Course in Kerala in no more than 100words.
2. Please tell us more about your rough idea or vision on setting up your own social project or improvingexisting ones? What is your motivation?
3. Where do you plan to set up your project?
4. What target group will benefit?
5. Why do you believe your idea is important? Please give your reasons.
6. How will you achieve your vision?
7. What help will you need?
- what people can help, what resources do you try to find, where would you find funding
8. How long do you think it will take to set up your idea/vision?
9. What is your current profession?
10. Braille and language skills: Do you read, write and speak?
what languages: Local Braille, English grade 1, English grade
2, other languages. Black print, regular print, large print.
11. How do you judge your mobility and orientation skills?
12. Do you use computertechnology? If yes, what are your skills? What programmes do you use?

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

With best regards,

Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg
Founders
Braille Without Borders

Contact details project Kerala:
E-mail: BrailleWB@gmx.net

Posted by jicafriends at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2009

Report from Fabio - colombia

Hello Japanese friends and friends from Japan!

I hope all of you are doing well and having a healthy and rewarding life.

It's been more than a month studying here in Washington DC, (one of the main centers of power and decisions in the world) at Georgetown University. A great and exiting opportunity to share and learn with young leaders from all Iberoamerica, thirteen (13) countries have representatives: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Colombia. Total: 35 participants.

Being the first PWD (Person with a disability) participating in this Leadership for Global Competitiveness Course is very challenging but a great opportunity at the same time; because we (PWDs) need to “conquer” new spaces every day and show our potential wherever we are.
Sometimes I feel that working too much on projects for PWDs let us, somehow and in some situations, isolated from the rest of the world, and I think that one of the most important every-day goals we have as leaders of PWDs is to integrate our lifes, projects and organizations successfully in the common world. Not to be just another one but giving our best to set outstanding standards to follow.

To be here, enjoying this integral scholarship in one of the top-level Universities in U.S., I had to compete at national level in my country: Colombia, against near 1500 candidates with very good backgrounds; “Real Leaders” as stated in the media by Grupo Ardila Lulle, the business holding that promotes this initiative in Colombia. I don’t know if there were other PWDs competing but, of course, I’m very happy to be one of the lucky four winners. It was the same challenging process for all my colleagues going through several contest stages in their countries.
Luckily there are many other outstanding PWDs in Colombia (including some other JICA ex-participants), but the important thing here is to be present in those relevant scenarios that assure our strength and our presence in the “main stages”. Today and in the future.

Of course I’ve had some problems but rather than complications I prefer to face them as challenges: it’s a hilly city and elevators are not easy to find when moving around the University (just like Japan: “erebeta doko desu ka?...”), I had to ask for some special arrangements in my room and, in many ways, finding my way to be a daily wheelchair student in campus (ask for keys of private elevators, to fill out specific forms to get a special card for Metro or finding different and more effective routes to get to the hotel, which is located in one hill, not so nice for wheelchair users … except when looking for strong arm training.
Some of you may already know how this “group interaction” works, on first weeks everybody is absolutely friendly, everybody is offering to help you (wheelchair and accessibility issues) in many ways, even those you don’t need. And that’s OK.
But sooner or later everyone gets into their own business without much time to loose. So, at the end it’s only you making things on your own way and finding creative solutions if problems arise.

I cannot give you details (because I don’t want to frustrate the very interesting experience in case you face this situation in a future training) but, we had an exercise related with the famous “Milgram Experiment”… using a special technique … and guess what?.... I was the only one who made it different… the only one (out of 35 people) getting out from the experiment trap. And I made it through leadership… I’m sure that has a lot to do with what I learned in Japan.

Hey… hey …. hey! … c’mon! … it’s time for you to be on stage. Show us what you got!

Hugs and greetings for everyone!

Fabio Padilla
Colombian Engineer, wheelchair Tennis Player and Inspirational Speaker
JICA Colombia ex-participant from Leadership Development Course - 2006

Posted by jicafriends at 02:01 PM | Comments (1)

Disabled for job help - Fiji

Last year we had a participant from the Fiji Vocational Technical Training Centre for Persons with Disability and today I found the news about the center in the mailing list of "Disability and Development."

5-Mar-2009 08:51 AM

THE Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons (FNCDP) has urged interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to assist people with disabilities to enter the workforce.

The council made the plea when Bainimarama visited the Fiji Vocational Technical Training Centre for Persons with Disability on Tuesday.

Fiji Disabled Peoples Association president Akuila Rewatabua said they were fortunate to have a visit from the PM and informed him of what the centre offered for people living with disabilities.

Rewatabua informed Bainimarama of the difficulties the council faced such as the employment and absorption of disabled persons into the workforce and the ability to recruit specialised teachers to teach students living with disabilities.

“I sincerely request if the policy of employing people with disability who are qualified is taken up. From the workforce, two percent should be given job opportunities for people with disability,” he said.

Rewatabua said they needed qualified teachers to come and teach our students, however the education system was not favourable to them.

“It is very difficult to get qualified teachers to provide vocational training and our special schools have been graded similar to the ordinary schools in Fiji – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.”

“One teacher has to teach about 30 children but with us it is different as we need more teachers to cater for quality learning process of the students with disabilities,” Rewatabua said.

Bainimarama said his visit had been helpful in giving him an insight of the activities offered and learnt more about people living with disabilities.

http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=2&fijidailynews=22358

Posted by jicafriends at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

Vanuatu to host Pacific Disability Conference

We found the name of Mr.Setareki Macanawai, a former participant of Leaders' Course 1999 in the mailing list of "Disability and Development" which is published Mr. Soya Mori.

08 March, 2009 12:00Author: Florence Kuali-IautuVanuatu Daily Post

Vanuatu will be the host nation to this year's Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) Conference to be held in April where more than 100 participants around the Pacific and Asia will attend.

The conference, which is scheduled from April 20 to 23, will include three meetings - the Pacific Regional Forum on women with disabilities, Disability conference and workshop and lastly the PDF general and council meeting for PDF members.

The Chief Executive Officer to the PDF Setareki Macanawai confirmed the meeting this week to Daily Post when he was in the country inpreparing for the big meeting.

Mr Macanawai during his visit also met with the Prime Minister Edward Natapei to discuss the conference. The conference will be hosted by Vanuatu's Disability Promotion and Advocacy Association (DPA) headed by Andy Lynch as the countrycoordinator.

Mr Macanawai said the theme for the conference is 'Advancing in disability in the Pacific Island Countries'. According to the PDF CEO, Vanuatu was selected to be the host nationduring the organisation's last meeting in 2007. "This year's conference in Port Vila will be very rewarding for our participants because they will have the chance to learn and share ideas from our counter parts here as the only Pacific nation to ratify the Convention on the rights of people living with disabilities," he said. He said the main issues that will be discussed during the conference are the issues on women with disabilities and the promotion of the new United Nations' Convention, which Vanuatu ratified. "We will be promoting the new convention on disability and will encourage governments to ratify it," he said. During his short visit to the country this week, Mr Macanawai together with the members of DPA inspected possible venues for the conference and seeking government's support towards next month's conference.

Participants to the four-day regional conference are expected toarrive on April 19 and will return home on April 24 2009.

http://www.dailypost.vu/index.php?news=3924&VivvoSessionId=6be09d949b4fddfa097b
photo caption: Mr Macanawai and DPA's national coordinator Andy Lynch and a DPA member during their meeting this week in Port Vila

Posted by jicafriends at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2009

Report on CDSHOD-Mr. Asadullo Zikrikhudoev from Tajikistan

CDSHOD was held in Kirghizstan last October. Mr. Zikrikhudoev had an opportunity to attend the regional seminar as an representative of Tajikistan and sent us the following report.

Report of the regional seminar of developing of potential
organization of self-help of Persons with Disabilities (CDSHOD) and legal way to solve the problem of disability in Central Asia countries.
Bishkek, 2008 October 21-24.

In August 2008 representatives of JICA and APCD were on a visit in Dushanbe for getting information about the activity of disabled people movement in Tajikistan. There was a meeting of representatives of Organization of visually impaired, deaf and physical impaired persons and disabled women. In course of the discussion representatives of JICA and APCD decided to invite representatives of our organization (Society of Disabled persons of Dushanbe), Society of Blind and Women's league to take part in the CDSHOD seminar, holding in Bishkek in Akke-Me Hotel. There were participants from different countries such as Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. There also took an active part representative of international organizations and government of republic of Kirghizstan. This seminar was supported by Ministry of Labor and Social Development of Kirghiz Republic, JICA, APCD, UN ESCAP.
During 4 days we managed to get a lot of information and know about the activity of our colleagues. There also was a group work where appeared interesting situations. The most interesting was the discussion of the term of "disabled person". There were a lot of questions during the discussion and participants with a great interest discussed how to call the person with disability in our region. But this question was not solved completely. During the seminar there also was discussed a question regarding the legal standard in relation of persons with disabilities. Participants informed us about that situation in their countries. There also was a lot of information of UN CRPD. My presentation was directed on the Convention and also touched the theme "Role of NGOs in accepting the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In my presentation I informed the audience about the history of accepting the Convention and about the activity of NGOs of Tajikistan of the sooner rati fication of the Convention.
Besides daily work representatives of Kirghizstan organized a soirée where participants could discuss different questions. And we also admired singing and dancing of the participants.
Next to the last day there was chosen the Committee of developing of the total document Declaration. The members of this Committee are representatives of Kazakhstan (Lazzat Kaltaeva, Kairat Amanaliev), Kirghizstan (Gulmira Kazakunova), Tajikistan (Asadullo Zikrikhudoev, Kholmakhmad Tengniev), Uzbekistan (Guljamol Mamadkulova) and Turkmenistan (Jannat).
In course of accepting Declaration there occurred a stormly rough discussion and a number of questions. In the final document there was decided to apply to the Heads of State with a request of accepting the UN CRPD, open a resource center of coordination of net of Central Asia Disabled Persons Organizations which will be functioning in Bishkek and also to develop a regional cooperation between Central Asia DPOs. At the end of the seminar the Minister of Labor and Social Development of Kirghiz Republic Ms.Abdullaeva gave all of us certificates.
I think the seminar was very useful and fruitful. For the present time the resource center began its functioning and we exchange the information with our colleagues.

Best regards,
Asadullo Zikrikhudoev.

You can obtain related information from APCD website,
http://www.apcdproject.org/publications/2008/newsletter24/missions.html

Posted by jicafriends at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)

March 09, 2009

Retrenching foreign workers, get back levy in a month-Malaysia

In Japan the actual employment rate for general private companies as of 1 June 2008 was 1.59, a rise of 0.04 percentage points above the previous year, but it has still not reached the level of 1.8% stated by the Law for Employment Promotion etc., of the Disabled.

The following is one of the measures of Malaysian government to promote employment of persons with disabilities. It was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.

PEKAN: The government is dangling millions of ringgit to employers to retrench foreign workers and hire locals instead. Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said in Pekan, Pahang that employers who retrenched their foreign workers would get the balance of the levies that they had paid for the workers within a month, compared with up to two years previously.

"This is some sort of an incentive to the employers to lay off their foreign workers and take in locals," he said.

He said there had been encouraging response from employers. It was reported that the Immigration Department collected about RM2 billion in levies from foreign workers annually. Subramaniam said his ministry would work with the Home Ministry to expedite the reimbursement of the annual levy, which is between RM1,200 and RM1,800 for each foreign worker. He could not give an estimate of how much money would be returned to employers but 6,000 of the 15,000 workers retrenched so far, due to the economic downturn, were foreigners. Subramaniam said the quick return of money to employers would help them use it for other purposes.
He also urged companies affected by the economic slowdown to send their workers for training under the ministry's programme.

"They should utilise this programme rather than retrench their workers.

" It will help employers reduce cost," he said, adding that the government would pay a monthly allowance to the workers.

He said this after presenting business grants to handicapped entrepreneurs in Pekan yesterday.
Subramaniam also presented a certificate to Vacuumschmelze (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Karl Heinz Michmann for the company's continuous effort to employ the handicapped. On handicapped workers, he said a special rehabilitation and vocational training centre for them would be opened in Malacca by June next year. He said it was important to train more handicapped workers as the one per cent quota allocated for them in the public and private sectors had yet to be achieved.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2478505/Article/index_html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)

March 06, 2009

1st Asia Pacific CBR Congress and Network

Dear Friends,

Please find Report of First Asia Pacific Congress and Network Report.

The First Asia-Pacific CBR Congress organized with over 650 participants from the entire Asia Pacific region and round the globe. It was indeed a big gathering of CBR people – planners, policy makers, implementers, People with Disabilities, organisational representatives, UN Agencies, Developmental Agencies, Government agencies and individuals in Bangkok, Thailand. Leading experts from across the world shared their experiences. As a joint initiative of the UN agencies, Governments and civil society. The major theme of the Congress was "Community-based Inclusive Development: people with disabilities and their families" with several sub-themes such as "CBR as grass-root strategy to promote Inclusive development" and "Stakeholders' roles for promotion of CBR and inclusive development".

Objectives of Congress were:

• Bring key stakeholders together to share resources and to be updated
• Develop an alliance and resource base for the Asia-Pacific region among UN, Governments (GO), NGOs, DPOs and others.
• Promote CBR as an effective multi-sectoral strategy to reduce poverty, ensure rights and enhance the quality of life of persons with disabilities and their families
• Promote the importance of the implementation of the CRPD, the BMF and BMF plus Five.
• Promote community-based inclusive development for people with disabilities and their families.
• Introduction of CBR Guidelines; a joint publication of WHO, ILO and UNESCO in in partnership with civil society.
• Promote research and evidence - based practice related to CBR artnership with civil society.

Achieved outcomes:

• Formed CBR Asia-Pacific Network which will be ultimately part of CBR Global Network
• Developed multi-sectoral partnership and establishing Multi-sectoral CBR Strategy to operationalize the provisions of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Linked up CBR with BMF, Millennium Development Goal (MDG), Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), and other mainstream development initiatives.
• Active participation of persons with disabilities and their families/organizations in CBR.
• Member states to initiate/support/strengthen CBR within the country.
• Future Plan of Actions on identified needs including research and good practices.

The colourful programme was initiated by traditional Thai dance and was followed by the opening ceremony. There was representation from senior level people from the Thailand government, United Nations, WHO, ILO etc. Post all this the proceedings of the Congress was initiated. The Organizers of the Congress were Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) Thailand, World Health Organization (WHO), Foundation of Asia Pacific Development Center on Disabilities (APCD Foundation) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and supporters were different Ministries of Royal Thai Government, JICA, APCD, CBM and LCDI. Many other stakeholders also played a vital role like DPI AP, HI, WVI, AIFO, Sightsavers, APDF and many other organizations.

During the 3 days a range of topics were covered through discussions, presentations, debates (as well as side meetings over tea and lunch). Some of the topics that were covered included UNCRPD, CBR Matrix, CBR and women with disabilities, BMF, CBR and alliances, Research and evidence based practice in CBR, CBR and accessibility, CBR networks, CBR and self help groups, etc. There were pre-cbr and post-cbr congress events, like AIFO's CBR and Rights of Person with Disabilities 16 and 17 February, APCD CBR training workshop on 21 February, Leprosy Workshop 21 and 22 February 2009. In side meetings people from different organizations like AIFO, HI, Sight Savers, LCDI and People with Disabilities held meetings. Same time many countries have separate meetings and elected coordinators for their respective countries to represent in CBR Asia Pacific Network.

While some of the presentations were really useful, some were not at all informative and some did not even speak on the topic assigned (and rather spoke on their organisation and what they were involved in). While at times it was hard to choose which of the concurrent sessions to attend, at times the choice was evident (but not the learning’s that we all garnered!). People with Disabilities also provided opportunities to express their views about CBR.

The Congress provided an excellent platform to network with representatives from across the region and interact with many others about whom we had only heard or just were introduced on emails only. Sending this report will also support those who not attended the CBR Congress and now may contact with their country coordinators and support them to develop a strong CBR Network on national level with equal opportunities to Organizations of People with Disabilities.

A CBR Network developed, evolved or formed among CBR implementers/practitioners, People with Disabilities, Gender equalization and various type of organizations to promote and strengthen CBR, really it is a natural network without any out side intervention. Now the strength of the network depends on the strength of individual or organizational members and the co-ordination and collaboration between members. It is expected that the benefits from the network will be greater than those from individual efforts.
It is anticipated that the CBR AP Network will become very active in promotion of CBR across the World, continent and in countries. The Congress provided a great opportunity to form the assembly of the proposed CBR AP Network and a group of leaders. First meeting of CBR AP Network held in Hotel Prince Palace and three immediate tasks adopted:

1. Website of CBR AP Network will be designed. Till CBR AP Congress website can be used (see link below).
2. Constitution of CBR AP Network will be drafted.
3. Action plan of CBR AP Network will be developed up to 2011 (till next congress).

The other tasks for the CBR Asia Pacific Network, defined:

• Develop the CBR Asia-Pacific Network, set up a secretariat and seek funding (APCD will be requested to provide facility for the secretariat and WHO will provide initial funds for staff)
• Collate or develop a regional resource base, promotional materials in regional languages on National level.
• Facilitate the formation of CBR National Networks and provide support to the countries. As the each country coordinator will be responsible to strength National CBR Network.
• Organize training workshops to promote CBR and strengthen CBR implementation in line with the forthcoming CBR Guidelines at continental level and support similar initiatives at country level
• Support research initiatives that will contribute to making CBR more evidence-based, such researchers forum separately met and will support CBR AP Network in research field.
• Develop and establish the linkage between CRPD and CBR.
• Facilitate linkages between different stakeholders and develop a strong alliance with Government, National/International NGOs including DPOs
• Organize regular CBR continental congress. Next congress proposed in 2011 India and Philippines showed interest to organize in their respective countries.
• To provide support towards CBR World Congress to be held once in four years starting from 2012.

The key to the success of CBR Asia Pacific Networks is linked to the CBR National Networks or sub-regional networks.

Major Source: http://www.cbr-asiapacific.org

Regards
Ghulam Nabi Nizamani

Ps: Minutes of CBR AP Network meeting will be circulated among the members (country coordinators) and treat this email just as report of CBR AP Congress (as Personal views)

Posted by jicafriends at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

Disability Rights Watch Group Launched-Bangladesh

The following information was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Disability Rights Watch Group Launched
'No school facilities for 16 lakh children with disabilities'
Staff Correspondent

A new forum under the banner of 'Disability Rights Watch Group' was launched yesterday to monitor the present condition of the people with disability and help implement the CRPD (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) in the country.

The forum was launched formally at the initiative of the National Forum of Organisations Working with the Disabled (NFOWD) at the National Press Club in the city.

“This watch group has been formed as a shadow watch group of the government committee, which was formed under its obligation for signing the CRPD which was effective from May 3 of last year,” said Forum Director Dr Nafisur Rahman.

It will help ensure the comprehensive rights of the people with disabilities, he added.

People from all walks of life including experts and rights activists, acid survivors, lawyers, development workers, indigenous people, two wheelchair users Mahua Paul and Antara Ahmed and one hearing impaired person Khaled Osman are the members of this group.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Ayesha Khanam called for enacting laws for implementing the convention in the country.

Otherwise, the government would not feel it necessary to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, she added.

Although there is government instruction for building infrastructure accessible to people with disabilities, but most of the government organisations do not comply with this instruction, said Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser to immediate-past caretaker government.

She suggested for awareness among the policymakers and media people in this respect.

Forum Chairman Khandaker Jahurul Alam chaired the launching ceremony.

He said, “There are 16 lakh children with disabilities in the country who are now waiting for going to school, but we do not have the capacity,” he said.

Prof Abul Kalam Azad, Prof Abdul Mannan, Prof Shuvagata Chowdhury, Advocate Syeda Rezwana Hasan, Supreme Court lawyer Dr Naim Ahmed, columnist Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Prof Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed and CM Shafi Sami were present on the occasion.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=76257

Posted by jicafriends at 11:37 AM | Comments (2)

March 05, 2009

I miss my friends-Philippines

Ms. Virginia Escobedo Montilla, a former participant of Leaders' Course 2000 would like to contact with her friends who took part in the same training course.

Nunh from Cambodia, Angelica from Chile, You from China, Tesfay from Eritrea, Sinta from Indonesia, Hamidah from Malaysia, Nyunt Nyunt from Myanmar, and Kittipong from Thailand.

If you read this, please give a mail to jicafriends@jicafriends.jp

The secretariat of jicafriends

Posted by jicafriends at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2009

United Voice Food & Fun Fair

Dear Friends of UV,

United Voice will be organising a Fundraising Food & Fun Fair in March. The Food & Fun Fair will be on 14th March 2009 at the Bandar Utama Community Center and targeted to have over 60 stalls offering food delights and a wide range of products from the employment project. Members of United Voice will be making greeting cards, bookmarks, fridge magnets, festival greeting cards, handicrafts and food products for sale as part of their employment project. Included in the programme are creative fun activities for children and adults, a colouring contest sponsored by Pelikan where persons with learning disabilities can take part and a Yo-Yo performance by the Malaysian Yo-Yo Club. There will also be a display of paintings by talented artists of United Voice.

Please find attached is a copy of our Flyer. Feel free to pass it around to your friends & family.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Thank you

Regards,
The United Voice team
www.unitedvoice.com.my

Posted by jicafriends at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)