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Regional News
April - June 2006

1. National Day of Disabled Persons 29 March 2006 Papua New Guinea

a. Goroko: The National Park was decorated with awareness posters developed by the Committee and provided by Save the Children. National Day of Disabled Persons, Papua New Guinea The children from Mt. Sion proudly showed the public their ability by using a big truck as a stage to play musical instruments and sing awareness songs.

b. Lae: A parade was organized through Lae with around 100 persons with disabilities marching from Eriko to town and the main market in solidarity for the cause of equal opportunity. The key messages were "why do you stare at my disability, instead of promoting me for my ability!" and "your ignorance is my permanent disability."

Source: The Network Issue 7 - Papua New Guinea
(http://www.dwu.ac.pg/Network/May2006.pdf)

2. National Centre of Disabled Persons 10th Anniversary India 3 April 2006

National Centre of Disabled Persons organized an event on 3 April 2006 to celebrate their 10 years Anniversary; 6,067 persons came to show their commitment and to support society on disability issues. The aim was to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. The government and NGOs with disabled people cooperated with significant activities to work towards sustainability in the future.

Source: National Centre of Disabled Persons

3. Stakeholder Meeting under the ILO/Irish Aid Project for Promoting the Employment and Training of People with Disabilities in Thailand through Legislation (PEPDEL) 30 May 2006 ILO, Bangkok, Thailand

The purposes of this meeting were 1) to develop a common understanding of the PEPDEL project, 2) to review the Project Implementation Guide and revise if needed, 3) to form the national project advisory group and 4) to begin a discussion and prioritize a proposed action for Thailand in promoting the employment and training of people with disabilities in Thailand. The PEPDEL project targets national legislation and policy-level in the participating countries rather than delivery of direct assistance to people with disabilities. The National Project Advisory Group in Thailand (NPAG-Thailand) under the PEPDEL project is responsible for implementing the project action plan for Thailand.

4. Epic Arts Cambodia on Tour in Thailand 15 June 2006 APCD Building, Thailand

Performance of the Epic Arts Cambodia Epic Arts was formed in 2001 as a registered Arts Charity offering professional dance, art, drama, music and visual art programmes to people of all abilities and disabilities. This month, Epic Arts Cambodia performed of many places including Bangkok. Epic Arts Cambodia held a performance at Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability co-organized with Disabled People's International Asia Pacific Region. The show, entitled "The Return", is aimed to raise awareness of disability issues in society with a focus on integration and development. The piece is based loosely around a Cambodia folk story, "Wolf Mountain". The 30-minute show of disabled dancers (wheelchair users and deaf persons) challenges the idea of who is allowed to be seen. After the show, the audience asked questions after which everybody joined an activity together with Epic Arts.

5. Calling for Contribution to the NGO Library Viet Nam

The NGO Resource Centre Library (NGO RC) contains around 4,000 items including books, articles, reports, journals, etc., which is a valuable resource for our members and other organizations, institutions and individuals. NGO RC would like to encourage all members of the Working Group to contribute their latest publications on development work in Viet Nam.

Source: Phan Thu Ha from NGO Resource Centre, http://www.ngocentre.org.vn

6. Support to Vulnerable Victims of Mud/Landslide Tragedy in Southern Leyte, the Philippines Handicap International (HI) The Philippines

HI - Philippines provided rehabilitation assistance for persons who were left temporarily or permanently disabled by the mud/landslide. Many of the survivors sustained fractures and even amputations. HI, through its Hilwai mobile rehabilitation boat, assists in providing home/community-based rehabilitation services and by providing assistive mobility devices for disabled persons (crutches, wheelchairs, and prosthetics). Hilwai is equipped with a prosthesis/orthosis workshop and provides rehabilitation services to disabled persons in remote island communities in the Visayas. The boat was sent to Banda Aceh in Indonesia in 2004 to give the same types of assistance and services to victims of the tsunami.

Source: Handicap International - Philippines

7. Wheelchair Project Benefits more Disabled Persons and War Victims in Mindanao, Southern Philippines

HI - Philippine Program set up a wheelchair production center in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental in the Southern Philippines. The Wheelchairs for Mindanao Project aims to integrate people with disabilities in their communities by improving their mobility through the use of specially-designed, customized wheelchairs, and to provide access to development opportunities. More importantly, the project works so that persons with disabilities may live productive lives and become part of society as active and productive citizens.

Several models have already been developed by wheelchairs specialists and technicians in the production center under its own brand name, Freedom Technology, and each is designed to ensure maximum functionality by the user.

Source: Handicap International - Philippines

Regional News (Upcoming)
July - September 2006

1. Training and Employment Project 15 July 2005 Bangladesh

Young Power in Social Action ICTs and the Resource Centre for the Disabled (YPSA IRCD), ActionAid Bangladesh and HSBC Bank are jointly organizing a 4 month long intensive training program for 20 persons with disabilities selected through a competitive process from all over Bangladesh. It is expected that through this training they will acquire market driven skills on a range of subjects including ICT applications, communicative English, adaptive technologies, Digital Talking Book production, management and administration, independent living etc.

News Source: Vashkar Vattacharya, info@vashkar.tk, vashkar79@gmail.com from Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), www.ypsa.org

2. 12th ICEVI World Conference 2006 16 July 2006 Malaysia

ICEVI will launch its Global Campaign of Education for All Children with a Visual Impairment during the World Conference. There will be Keynote presentations, plenary sessions, workshops, exhibitions and a poster session. Details can be accessed on the 2006 ICEVI website.

Source: Malaysian Association for the Blind (http://www.mab.org.my/)

3. The 1st Leadership Training Seminar for Women with Disabilities 17 July 2006 Lae, Papua New Guinea

Source: The Network: Issue 7, Papua New Guinea

4. The First Session of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) Stakeholders' Coordination Meeting 17-19 July 2006 UNESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand

Source: http://www.worldenable.net/

5. UN ESCAP Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Seventh Session and Preparation for the Eighth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities 20-21 July 2006 UNESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand

Source: http://www.worldenable.net

6. Beautiful Gate Peer Counseling Workshop 2006 25-27 July 2006 Malaysia

Beautiful Gate will organize provide more practice opportunities for Beautiful Gate Peer Counselors and introduce the concept of Peer Counseling to the staff of Beautiful Gate and disabled members.

News Source: Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled, www.beautifulgate.org.my

7. 2006 Japan Summer Program 1 August 2006 Japan

The Mobility International USA (MIUSA) will offer a 16-day exchange program in Tokyo, Japan in summer 2006 with a focus on leadership through international volunteerism and a cultural exchange.

Source: http://www.miusa.org/exchange/japan2006/2006japanprograminfo/

8. The Third International Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD 2006) 9 August 2006 USA

MIUSA invites young women with disabilities for a unique opportunity to strengthen leadership skills, exchange knowledge and strategies, create new visions and build networks of support to improve the lives of women and girls with disabilities internationally.

Source: http://www.miusa.org/

9. Eighth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities 14-25 August 2006 UN Headquarters, New York, USA

Source: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahc8.htm

10. Inaugural Global Disability Forum (GDF) 29-30 August 2006 Hong Kong

This will be a great opportunity for the international community to share some unique and common experiences, and consider the future by exploring some culturally valued initiatives in health, education, social welfare and community work.

Source: http://www.mvdmc.com/wdpdf/registration.htm

11. e-Access'06 - Technology for All 14 September 2006 United Kingdom of Great Britain

The conference focuses on how digital technology is enabling people with disabilities to achieve greater independence.

Source: http://www.headstar-events.com/eaccess06/

12. Disability in Developing Countries 18-22 September 2006 Australia

This 5-days course is designed for health programme planners, development workers, health practitioners, particularly those in the allied health professions, nursing, or involved in services for people living with disabilities.

Source: http://www.aihi.unimelb.edu.au/education.html

13. The FDR International Disability Award 18 September 2006 United Nations, New York, USA

Source: http://www.worldcommitteeondisability.org

14. Anapurna Round Trek 2006 22 September - 6 October 2006 Nepal

Its main objective is to raise the awareness of disabled people themselves and the communities where they live about the human rights of disabled people. The trekkers will be able to act as ambassadors for disabled people in the community by giving them information about human rights and demonstrating their ability to undertake such a strenuous challenge.

Source: http://www.dhrcnepal.org.np/fundraising.php

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Regional News April - June 2006

Regional News (Upcoming) July - September 2006

Regional News
April - June 2006

Regional News (Upcoming)
July - September 2006