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    • Capacity-Building for Self-Help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD)
    • Port Moresby Declaration
    • ICT for All: Training of ICT for Persons with Print Disability
    • Refresher Training to Strengthen Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR)
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• Video

Pacific Sub-Regional Training Seminar on
Capacity-Building for Self-help Organizations of
Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD)

The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) organized a Pacific Subregional Training Seminar on Capacity-Building for Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 12 - 16 February 2007 with the Ministry of Community Development, Government of Papua New Guinea and Disabled People's International, Asia-Pacific Region (DPI-APR), which was co-sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

This Seminar, the first international seminar on disability and development in Papua New Guinea, made a valuable impact for policy formation on disability in Papua New Guinea, as well as developed the South Pacific Sub-regional mechanism in networking and collaboration among the self-help organizations (SHOs).

Resource persons and representatives of PWDs from 13 countries in the Pacific Subregion that participated were leaders of PWDs in the region.

The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Grand-Chief Sir Michael Somare, officially opened the Seminar, along with H.E. Dame Carol Kidu, Minister for Community Development, Mr. Kanji Hanagata, Ambassdor of Japan to Papua New Guinea, and Mr. Shoji Nakanishi, DPI-APR Chairperson, as well as Ms. Ormporn Nithayasuthi, Representative of the Royal Thai Government.

At the opening, the Prime Minister emphasized that this is a new era for the persons with disabilities (PWDs), to create their empowerment and shift from paternalistic models towards a rights-based approach. Minister Carol Kidu announced that the Government of Papua New Guinea would adopt a National Plan on Disability Policy after the CBSHOD, and also expressed appreciation to the Government for their allocation of a ministerial budget for disability and development, the first time for the Ministry of Community Development.

APCD adopted a process-oriented approach for the CBSHOD since its first preparation mission conducted one year prior to the Seminar. Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit, who is the Regional Development Officer of DPI-Asia-Pacific Regional Office and APCD Executive Board Member, was dispatched to research the feasibility of CBSHOD in Papua New Guinea. During the mission, he visited a fishing village, 'Pari Village', and met several persons with disabilities and encouraged them to form self-help organizations.

The second mission was conducted six months prior to the Seminar to set up an Organizing Committee for the CBSHOD, consisting of Government representatives, as well as persons with disabilities. At that time, the first self-help group was organized in 'Pari Village', where they began research on accessibility. The villagers cooperated with the village authorities, including the local church and public health unit, culminating in an accessible village.

The mission team also visited Lae, Morobe Province, to participate in the 1st National Leadership Training Seminar for Women with Disabilities and also the Fifth National Board for Disabled Persons. All participants of both meetings pledged to support the organization of the CBSHOD.

The third mission was conducted three months prior to the Seminar to implement the CBSHOD venue, program, and the detailed TOR for the Organizing Committee. Most arrangements were made by persons with disabilities (PWDs) along with Government Officials.

The Seminar promoted empowerment of advocacy management. It provided information on the Convention on Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations and the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action by UNESCAP. Each country also reported the situation of their PWDs.

Mr. Setareki Macanawai and Mr. Frederick Miller (Fiji) and Mr. John Suran (Vanuatu), shared how they created SHOs and promoted an inclusive barrier-free and rights-based society of PWDs in their own countries.

Mr. Shoji Nakanishi and Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit shared about the disability movement and human rights in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Ms. Cathy Ketepa gave a lecture on women with disabilities and emphasized the multiple discrimination against them. She organized the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Papua New Guinea during the Seminar since the Government invited 2 disabled leaders from each of the 20 provinces across the country. This was the first National Assembly of Leaders of PWDs in Papua New Guinea.

UNESCAP will follow up on this CBSHOD with an Expert Group Meeting on Disability in the Pacific: Strengthening Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework in Nadi, Fiji from 28-30 March 2007, in collaboration with the Pacific Island Forum and the Pacific Disability Forum.

APCD will continue to support the enhancement of the South Pacific Sub-regional mechanism in order to empower PWDs in the isolated islands.