Community based inclusive development
The “South Asian Disability Forum Strategic Planning Workshop” and executive committee meeting of the South Asian Disability Forum was held in November 2013 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Ms. Maniquegunaratne is the Vice President of the South Asian Disability Forum. It was held at Hotel Margala, Islamabad, organized by the Ministry of Law & Justice and Human Rights of Pakistan, the UNESCO Islamabad, the South Asian Disability Forum (SADF) and the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), the CHEF International and the British Council Pakistan.
The objective of the “SADF Strategic Planning Workshop” was to formulate a three (3)-year action plan for SADF encompassing activities to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in South Asia.
The other programme was the “Leadership Conference of Persons with Disabilities on Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID)” at Margala Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan. Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socio-economic
Outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as less education, worse health conditions, less employment opportunities, and higher poverty rates. Poverty may increase the risk of disability through malnutrition, inadequate access to education and health care, unsafe working conditions, polluted environment, and lack of access to safe water and sanitation. Disability may increase the risk of poverty, through lack of employment, lower wages, and increased cost of living with a disability. Keeping in view above situation, “Leadership
Conference of Persons with Disabilities on Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID)” was organized by the Ministry of Law & Justice and Human Rights of Pakistan, the UNESCO Islamabad, the WHO Pakistan, the CBID Network Pakistan and the South Asian Disability Forum (SADF) in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), CBM, the CHEF International and the British Council Pakistan.
The aim of the Conference was to promote the leadership of people with disabilities in the context of Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) in Pakistan and other countries in South Asia, Asia Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean region.
The following areas were covered at the conference.
Legislative framework on disability.
Community based inclusive development practices in other countries.
Community based inclusive disaster risk reduction.
Community based inclusive education initiatives.
Ms. Maniquegunaratne represented Sri Lanka at this conference.
Picture descriptions:
1 Group photograph of the participants.
2 Panel discussion.
ManiqueGunaratne
CISCO International Trainer for I T E (Information Technology Essentials)
