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The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is a legacy of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993 - 2002). Its objective is to promote the empowerment of persons with disabilities and a barrier-free society in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
APCD was jointly established with the collaboration of the Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on 1 August, 2002. APCD is also working in close cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations whose work is related to persons with disabilities.
In the UN ESCAP BIWAKO Millennium Framework (BMF) for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific for the new Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003 - 2012) , one of the 7 priority areas is "self-help organizations of persons with disabilities and related family and parental associations". It is believed that grass-root self-help groups (SHG) of persons with disabilities (PWD), which form a self-help organization of PWD, can be a means to directly educate and empower socio-economically poor PWD to gain their rights and collective power for a better quality of their lives. Such well-initiated SHG of PWD can be a driving force to bring their entire community rights-based and sustainable development toward a "society for all".
Recognizing such significance of SHG of PWD, a training course for initiators of SHG of PWD will be implemented as one of the APCD activities with full support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.| Course Title | Training of Initiators for Self-help Groups of Persons with Disabilities towards Rights-based and Sustainable Community Development |
| Duration | 9 - 31 August, 2005 |
| Deadline for Application | 30 June, 2005 * Application forms must be submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate in each invited country. |
| Countries Invited & Participants | Maximum 4 participants respectively from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam * 2 persons could apply from the same organization. * A maximum of 4 participants will represent 1-2 relevant organizations from each country. *See the REQUIREMENT OF APPLICATION on page 4. |
| Language | English |
| Target Group | Managerial or/and concerned personnel of the following organizations which have a plan/practice to help initiate/strengthen self-help groups (SHG) of persons with disabilities (PWD) at the grass-root level:
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| Course Objectives | To enable relevant organizations to help initiate/strengthen SHG of PWD at the grass-root level by training their managerial or/and concerned personnel to:
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| Training Venue |
Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability 255, Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Tel: 66-2-3547505 ; Fax: 66-2-3547507 E-mail : training@apcdproject.org |
| Accommodation | Ditto |
| Expenses & Allowance | The following expenses for each selected participant will be borne by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD):
*Any expenses spent in his/her country before/after the training should be borne by each participant. |
The following lectures/discussion/exercises/group-work includes:
For further information, please contact:
Asia- Pacific Development Center on DisabilityAn applicant should:
Be managerial or/and concerned personnel of the following organizations which have a plan/practice to help initiate/strengthen self-help groups (SHG) of persons with disabilities (PWD) at the grass-root level:
*For an applicant who needs to have an accompanying personal assistant or a sign language interpreter for the training, s/he needs to inform APCD of the details through his/her APPENDIX OF NOMINATION FORM (Article: Disabilities). Necessary expenditures (e.g., travel expenses etc.) for the selected participant's personal assistant or a sign language interpreter can be borne by APCD, after they are approved by APCD.
*Training applicants, who have disabilities, will be more positively considered in the selection of participants.
*Training applicants, who are women, will be more positively considered in the selection of participants.
Apply together with other managerial or/and concerned personnel of the same organization which s/he belongs to.
* 2 persons could apply fromthe same organization.
* A maximum of 4 participants can represent 1-2 relevant organizations from each country.
Have basic knowledge/skills of the English language
*Training applicants, who are NOT fluent in English but eager to learn SHG of PWD, must consult with APCD through e-mail/fax/phone before applying.
*Blind persons equipped with English Braille as well as deaf persons equipped with international sign language are preferable.
Each applicant needs to fill out three (3) sets of the Fellowship Application Form, stipulated by the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, and three (3) sets of Appendix, provided by APCD. The completed documents should be submitted to a Government agency responsible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) or one of APCD's Government/semi-autonomous focal points in your respective country.
The APCD's Government/semi-autonomous focal points are as follows:
Each applicant must fax or e-mail one (1) copy of the completed Fellowship Application Form and its Appendix in advance directly to:
Director, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability,Governments of invited countries, who have received three (3) completed Fellowship Application Forms and Appendixes from each applicant, should submit all of the documents by the due date to the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries, who will then be responsible for forwarding those documents to TICA in Bangkok, Thailand.
The due date for submitting the application documents to the Embassy/Consulate is June 30, 2005
After the training participants have been selected by APCD, TICA will notify the invited Governments of the selection results no later than two (2) weeks before the commencement of the course. Each Government will be responsible to inform their nominated candidates about the selection results.
Notification of the selection results will be approximately by 19 July, 2005
Participants who have successfully completed the course will be awarded a certificate issued by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability.
Prior to arrival in Thailand, all participants MUST first obtain a NON-IMMIGRANT VISA from the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries. If there is no Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate available, participants can apply for "THE VISA ON ARRIVAL" at the Bangkok International Airport upon their arrival.
Upon arrival, the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) will provide airport reception and transferal to the hotel for the participants.
The Royal Thai Government, the Government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and/or the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability(APCD) shall have no liability whatsoever for the participant or his/her personal representatives for injury, illness or death suffered or contracted by the participant arising out of or in the course of his/her participation in the program/course; nor shall The Royal Thai Government, the Government of Japan, JICA and/or APCD have any liability whatsoever towards third parties for compensation for any loss of property, injury, illness or death of such third parties caused by the nominee during the course of his/her participation in the program/course.
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