Community-Based Rehabilitation Training
Chiang Mai, Thailand
3-12 June 2003
Mrs. Ormporn Nithiyasuthi, Director of the Bureau of Empowerment for PWDs with participants, resource persons, and staff at the CBR regional training
A Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) approach, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1994, is "a strategy within community development for the community and rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities and social integration of all people with disabilities. CBR is implemented through the combined efforts of disabled people themselves, their families and communities, and the appropriate health, educational, vocational, and social services."
APCD's "Workshop for Strengthening Community-Based Rehabilitation Movement"
From 3-12 June 2003, the 1st community-based rehabilitation (CBR) training course organized by APCD was held in Chiang Mai .The course entitled, "Workshop for Strengthening CBR Movement" adopted a participatory training approach with a focus on "experience sharing" as well as CBR knowledge that is both practical and applicable for the participants.
South to-South Collaboration
Twenty-one persons representing disability-concerned government agencies, NGOs for/of people with disabilities from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam and Thailand participated in the training course. Since APCD facilitates South-to-South cooperation, most resource persons for the training course were persons who have been engaged in CBR practices in developing countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan
Chiang Mai and Community Development
Participants visiting a CBR project in Chiang Mai
The training course was conducted in Chiang Mai since the rural area of northern Thailand is comparable to the environments in which the participants will or have initiated CBR in their respective countries. In addition, Community -based support programs were begin carried out there for socially vulnerable persons such as ethnic minority groups and persons with HIV/AIDS in close collaboration between the local Thai government and NGOs. For these reasons, Chiang Mai seemed most appropriate for the participants to experience community-based development.
Special APCD Announcement
APCD has received the most gracious honor from Thailands HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Who will lay the foundation stone for APCD at the Groundbreaking Ceremony. The Groundbreaking Ceremony is scheduled for 19 19 September, 2003 in the Rajvithi Home for the Girls area, Bangkok, Thailand, where the APCD building will be constructed.
On 5 June 2003, a Signing Ceremony for the Exchange fo Notes (E/N)for Grant Aid from the Government of Japan to the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand took place at the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The E/N was signed by H.E Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya, Japanese Ambassador to Thailand and Mr. Pradap Pibulsonggram, Director- General of DTEC. The APCD building is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2004 to empower PWDs in region.
CBR and Empowerment
For the past two decades, CBR has been highly evaluated and promoted in developing countries all over the world, since it is a strategy for enhancing the quality of life of people with disabilities by improving service delivery, by providing more equitable opportunities and by promoting and protecting their human rights. Further efforts, however, are necessary to empower people with disabilities, to be facilitators for CBR, to plan, implement and evaluate CBR programs in their own communities. Participants learned the significance of full-participation of people with disabilities in the entire CBR process and the strategies to achieve it. All participants successfully completed the course curriculum with their curriculum with realistic CBR action plans to be developed in their respective countries.
Comment From Resource Persons
- Words from APCD's Resources Persons
- Comments Regarding CBR Workshop By Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi, JICA Short Term Expert
- Two Decades of CBR in Asia and the Pacific by Dr. Padmani Mendis Consultant in Disability and Rehabilitation, Sri Lanka
- Community-Based Rehabilitation Movement of CBR in South East Asia through "Workshop for Strengthening Community-Based Rehabilitation Movement"
