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| Sunday, 27 November 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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December 3 : Int'l Day of Disabled Persons
If it's the former, you should do some serious thinking! How would you like it if other people laughed at you for something which you cannot do anything about? Yes, disabled people are not responsible for their disabilities. They are human beings just like you and me, and are suffering due to no fault of theirs. Disabilities could take many forms; being born without limbs or with malformed limbs, losing limbs due to amputations; diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, paralysis and polio; or learning, hearing and visual disabilities. Some are born disabled while others may become victims later in life due to accidents, diseases or old age. The 20-year old war in Sri Lanka rendered many young men, who were in the prime of their lives, to wheelchairs, while more damage was caused by the thousands of landmines scattered across the war zones. Disability could affect anyone at any stage in life. This is why December 3 is observed by the United Nations as the International Day of Disabled Persons. It aims to promote understanding among the public of issues related to disabilities and to get the support of the public so that the disabled can live a life of dignity, with others caring for their rights and well-being. Through this special day, the UN intends to get the full participation of disabled people in social life and development, and also to develop rehabilitation measures for them. On October 1992, at the conclusion of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992), the General Assembly proclaimed December 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons. The Decade had been a period of raising awareness, and enacting measures to improve the situation of persons with disabilities and to provide them with equal opportunities. Subsequently, the Assembly appealed to member states to highlight the observance of the Day to further integrate people with disabilities into society. Thirteen years later, we find that such people are still excluded from society in many countries, due to negative attitudes. On this day, there is a need to organise public discussions and information campaigns about disabled people and how they can be integrated into the society, events showcasing their contributions and implement action to further improve their contributions. The public should be made aware of how everyone will benefit by getting the disabled to perform a more active role in every sphere such as the political, social, economic and cultural arena. Facilities should be improved so that they can enjoy a better life independently. So, as children, what can you do to make their lives better? First of all, open your minds and doors to disabled people. You can make a big difference just by listening to them, helping them, working and travelling with them, and simply by being their friend. Remember it could affect anyone! ########## Easing the plight of street children
Street children are nothing new to Sri Lanka. You yourselves may have come across so many of them on your way to school, classes or when you are out shopping. They don't have a roof above their heads as you do; nice clothes like yours or delicious food like those that you enjoy. Most of them resort to begging to feed themselves, while some are even compelled to steal from others. They are also vulnerable to abuse and exploitation at the hands of the elders around them, sometimes their own parents. As the season of goodwill dawns, it is timely to focus attention on the large numbers of street children living around us. Think how you can help them in your own small way. Maybe you can gift some of your clothes or toys to them, or prepare a meal for them. Some of you maybe spending large amounts of money on annual stivities. Maybe you can direct some of those funds to help a less fortunate child. There are many local and foreign organisations working to uplift the living standards of the many street children in the country. Maybe you could join hands with some of these organisations and contribute to the cause in whatever way you can. After all, you are helping another child just like you, in every way, except for the unfortunate circumstances which have forced them onto the streets. ########## Forests expanding in Asia-Pacific The trend of net losses in forest coverage during the 1990s in the Asia-Pacific region has been reversed due to large-scale forestation programmes, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently. Key findings of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 (FRA 2005) released recently by the FAO indicate that the region has altered a net loss of forests of around 1,275,000 hectares per year in 1990-2000 into an annual net gain of 633,000 hectares in the period 2000-2005, mainly due to increased plantation activity in the region. Forests in the region now comprise 734 million hectares or about 18.6 per cent of the world forests and 25.8 per cent of the total land area of the region. "Four countries in the region continue to be among the top 10 countries in terms of forest area - China, Australia, Indonesia and India," said He Changchui, FAO's regional chief. The total area of plantation and its rate of annual increase is the highest in the world, presently accounting for 45.6 per cent of total forest plantations in the world, he said. Forest plantations cover 11 per cent of the total forest area in Asia and two per cent of the forest area in the Pacific. They are expanding at a rate of 1,816,200 ha/year in Asia and at a rate of 74,800 ha/year in the Pacific. Forests are expanding at an increasing rate in the East Asia sub-region - primarily due to large-scale afforestation reported by China - but are contracting in the rest of the region. In South-east Asia, the rate of forest losses continues to increase, while the expanding trend during the 1990s in South Asia has reversed to contraction during 2000-2005. In the Pacific, the rate of forest loss has slowed down slightly over the last 15 years. The FAO report also said that some 13 million hectares of forests disappear each year around the world. The rate fell from an estimated 8.9 million hectares per year between 1990 and 2000, the report said. South America suffered the largest net loss of forests between 2000 and 2005, at around 4.3 million hectares per year, followed by Africa, which lost four million hectares annually, the report found. Some 30 per cent of the world's land area - nearly four billion hectares - is currently covered by forest, although only 10 countries account for two-thirds of all forest area, according to the report. |
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Do you have any disabled friends, or do you know of anyone who is
suffering from a physical or mental disability? If so, how do you treat
them? Do you humiliate and scorn them for their disabilities or do you
treat them with love and compassion? 
