Publication > Newsletter > Newsletter 21 > Guest Visitation to APCD

Guest Visitation to APCD

The Pacific Disability Forum

The Pacific Disability Forum members (PDF), including Mr. Tewai Halatau, Co-Chairperson, Mr. Setareki S. Macanawai, Chief Executive Officer, and others visited APCD to express appreciation and discuss further collaboration. They specifically mentioned support in the formation of self-help organizations in Kiribati and Tonga.Since the Micronesian group has no self-help organization, Kiribati is the target country to be the focal point for the South Pacific. APCD has been supporting the Mariana Islands and Polynesia in the South Pacific, but not in Micronesia where future collaboration should be considered.

Handicap International, South Asia

Ms. Sally Baker, Regional Coordinator, and Mr. Bjorn Schranz, Regional Disability Coordinator of Handicap International (HI), South Asia, visited APCD on 18 September 2007. They discussed collaboration with APCD in South and South-East Asia. Since Handicap International has been developing community-based rehabilitation (CBR) in many countries, they would like to collaborate with APCD, particularly in the CBR monitoring session being organized by APCD in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), from 26 to 28 November 2007.

Handicap International is quite active in CBR in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan in addition to other Asian countries. They have programs in about 60 countries in the world, including Central Asia and promised to exchange information on disability and development. They also shared information about their activities in the re-establishment of earthquake areas in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.

World Federation of the Deaf, Asia/Pacific

World Federation of the Deaf, Asia/Pacific Mr. Ichiro Miyamoto, Representative of the World Federation of the Deaf(WFD-A/P), visited APCD accompanied by sign-language interpreters. WFD-A/P expressed willingness to collaborate with APCD in developing self-help organizations of persons with hearing impairments in the Mekong River countries, i.e.,Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam. They emphasized that the guaranteed right of communication be provided by the APCD Project. APCD has a policy to provide sign-language interpreters for resource persons with hearing impairments.

APCD plans to dispatch four missions to the above Mekong River countries from mid-November to mid-December 2007 and WDF-A/P will dispatch experts to join these missions.

There is no national organization of the deaf community in any of the Mekong River countries. Therefore, APCD would like to collaborate with WFD-A/P for 5 years to promote national organizations of people with hearing impairments and promote human rights for people with disabilities.

Australia Disability+Development Consortium

Australian Disability+Development Consortium, ADDC, is an Australian network that focuses on all forms of disability in developing countries around the world. Mr. Paul Deany, ADDC Coordinator visited APCD to collaborate and, especially to exchange information on disability and development. APCD shared information about the Pacific Islands including P.N.G. (CBSHOD). Their work is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities on policies and promote partnerships between Australia and other disability organizations globally, currently with more than 300 members of disability organizations and individuals. ADDC held a National Conference on 29 September 2008 in Canberra, Australia. For more information see www.addc.org.au

Christoffel-Blindenmission, Central East Asia Regional Office

Ms. Helen Sinkinson, Assistant Regional Director of Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM), Central East Asia Regional Office, who is stationed in Bangkok, visited APCD with Mr. Paul Deany, Coordinator of the Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC). Mr. Deany is also the Australian Representative of CBM.

CBM has been serving 106 countries in disability related development with approximately 12 million persons with disabilities having received their services. They have disability and development programs based on a 20-20 partnership with 1,100 partners globally.

CBM is regularly represented at the UNESCAP Meetings on the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action and is also collaborating with APCD.

Christoffel-Blindenmission, Asia/Pacific Region, promised to recommend CBR Managers from the Philippines and Viet Nam to the Regional Workshop on Reviewing Draft Version of CBR Guidelines, to be organized jointly by WHO and APCD in November 2007. This Workshop is expected to set up new international Guidelines on CBR.

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