Southeast Asia
Third "Making It Work" Regional Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 21-23 January 2014
Group Photo of Project Partners
The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), a project partner in Handicap International's (HI) "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Advocacy for Government Action Program - Cambodia, Laos and Thailand" participated in the "Making It Work" Good Practices at the Third Regional Workshop held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 21-23 January 2014.
The Workshop gathered project partners, including the National Committee for Disabled and Elderly People of Lao PDR, the Lao Disabled People's Association, the Cambodian Disabled People's Organisation and APCD. The Association for the Deaf in Lao PDR and the Lao Association of the Blind also participated in the Workshop as supporters for documentation. All project partners discussed action plans geared towards the successful implementation of the 10 selected Good Practices in Lao PDR and Cambodia using the "Making It Work" methodology.
APCD, the documentation arm of the project, received positive feedback for the 10 Good Practices booklet focusing on Cambodia and Lao PDR. The presentation of the "Making It Work" short film documentary, which presented the Ballot Template from Cambodia and the HandMe/HandTalk Android phone application and website from Lao PDR, was one of the highlights of the Workshop.
Reference
http://apcdfoundation.org/?q=content/crpd-advocacy-government-action-programs-3rd-regional-workshop-phnom-penh-cambodia-20-25-jan
Asia-Pacific
APCD Feature in "The Japan Journal"
APCD Feature in The Japan Journal
The monthly magazine "The Japan Journal," in its January 2014 issue, included an interview with Ms. Aizawa Emi, Director of the Social Security Division, Human Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The APCD Project's achievements titled "The APCD Project: Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region" was highlighted in the article.
The in-depth article provided background information about APCD's history, as well as its mandate to empower persons with disabilities in support of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, as stated by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The article also discussed the important role of the APCD Project, a technical cooperation project between the Government of Thailand through the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Government of Japan through JICA, resulting in numerous training and workshops that benefited persons with disabilities in the region.
The article also took note of APCD as a regional implementation agency to build and promote the capabilities of persons with disabilities. As the key partner of JICA, it also emphasized APCD's role as an international organization engaged in multi-sectoral collaboration in the region, as indicated in the Incheon Strategy to "Make the Right Real", 2013-2022, by the ESCAP.
Reference
http://www.japanjournal.jp
Asia-Pacific
APCD Internship Program Welcomes Two Interns
Aichi Shukutoku University Logo and Gallaudet University Logo
The APCD Internship Program for 2014 is underway with the recent addition of two interns from Japan and the United States. Open to students taking up bachelor and master's degrees in specializations related to APCD's work, the Program aims to expose interns to the work and missions of APCD, as well as promote a better understanding of disability issues and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and to introduce the intern to the multinational working environment of APCD.
Ms. Aya Tanaka, a Bachelor Degree student majoring in Multicultural Studies from the Aichi Shukutoku University in Japan, was awarded a two-week internship period in January 2014. Ms. Sachiko Flores, who is hard of hearing, is taking up her Master of Arts in International Development at the Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. for four months. Ms. Tanaka and Ms. Flores will get international experiences through practical assignments, along with providing support to the host department/office at APCD in various specialized professional work.
Applicants to the Program are required to work for APCD for a minimum period of one month but not exceeding six months. Interested students may directly contact APCD via info@apcdfoundation.org, or visit www.apcdfoundation.org.
Reference
http://www.apcdfoundation.org
Empowerment Cafe's Features January 2014
Beginning this month, we will be featuring Empowerment Cafe's most recent stories related to disability. The Empowerment Cafe, an online information and knowledge platform on disability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, presents different perspectives of persons with diverse disabilities from all over the region.
For this month, the Empowerment Cafe offers a variety of news and links, including a look at political correctness in using words that relate to persons with disabilities ("Political Correctness and People with Disabilities"), a story on how a women's advocacy group in Japan is seeking to stop discrimination against women with disabilities ("Grassroots Network Seeks End to Multiple Discrimination Faced by Disabled Women"), a disability-inclusive environment improvement as an outcome of a workshop (“An Outcome of Workshop”) and more.
Reference
http://www.disability-ecafe.net/pc
http://disability-ecafe.net/dpi-wnj
http://disability-ecafe.net/node/15083
Empowerment Cafe | Facebook | Twitter
