Activities report of national celebration activities to mark the International Disability Day, 3rd December, 2004

Organized by: SOMALILAND NATIONAL DISABILITY FORUM (SNDF)
December 2004

SUPPORTED BY:

1- Office of the Vice President,
3- Handicap International (HI),
4- Disability Action Network (DAN),
5- International Cooperation for development (ICD),
6- Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC),
7- Save the Children USA,
8- Africa Educational Trust (AET),
9- International Aid Sweden (IAS),
10- Danish Refugee Council (DRC),
11- Swiss Group/CARITAS,
12- Action Aid,
13- Candlelight,
14- Nagaad Women umbrella,
15- Somaliland Red Crescent Society (SRCS)
16- HAVOYOCO.
17- Edna Maternity Hospital
17- Ortho-hope Rehabilitation Center

On behalf of people with disabilities, our best gratefulness and highest appreciation are kindheartedly conveyed to the above organizations.

Somaliland National Disability Forum (SNDF), as an authoritative body to be a symbol of people with disabilities in this country, recognizing with the fact of that was not achievable the perfect implementation of national celebrations to spotlight the international day for people with disabilities 3rd Dec 2004 without your crucial and helpful support.

Our best thankfulness is also expressed to all SNDF member organizations, PwDs and all other disability well-wishers as well as to all those who contributed or actively participated into the national celebrations for the day of disabled persons.

At after everything else, all your everlasting support, in act of kindness for the development of living situation of people with disabilities, furthermore, your disability strong-willed efforts are extremely honored and acknowledged.

Jama Ibrahim Awad
SNDF Chairman

2) Introduction and justification

The International Day of Disabled Persons was first proclaimed in 1992 by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the World Program of Action Concerning Persons with Disabilities (Persons with Disabilities seldom referred as PwDs) and to promote understanding and awareness about disability issues.

The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

Persons with disabilities, established by the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, base the theme of the Day on the goal of full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society.

The observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons of the year in 2004 will focus on the active involvement of persons with disabilities in the planning of strategies and policies that affect their lives.

The motto "Nothing about us without us" relies on this principle of participation, and it has been used by Disabled Peoples Organizations throughout the years as part of the global movement to achieve the full participation and equalization of opportunities for, by and with persons with disabilities.

The active involvement of persons with disabilities in the ongoing elaboration of a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities has proved to be an excellent example of how the principle of full participation can be put into practice and how it can contribute to the development of truly inclusive societies, in which all voices are heard and persons with disabilities can be helped to shape a better world for all.

Observance of the Day offers an opportunity to foster changes in attitudes towards persons with disabilities and eliminate barriers to their full participation in all aspects of life. The International Day of Disabled persons provides a great opportunity for government, organizations of persons with disabilities and the public at large to focus on the potential of persons with disabilities and to collectively work out with strategies on how to break down social and economic barriers that have contributed in discriminating and excluding people with disabilities.

Awareness raising and information provision are the area of under discussion for the situation of persons with disabilities and also are the most important steps needed to take into action for the achievement of their full social participation and equal rights.

It is based on the fact that most of Persons with disability in Somaliland and elsewhere have proven that they are able and willing to contribute to the economic, political and cultural life of their communities, however, they still face barriers that limit their full participation and their potentials.

It is committed to actively working to come to an end of all kinds of discrimination against persons with disabilities and has been developing and using as a tools for the Disability Rights in Somaliland such as the National celebration activities to mark International day for people with disabilities 3rd December 2004.

SNDF since its short term of subsistence with their collective traditional worth in accordance with the most important human right principles, It has been activated and highlighted so many frontages to promote and defend the rights of all persons with disabilities in this country.

The National Disability forum planned to develop many proposals for potential motion in favor of the combination of disabled persons needs and to better respond to an easy accessibility as well as the situational development of persons with disabilities at national level and to develop proper strategies for preventable causes of disabilities and poverty reduction policies.

3) Objectives and anticipated achievements

Somaliland National Disability Forum (SNDF) and the Government of Somaliland believe with the intention of all the barriers ought to be eliminated, so to ensure that persons with disabilities, their families and the wider community are able to fully participate and contribute to building our society.

For the aim of Raising the public, Government and International community's awareness about the People with disabilities issues by articulating their concerns about the situation of people with disabilities in the areas of:

- Promoting an equal employment opportunities by getting a commitment from government line ministers and international community about their programs and projects for PwDs that would create livelihood opportunities.
- Encouraging Political parties to include people with disabilities concerns in their party platform.
- Mobilize elders and traditional leaders to speak about the negative impact of cultural discrimination of people with disabilities.
- Government officials to publicly speak about the promoting the importance of education opportunities to people with disabilities
- Building infrastructures that would facilitate access to people with disabilities.
- Make the efforts of Civil Service Commission in hiring extra people with disabilities, (as they employed 13 disabled members in this year 2004) in government offices in response to their commitment to counter discrimination.
- Explore educational and employment opportunities for the people with disability.
- Develop means of information and resource sharing among the people with disabilities.
- Give the disabled community members the opportunity to learn more about their own rights and obligations same as other citizens.
- Increase the self-reliance and independence living for the Disabled persons and in turn to decrease their entire dependence to the charity of others.
- Improve the advocacy for the employment and skills, trade and business trainings for the people with disabilities.

SNDF pre-planned many celebration activities for the event of international day of disabled persons 3rd Dec 2004 , for the aim of nationwide altitude of disability issues and in addition for the purpose of realizing the subsequent attainments:

- Awareness raising about the living situation of people with disabilities to the public, government and internationals.
- Promotion of political & leadership participation for PwDs
- Campaign for equal rights for disabled people.
- To demonstrate the potentials for PwDs.
- Attitude change for communities and social integration for PwDs.
- Respect humanly, moral support, job creation and economical support for PwDs.
- Games and public participation for children with special needs and difficult learning.
- Public can hear the voice of PwDs.
- The social, environmental and traditional barriers for PwDs are going to be eliminated.
- Encouragement for the special education and skill training for PwDs.
- Encourage to Civil service commission acceptance of the job creation and further recruitment for PwDs in government offices.

4) Groundwork Preparations for celebration activities

For the intention of realizing all or most of the above mentioned objectives SNDF had put into action with specific and pre-arranging strategies for perfectly trying to get ready so many celebration activities to stain this significant day for people with disabilities, against this year's international theme of the day 3rd Dec 2004.

The members of the National Disability forum have perfectly completed various celebration activities with the aim of demonstrating the potential of people with disabilities as well as to high light the barriers people with disabilities face and are challenged with every day of their lives. The designed national celebration activities also, illustrated the true significance of this year's National theme in Somaliland "Mental disability is not social withdrawal" The forum also is working for a number of other initiatives such as the development of Accessibility to improve the availabilities of an easy access for persons with disabilities into the mainstream society and the elimination of all negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities.

The mobilization of people with disabilities for their rights all the way through the formation and the institutional capacity building of disabled persons organizations such as blind society, deaf society, mental health groups etc.

Considerately, the forum exploring how is the best ways for educating the disabled children and training for the communities in general about the rights of persons with disabilities through an awareness raising campaign, advocacy training and offering workshops on disability rights issues.

For their strong willed to implement of all the pre-planned celebration activities the members of SNDF Management team had put forward a Request for financial contribution and other support for the National celebrations to many international humanitarian organizations, Government line ministries, LNGOs based in Hargeisa and private sector as well.

It is noteworthy and extremely significant the covered letter to smooth the progress of our financial request which the Honorable Minister of justice Mr. Ahmed Hassan Ali has attached with our request to all prospective contributors (it's contents please see in annex 1).

The members of SNDF coordination body along with fundraising, coordinating different task groups as well as the activities arrangements, with the handful support from other SNDF member organizations, mainly, the disabled peoples organizations (DPOs) since they are the implementing actors for their bright day, have organized so many pre-event activities for this vital day. such as the following:

The slogans, Banners and postures are marked most of the major streets and public places in Hargeisa city showing with the following messages:

- International day for people with disabilities 3rd Dec 2004.
- Nothing about us without us
- Mental disability is not social withdrawal
- Disability is not inability
- Disabled members have right to participate in decision-making, planning and development of the country.
- Education for children with disabilities is good for our nation
- Please don't call me according to my type of disability
- Easy access for people with disabilities for all buildings, transport and environment
- I can do everything except hearing. Message From Hargeisa Deaf School
- Equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

A continuous media coverage for the period of 4 days for interviewing of some disabled persons, Chairman and other members of SNDF, some of disabled children's parents, professionals for the science of rehabilitation of people with disabilities such as physiotherapists and orthopedic technicians from the rehabilitation centers in Hargeisa, further on to the event day of 3rd Dec 2004, as it was planned to be published and broadcasted in all local newspapers both in English and Somali languages such as : JAMHUURIYA, HAATUF, MANDEEQ, Horn TRIBUNE, RADIO HARGEISA, AND SOMALILAND TV.

350 pieces of White T-shirts printed with "International day for people with disabilities 3rd Dec 2004, in both sides in English and Somali languages are made available prior to the event day.

The security police, national police music band, ambulance with nurses and first aid kits for safety or injury prevention measures and traffic police for the event was pre-arranged.

The venue preparation at the civil service commission conference center was well decorated with the postures and banners marking the world disability day and the slogans related to other messages from the people with disabilities to the public, as well as the refreshments and soft drinks for honorable guests are made ready by the organizing task groups.