[page 1] CBR Practitioners’Gathering from all over the Asia-Pacific 1st Asia-Pacific CBR Congress in Bangkok,thailand On 18-20 February 2009, the first Asia-Pacific CBR Congress was successfully organized with over 650 participants from more than 50 countries in and out of the Asia-Pacific region. It was indeed a big gathering of persons concerning CBR such as persons with disabilities(PWDs), representatives from disability-related organizations, policy makers, UN agencies,governments and communities. As a joint initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security(MSDHS), and the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability Foundation (APCD Foundation), unique experiences and lessons learned were shared from a regional perspective.The first day of the Congress was inaugurated by host organizations including Mr. Tej Bunnag, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the APCD Foundation. The major theme of theCongress was "Community-based Inclusive Development: people with disabilities and their families" with several sub-themes such as "CBR as grass-root strategy to promote inclusive development" and "Stakeholders’roles for promotion of CBR and inclusive development". One unique point during the Congress was its focus on the social aspect of CBR. Participants exchanged information and knowledge from their own experiences. In this regard, APCD interviewed several participants of the Congress from the viewpoint of PWD’s participation in CBR in the Asia-Pacific. [page 2] Interviewing Participants of the CBR Congress Ms. Akiko Ito Chief of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) UN Focal Point on Disability Q) Could you clarify the relationship between CBR and CRPD? (A) In my view, CBR is a very effective methodology to implement CRPD. In other words, CBR is a mechanism that can have multi dimensional functions to implement CRPD. CBR can create opportunities for dialogues among persons with disabilities, disabled people’s organizations and other stakeholders in communities since it is the communities, not just one stakeholder, that carry out the implementation of community initiatives. Each community has its own way to implement CRPD locally, and it is CBR that can provide concrete actions as a mechanism. CBR is quite important since it is locally applicable, based on a framework. In this context, CRPD provides the international legal framework, standard and structure. (Q) What is the key to promote PWDs’ participation in CBR in the Asia-Pacific? (A) It is only the Asia-Pacific that has adopted a rights-based approach with the regional framework called the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF). It is known that persons with disabilities and disabled people’s organizations led the drafting process of CRPD’s framework. The background of the leadership is CBR which has been implemented for more than 30 years in this region. CBR in the Asia-Pacific has encouraged not only DPOs but also entire communities to exemplify the inclusive community development according to various experiences. It is quite important that in the Asia-Pacific, normally new stakeholders can be included in community-based activities since communities are originally diverse. It is how the movement in the Asia-Pacific grows. In order for us to see the key of what is really happening here, we should identify how the perspectives of persons with disabilities actually changed their whole communities to become more inclusive. Ms. Barbara Murray Senior Specialist, Disability Skills and Employability Department (Q) How important are self-help groups in CBR? (A) Self-help groups (SHGs) can play a very important role in bringing together persons with disabilities to learn skills and get jobs with other disabled persons who have successfully set up their own business. Many persons with disabilities live in rural areas where job opportunities are in small-scale enterprises. That is why support is needed for SHGs to start their viable business. It is also essential for persons with disabilities to keep their commitment to continue working since the key is to ensure that people with disabilities can get access to skills’ training. Mr. Nay Lin Soe Eden Center for Disabled Children From my point of view, there are some CBR programs based on a charity approach. In other words, they focus on disabilities. To promote the quality of life of persons with disabilities, a CBR program needs to have a rights-based approach, especially the social model. If we implement a CBR program through a twin-track approach, it will be more effective. With the knowledge and experience I have gained through this opportunity, I would like to promote the social perspectives of CBR in project implementation. Mr. Nhip Thy Cambodian Development Mission for Disability CBR is not new for me. However, even though I am working on CBR for quite a long time, it is necessary for me to learn more since CBR is constantly being developed. It is a great opportunity for everybody who works in CBR to participate in the Congress since we are able to get a broader picture of CBR in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the future prospect of CBR. With new ideas and information, we will improve our CBR in Cambodia. Mr. Nipon Sedtha Jodnongkae Sub-District Administrative Organization When CBR initiatives wer started in my community, more people learned the importance of involving PWDs in the process of community development. Although my personal assistant never attends any international conference, it sounds very impressive to him. My personal assistant used to think that PWDs should stay at home since it must be difficult for PWDs to go out. But now his attitude is changing. Mr. Sichanh Sitthiphonh Handicap International Belgium (HIB) Laos CBR covers different aspects in terms of human rights, dignity, inclusive community, and social development. It is a big and important role for the community to include persons with disabilities. I have learned that CBR is not only for rehabilitation but also an approach to include PWDs who have the same rights in the community. Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh Inclusive Development Action In the past I thought CBR was only about the technical or health aspects of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Now I understand more about CBR. It is useful for us to implement in Vietnam. There are many things to learn about CBR, and we PWDs will work on it. [page 3] Promoting Gender Equality in Disability and Development Regional Training on Disability, Gender and Development With 22 participants from Cambodia, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, the Regional Training on Disability, Gender and Development was co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Development Centeron Disability (APCD) and Disabled Peoples’ International Asia-Pacific (DPI/AP) from 2-14 March 2009 at the APCD Training Building. The training objectives included To strengthen women with disabilities (WWDs) leadership and advocacy skills to promote an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society where both women and men with disabilities can be equal partners as their peers without disabilities; and To develop action plans which outline individual/organizational/country actions to meet the challenges of promoting gender equality in Self-Help Groups/Organizations and theiractivities. The training objectives were addressed through: Disability Equality Training (DET), The South-to-South Cooperation on Disability by APCD and UNESCAP, Training on WWDs, and Field visit to Pattaya. Sharing their unique experiences and activities, training participants developed action plans which highlighted the promotion of gender equality and equal inclusion of women and men with disabilities in their self-help group/ organization. It is expected that training participants will take a leading role in gender related initiatives. [page 4] Interview Corner Ms Aileen Bables Yamazaki (Resources for the Blind, the Philippines) Although people in the Philippines may think that we are just women with disabilities, they should treat us equally. I am just a woman. Please talk to me and ask my permission first before pulling my arms. I am a lady. I am not sure how to advocate and raise awareness about disability, but I hope to continue working on this issue in the future. Ms. Ainura Teleusheva (Public Association "Young Disabled People’s) Movement", Kyrgyz Republic) Persons with disabilities should get involved in the decision-making process to address problems on disability, and also have outcomes in line with the needs of persons with disabilities. Women with disabilities need more support since they are more vulnerable and less confident in daily life. With support from my family, I finished my studies at one university. I hope to be a help for others with disabilities who wish to live in our society. Ms. Treng Kuy Cheng (Digital Divide Data, Cambodia) It is important for us to mainstream gender and disability in our work because we need to provide equality. In our case, a group called “Women Leadership Program” has formed to strengthen women with and without disabilities. To meet our goal, we organize a monthly meeting or lunch session to discuss issues. In the future, I hope to develop any initiative by women with disabilities based on what I have learned in this training. Ms. Nurzada Aidaralieva (Independent Association Women-Invalids of Kyrgyz Republic) It is necessary fo us to study the situation of persons with disabilities and also what they need. In addition, we have to keep in touch with active resource persons in order to get knowledge such as leadership skills through trainings. For awareness-raising, persons with disabilities should take the initial role for any action, so that finally persons with and without disabilities can live together. [page 5] Dao Reuang - First Group of Self-Advocates in Thailand! Thai persons with intellectual disabilities decided to set up their own self-advocacy group at the workshop held at APCD on 18th-19th March 2009. It’s the first self-advocacy group of persons with intellectual disabilities in Thailand. The group was named Dao Reuang (Marigold in English) and the members selected 6 committee members, agreed on the annual membership fee and listed activities they would like to conduct together in the future. The list included supporting other persons with disabilities, helping homeless pets and playing sports. The workshop organized by APCD in collaboration with the Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability of Thailand and the Association for Parents for Thai AutisticPersons brought together 15 persons with intellectual disabilities and 16 family members from Bangkok as well as from other provinces. The workshop provided an opportunity for them to share their experiences, and learn from the Thai and Japanese resource persons. Five resource persons (2 of whom were self-advocates) who had attended a one-week training in Japan presented their learning concerning support systems and self-advocacy efforts. In addition, 3 Japanese resource persons (one self-advocate, one family representative and one supporter) shared their experiences and encouraged the formation of a self-advocates’ group as well as support by family members. The formation of Dao Reuang marks a very important first step in the promotion of self-advocacy in Thailand. APCD believes that with the eagerness of the self-advocates and effective support from others, Dao Reuang has the potential to become an active and sustainable group. APCD would like to watch how the group will grow and support its activities. In the near future, perhaps, Dao Reuang may become a role model for self-advocates with intellectual disabilities in other countries. [page 6] Promoting Regional Activities HRD and SbKM !! In collaboration with APCD’s focal points and associate organizations, the APCD mission team conducted activities in Human Resource Development (HRD) and Story-based Knowledge Management (SbKM) in Vietnam (11-23 Jan 2009), Laos (28-30 Jan 2009), the Philippines (22-28 Feb 2009), Pakistan (9-15 Mar 2009) and Papua New Guinea (17-22 March 2009). HRD Preparing for the establishment of a National Association of the Deaf: Vietnam With 27 deaf and hearing impaired persons from Hanoi,Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and some other provinces,a workshop was organized to strengthen their skills as leaders.This idea was originally generated by Thai Deaf groups in Hanoi and HCMC during the previous APCD HRD mission in August 2008. Two Thai Deaf resource persons (from the National Association of the Deaf and the Thai Deaf Children Women Network Federation) shared their experiences in promoting the activities of self-help groups and establishingan association at the national level. With an action plan developed during the workshop,Vietnamese participants who were deaf or had a hearing impairment are currently collaborating to establish a National Association of the Deaf in 2010. KM Participating in a launching ceremony: Laos On 30 January (Fri) 2009, a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the SbKM documentary DVD was jointly organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and Lao Disabled People’s Association in collaboration with APCD. The documentary highlights the developmentprocess of Vientiane Capital Disabled Peoples’ Association (VCDPA) which consists of more than 10 self-help groups with approximately 2,000 persons with disabilities. After messages were delivered by Ms. Buaphan LIKAIYA (Member of National Assembly, on behalf of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare), Mr. Phithounnareth RAJPHO (Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture),and Mr. Hiroaki Takashima(Chief Representative, JICA Laos Office), the DVD was viewed and discussed by participants. In the evening, Lao National Television broadcasted the documentary as well as the ceremony in their daily news. As follow-up, APCD will conduct training on leadership as a HRD activity in cooperation with VCDPA. Documenting good practices on disability: Philippines In collaboration with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and United Architect of the Philippines Accessibility Committee (UAP), the development process of Non-handicapping Environment (NHE) initiatives was filmed as one process of a SbKM activity. Architects, Jaime G. Silva and Armand R. Eustaquio, ex-participants of APCD training on NHE as well as current APCD resource persons on NHE, also joined the shooting process since their knowledge and experiences are essential for this documentation. Also in the February 2009 mission, two more meetings on SbKM were organized with ICT practitioners(NCDA, Resources for the Blind, MCCID College of Technology), and SM Supermalls Committee of Disability Affairs as step one of the documentation. The basic story outline and also the prospective production schedule were developed in the meeting. Strong leadership on disability: Pakistan In a meeting with her Excellency, Federal Minister Samina Khalid Ghurki and other high-rank officials from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education (MSWSE), APCD mission shared information about ex-participants of APCD’s training, associate organizations and SbKM activities. As a focal point, MSWSE and APCD mutually agreed to further develop its partnership. With support from MSWSE, SbKM workshops were organized in cooperation with the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in Islamabad and Danishkadah in Karachi.The story outline of STEP and Danishkadah focused on ex-participants of APCD training as well as their own initiatives before and after the training. Having expressed an interest in SbKM activities, both STEP and Danishkadah developed their ideas and framework of activities facilitated by APCD. Reviewing past steps towards the future: Papua New Guinea During a courtesy visit, Minister Dame Carol A. Kidu and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Joseph Klapat from the Department for Community Development expressed their positive attitude towards the idea of SbKM activity, to identify the impact of disability initiatives in PNG. A SbKM workshop was conducted together with Papua New GuineaAssembly of Disabled People (PNGADP, a national disabled people’s organization network). As a result, a photo booklet, which highlights past efforts by persons with disabilities and self-help groups (SHGs), will be published in collaboration with PNGADP and APCD. This initiative by PNGADP will be in line with the national strategic plan 2008-2012. According to Dame Kidu and Permanent Secretary, Mr.Klapat, the strategic plan is one of the tangible outcomes supported by APCD HRD activity, notably the Sub-Regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building for Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) in 2007. It is expected that the photo booklet will raise awareness about disability, particularly concerning SHGs in PNG. [page 7] APCD Activities Tentative APCD activities for the next 6 months (April 2009 - September 2009) April 2009 24 Apr – 5 May Training for Thai Persons with Disabilities on CBR in India May 2009 6 – 7 SbKM Mission in Thailand 11 – 22 SbKM Mission to the Philippines 12 – 13 The 2nd International Conference on Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in Thailand 28 – 30 Deaf Workshop Laos June 2009 8 – 11 Deaf Workshop in Cambodia 14 – 19 SbKM Mission to Vietnam 23 – 1 Jul CBR Training in Uzbekistan 24 Jun – 3 Jul SbKM Mission to Pakistan July 2009 13 – 17 Blind Dialogue Follow-up in Thailand 20 – 24 SbKM Mission to the Philippines 23 – 31 Training on CBR/SHG in Thailand August 2009 31 Aug – 11 Sep Regional Training on Web-based Networking September 2009 31 Aug– 4 Sep SbKM Mission in Thailand [page 8] International Sign Language Kana-chan & Juk : Happy Summer Season! Juk: We just returned from a long vacation during the Thai Traditional New Year, or so called Songkran and Water Festival. We believe that our friends in some Asian Countries, such as Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar, celebrate this festival in their homes also. kana-chan: Both of us had such a wonderful time that we want to share our joyfulness with our EMPOWERMENT readers too. Juk: Well, let’s get back to another happy time to learn the next four letters. Kana-chan: That’s great. I’ll introduce "S" & " T ". These two letters are quite similar in sign language; only the thumb differentiates them. Firstly, make a fist with your hand. To say " S ", just bend your thumb across your four left fingers. To say " T ", please open your index finger halfway, and stick your thumb straight up against your bent index finger. Juk: Thank you, Kana-chan. So, it’s my turn to say "U" & "V". For "V", we just show the Victory sign by opening the index and middle fingers and close all the other fingers facing the viewer. For the letter "U ", just make the V-sign, then put your index and middle fingers together pointing straight up. Kana-chan: Thanks, Juk. Next time we will learn the last four letters of the alphabet. Juk: See you again. Bye Bye. [page 9] Editorial Message Time has passed so quickly! We are already in the 4th month of the year! Hoping that this New Year will bring every joy & prosperity to all our readers. APCD has been publishing EMPOWERMENT for 27 issues. We would like to express sincere thanks to all resource persons, participants, supporters and commentators who have been walking with us. With your support, our networking and collaboration on empowerment & a barrier-free society can travel like a high speed Shinkansen train throughout Asia and the Pacific!! We welcome articles related to empowerment of persons with disabilities in your country to be published in our newsletter. Please email us at info@apcdproject.org Best regards, "Empowerment" APCD Newsletter Editorial Team