- JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Australian Government
AusAID Media Release
Bob McMullan Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance and Bill Shorten Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services
3 December 2009
The Australian Government supports International Day of People with Disability
On International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD), the Australian Government is proud to report on progress towards improving the quality of life of people with disability through Australia's international aid program.
Approximately 10 per cent of the world's population, some 650 million people, are living with disability. People with disability make up the world's largest and most disadvantaged minority and are increasingly recognised as the poorest and most marginalised in developing countries, accounting for at least 20 per cent of the most impoverished in developing countries.
The theme of this year's International Day of People with Disability focuses on development - 'Making the Millennium Development Goals Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world.'
'We cannot be serious in our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals unless we ensure global efforts include a focus on the needs of people with disability and their communities,' Mr McMullan said.
'Australia is working hard with UN agencies, multilateral banks, and other donor partners to increase understanding of the importance of including people with disability in development efforts.'
In November 2008 Mr McMullan launched Australia's first comprehensive disability strategy for the international aid program: Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014. The strategy reflects Australia's commitment to accelerating progress towards the MDGs and aims to improve the quality of life of people with disability by ensuring they are included in, and benefit equally from, Australia's aid program.
The Strategy focuses on targeted initiatives to meet the specific needs of people with disability, building the leadership skills of people with disability and their organisations, and ensuring major programs in sectors such as education and infrastructure meet the needs and priorities of people with disability. The Strategy also includes programs to reduce preventable disability through support for avoidable blindness and road safety.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten said that Australians should be proud of the work being done to include people with disability in Australia's aid programs.
'Across the world people with disability face the same problems of isolation and exclusion from society,' Mr Shorten said.
'Improving the civil rights, and economic independence of people with disability is a key goal of the Rudd Government's policies both in Australia and in our region.'
- Update from Cook Islands
Happy celebration on our International day.
Well, for us here in the Cooks today's a Wednesday it's a preparation day in the Cooks for the big day tomorrow Thursday.
Celebration started on Monday with TV interviews and radio talk back shows informing the public on the International Day for People With Disabilities and what it is all about it, why the need to celebrate
On December 3rd the public were invited to wear or put on something GREEN as a symbol to mark the day and the green colour meant the environment they lived in and the color was chosen to also symbolize disability in the Cook Islands.
- Update from Fiji.
. Team wheels for $50,000
(Source: Fiji Times Online By Samantha Rina Friday, December 04, 2009)
+ Enlarge this image
Timoci Serevi and Peni Dobui lead the Fiji Spinal Injuries Association appeal. Picture: ANOKH KUMAR
IF you're on the Queen's Highway, keep a lookout for the wheel-a-thon team which is aiming to raise $50,000 for supplies for spinal injuries victims.
The Spinal Injuries Association wheel-a-thon had a good start on Monday with team members in wheelchairs departing from Rakiraki.
Association secretary Peni Dobui and treasurer, Timoci Serevi, said the team arrived in Nadi on Wednesday, considered to be the halfway point for the road trip.
Mr Dobui said the wheelathon was organised to raise funds for wheelchairs and medical supplies and equipment for 2010 and also to draw attention to the capabilities of people with disabilities.
"We want people to know that we are disabled but we can do something, we want to move forward. We can't stop after suffering a disability because there's still life for us," he said.
"For three months we planned this wheel-a-thon with an aim to raise $50,000. Along the way from Nadi to Sigatoka, we will stop at hotels and resorts to collect the tins we had distributed earlier for donations," he said.
Mr Dobui said no one was pushing their wheelchairs during the wheel-a-thon.
"This is not new for us. We have participated previously in 25 kilometre marathons in Japan. The wheelchairs we have are not ordinary ones, they travel faster," he said.
The wheel-a-thon team is being supported by a doctor, a physiotherapist and 18 members of a church group.
It ends on Saturday when the team arrives in Suva.
II. December 3rd in Suva.
To mark December 3rd 2009, with funding from the Fiji Vodafone ATH Foundation o the amount of $50,220.00, the Fiji Disable People's Association held a march from the flea market to the Civic auditorium Suva.
This also marked the 1st day of a 3 day workshop where it enabled youths to learn new skills.
Foundation executive Ambalika Kutty said they had invested over $280,000 in projects for disabled persons in the country.
The grant will be used to hold workshops to teach disabled youths new skills. Also the day aimed to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.
According to the association, the celebration will provide an opportunity for disable persons to achieve full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society. Below is a picture taken during yesterdays march.
- Update from the PNG;
1. PNG games from 18-28 November attracted many people with disability who attended and grabbed medals for their provinces. About 180 disable athletes participated and many won medals for their various sporting category.
2. Dept for Community Development held it’s inter departmental meeting on 2 December for discussing the process of the CRPD ratification with government agencies.
3. PNGADP launches its Strategic Plan yesterday 3 December 2009 (program attached)
Press Release for the National Disability Resource and Advocacy Centre, Madang, PNG
December 3rd, 2009, is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in which the theme is “Making the Millennium Development Goals Inclusive: Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in their communities around the World”
In Papua New Guinea, over six hundred thousand men, women, and children have one or some form of physical or mental disability. It is a growing issue in PNG, caused by population growth, ageing, lifestyle diseases, conflict, malnutrition, accidents, injuries and HIV and Aids.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities aims to promote an understanding of disability issues, the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.
The day provides an opportunity to mobilize action to achieve the goal of full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society by persons with disabilities as established by the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
In Madang International Day for Persons with Disabilities was celebrated with World Aids Day yesterday, 1st of December.
Disability sector organisations such as Creative Self-Help Centre and National Disability Resource and Advocacy Centre were present at the venue of the celebrations at Madang’s Bates Oval to advocate, carry out awareness and relate the issue of Disability with HIV and Aids as well.
Peter Momo, a Person Living with HIV and Aids (PLWHA) and an active advocator for PLWHA in Papua New Guinea through Igat Hope said that disability is a growing epidemic in the country. He said, a lot of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) were deprived of their rights to be included
in government services, such as education, accessibility into public buildings and facilities.
He gave an example of many hotels and public buildings not having proper ramps and toilet facilities for persons using wheelchairs to access easily.
Other speakers were the Madang Governor, Sir Arnold Amet and founder of Friends Foundation, Tessie Soi.
The day-long event was attended by many other HIV&Aids advocators and organisations; Madang Provincial Aids Committee, NGOs such as People Living with Higher Aims, Save the Children, World Vision, Family Health International,
National Disability Resource and Advocacy Centre, Tingim Laip and its mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing centre.
National Disability Resource and Advocacy Centre is an NGO that raises awareness on disability rights to the broader community in Papua New Guinea, we also produce the only disability magazine in Papua New Guinea called The Network and we are a source of information and empowerment for Persons with Disabilities.
All the best with your efforts to enhance and promote the human rights of persons with disability.
Have a nice weekend!
Blessing!
"A Partnership of Pacific Organization of and for People with Disabilities"
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Mr. Soloveni Vitoso
Information Officer
Pacific Disability Forum
Desvoeux Road
Suva
Fiji.