This newsupdate can also be downloaded as a PDF document (please click here)Update - October 2008

Monthly News pdate                                                           October 2008

Regional News

African Decade of Persons with Disabilities Extended
 
The African Decade of Persons with Disabilities has been extended to December 2019. The extension was declared at the AU ministers in Charge of Development meeting held in Windhoek, Namibia on 27th - 31st October, 2008.

The Windhoek Declaration on Social Development adopted by Ministers in Charge of Social Development, adopted Resolution 6, which reads as follows:

“ADOPT the extension of the Continental Decade of Persons with Disabilities for the period 2010-2019; CALL for the evaluation of the existing Decade and its Plan of Action (1999-2009) and the speedy conclusion of the evaluation and restructuring of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI)”

In addition to the resolution extending the Decade, the Windhoek Declaration also adopted resolution 5(x) which reads as follows:

Further commit ourselves to implement the priority strategies under the key thematic social issues spelt out in the Social Policy Framework for Africa, through the following:

(x) “Empowering and providing persons with disabilities with equal opportunities, safeguarding their rights and enlisting their participation and mainstreaming them in all development programmes”

The new Social Development Policy adopted by the Ministers in Windhoek Namibia has detailed coverage of disability work.

We thank all organisations notably PAFOD, AFUB, and others, SADPD Staff and leaders, Panel of Experts/Parliamentarians, Pan African Parliament, ARI, the African Union Social Affairs Commission, our Development Partners (DPOD, Sida, DFID, and Southern Africa Trust, CBM) and those that supported our down-line networks and DPOs for their support during the first Decade and the campaign towards extension.

We look forward to hard work during the next ten years. The secretariat looks forward to improving on its programmes and expanding its mandate to all 53 African countries.

The African Union declared the first decade of the new millennium (1999-2009) as the African Decade for Persons with Disabilities. In 2001 the African Union’s Labour and Social Affairs Commission along with its African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI) and the ILO held a meeting in Addis Ababa.

In this meeting they designed a Continental Plan of Action (CPOA) to guide the member states of the African Union on how to implement the African Decade. The adoption of the African Decade of Disabled Persons (ADDP) placed responsibility on African States to implement Decade Programme activities.

With this declaration, the African Union adopted a Continental Plan of Action (CPOA) with twelve objectives that African States were to implement over the period.
The twelve objectives cover a wide range of themes that are of critical importance to improvement in the lives of persons with disabilities in Africa. These themes include ideas and strategies to:

1. Formulate and implement national policies, programmes and legislations to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities.

2. Promote the participation of persons with disabilities in the process of economic and social development

3. Promote the self-representation of people with disabilities in all public decision-making structures.

4.  To enhance support services for disabled persons.

5. Promote special measures for children, youth, women and elderly persons with disabilities.

6.  Ensure and improve access to rehabilitation, education, training, employment, sports, the cultural and physical environment.

7.  To promote and protect disability rights as human rights

8.  To support the development of and strengthen Disabled Persons’ Organizations

9.      Mobilize resources

These objectives were meant to be implemented by African States, with the cooperation of civil society organisations.
 
For more information, contact Email: info@africandecade.co.za

Disabled Students in Ethiopia Sensitized

The Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD) organised a four day sensitisation workshop for students with disabilities in Ethiopia. The workshop was held on 22nd-25th September 2008.

The workshop was jointly sponsored by Ethiopia Centre for Disability and Development (ECDD), Labour Ministry and Social Affairs, ILO and Basic Education Network.

Participants were drawn from Addis Ababa University and tertiary institutions in the country.

The key objective of the workshop was to promote inclusive education. Practical aspects of awareness raising, strategies and tools were disseminated.

As a way forward, the students said they would launch a campaign on how to make Addis Ababa University and other universities in the country more inclusive. The participants said they would involve the media and government ministries in their course.

For more information, contact Email: nafisa@africandecade.co.za

Inclusion Africa Revitalised

Inclusion Africa has been revitalised. The  re-conceptualisation process took place during the 7th African Network for Development and Disabilities (ANDD) congress held on 21st -24th October, 2008 held in Windhoek, Namibia.

African Network for Development and Disabilities (ANDD) is a network of parent organizations of children with intellectual disabilities. Southern and Eastern Africa organisations belonging to ANDD participated in the workshop.

A constitution was adopted in principle and a board of directors elected. The organs of the institution will be the General Assembly, Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Sub-Regional Executive Committee.

The General Assembly will be the supreme authority of Inclusion Africa. It is constituted by all members of inclusion Africa and has five functions.

• Discuss and approve the management report of the Board of Directors and the financial report of the Executive Committee.

• Adopt the general policy of the federation

• Admit new members as recommended by the Board of Directors.

• Elect the members of the Executive Committee and other members of the Board of Directors

• Approve the general budget of Inclusion Africa and determine membership fees for the next four year. Each National Association member shall have one vote.

The General Assembly shall meet in ordinary session once every 4 years to elect the president and other members of the Board of Directors of inclusion Africa for a four year mandate, renewable once.

The quorum shall be one third of voting of members of inclusion Africa. The decision shall be based on the majority vote of the members present and voting.

The constitution also allows three language clusters to facilitate sharing of ideas. That is Francophone, Anglophone and luciphone. Each cluster will have a president, first and 2nd vice presidents.

Dr. Gessesse Tadesse from Ethiopia was elected president. The vice president is Arsenio Machebene from Association of parents of children with intellectual disabilities, Mozambique

For more information, contact Email: gessesse2000@yahoo.com or podcam@malawi.net

Upcoming Events
Regional

November
Africa Youth Month

25-28 November
Southern Africa Media and Disability workshop
Location: Johanessburg, South Africa
Contact: info@africandecade.co.za

3-7 December
ICASA Conference
Location: Senegal
Contact: info@africandecade.co.za

International

15 October
International white cane day
 
3 December
International Disability Day

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Helpful websites
www.afri-can.org                                            
www.motivation.org.uk
www.wheelchairfoundation.org
www.paranet.ch
www.joniandfriends.org
www.africandecade.org.za
 
The Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities News Update is circulated monthly. We welcome views and feed back from our readers. Your Reponses will always be published in the next issue. For more information, please contact info@africandecade.co.za
 
Compiled by: Jane Mwangi

          Edited: A.K. Dube