APCD Mission Report
Mission to Nepal
11-18 February 2004
H.E. Mr. Renu Yadav, State Minister, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and APCD Director
APCD sent a mission team to Kathmandu,Nepal from 11-18 February 2004. The team attended and observed the Capacity-Building Training/Seminar for People with Disabilities (CBTS) in the Asia-Pacific Region, which was organized by Disabled Peoples' International and supported by JICA. APCD mission members interviewed participants from various countries including Nepal to collect organizational data and find the needs of individuals and organizations. The mission also presented the APCD project and its program to the CBTS.
The mission team also visited and identified the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare as APCD's Government focal point. They visited some Nepalese NGOs such as the Social Welfare Council of Nepal, the National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal (NFD-Nepal), and the Nepal Disabled Human Rights Center (DHRC). DHRC is a nongovernmental organization that publishes their own monthly newsletter on disability concerns and has a weekly radio program on disability issues.
In addition to the above mentioned organizations, the mission visited a Community-Based Rehabilitation Program at the Resource Center for Rehabilitation and Development, Bhaktapur which was very impressive, seeing the concerns and unity of the community and families of persons with disabilities in this area.
Collaboration between the organizations of/for persons with disabilities in Nepal and APCD will continue to promote empowerment of persons with disabilities and to build a "Society for All" in Nepal!
Mission to the Republic of Vanuatu
7-13 March 2004
APCD Mission with Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Edward Nipake Natapei in Vanuatu
The APCD mission team undertook a mission to the Republic of Vanuatu via Australia from 7-13 March 2004, and identified the Prime Minister's Office as the Government's focal point organization. The Honorable Mr. Edward Nipake Natapei, Prime Minister was very interested in the APCD program and is planning to set up a Disability Desk at the Prime Minister's Office including the establishment of a National Coordinating Council on Disability, which will serve as the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Disability for the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The mission team also identified the Disability Promotion and Advocacy Association (DPA) as the NGO focal point in Vanuatu, chaired by Mr. John Suran. APCD acknowledged that this is the only organization of PWDs in Vanuatu and the umbrella organization for all kinds of activities of PWDs. The mission team visited the Vanuatu Society for Disabled People (VSDP) and VANDISPORTS, an informal sports club for PWDs, which is under the umbrella of VSDP. They met with Mr. Nikenike Vurobaravu and Mr. Alastair Wilkinson, the Head and Regional Advisor on Social Development and Planning of the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre (ESCAP/ EPOC) respectively. APCD and ESCAP/EPOC discussed future collaboration on social development issues for PWDs in countries of the Pacific Oceania area especially as information networking focal/associate organizations.
A highlight and honour for the mission team was attending the Presentation Ceremony of the Pacific Human Rights Award to the Disability Promotion and Advocacy Association (DPA) sponsored by the Fiji Human Rights Commission and Vanuatu Human Rights Organization.
