Fifth International Shafallah Forum in Doha:

Commitment for one billion differently-abled persons

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

When the world population surpassed seven billion recently, the entire world might not have been aware that they have one billion population in this earth who had become disabled in some form to be cared in their daily life as fellow citizen.

Nations across the globe may have ratified conventions and passed bills in their legislatures making their commitment to safeguard the rights of the disabled people equal to the rights enjoyed by other people. But, as nations, States and as fellow citizens, whether we can be satisfied with our commitment for this one billion population who are also a part of this world is a big question, the entire world is having at present.

The reality is far beyond the picture we see at our day-to-day life. As a nation, Sri Lanka which had experienced a three decades long conflict that has been marred by bomb explosions that had rocked many cities, the mine fields that caused amputation of many servicemen and civilians, and also going through a devastating tsunami catastrophe in December 2004, we know the suffering of the disabled people in conflicts and disaster time.

Whether it is conflict in the North, East or the devastating Tsunami, the suffering of the disabled people was a factor that moved the emotions of many, but we cannot stop there, sharing only their emotions teary eyed, or hugging them with emotions. The entire world has to move fast to make their life better and include them in the agendas of any activity treating them as a part of society.

Like us in Sri Lanka, so many nations across the globe such as Uganda, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Philippines and Haiti are still struggling to rise from their conflict situations and also to recover from the disaster that have torn their nations apart.

The disabled people who had undergone the bitter experience during conflicts and disasters have become an eye opener for the entire world to have their second thought in the process of planning for preparedness to face disasters and conflicts and make the disabled people a part of these mechanisms without excluding disregarding them in conflicts and disasters.

The fifth International Shafallah Forum organised by the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs under the patronage of Sheikha Mozah bint Nasserirst held from January 22 to 24, gave a wide opportunity for the disabled community and the organisations representing the disabled people across the globe to have their voice heard to many who are in the forefront in making legislations and mechanisms to support the disabled community.

The presence of the First Lady of Sri Lanka Shiranthi Rajapaksa among the first ladies of Namibia, Poland, Macedonia, Kenya and Ghana and other high profile dignitaries from the United Nations gave an opportunity for Sri Lanka also to share its experience with the other nations worldwide, and gave the forum a weight as it helps a lot for decision-making process by various nations regarding the rights of disabled people.

The Chairman of the Shafallah Centre for children with special need Hassan Ali Bin Ali and its co chair Cherie Blair (founder, Cherie Blair Foundation) having organised the forum, gave a wide opportunity for the disabled community across the world to discuss the issues affecting them when the nations hit by disasters and conflicts making it one of the highest forums to discuss on disabled people.

The 2012 International Shafallah Forum held under the theme 'Crisis, Conflict and Disability: Ensuring Equality' also opened with the opening of the Institute for the Blind Children at the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasserirst.Chairman of the Shafallah Center, Hassan Ali bin Ali laid a strong foundation for the foundation, adding that the people across the globe should pay their due attention towards the one billion disabled community living various parts of the world.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Ali bin Ali called on those countries that have yet to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to do so as a means to better cope with natural disasters. "Although we have made long strides in the advancement of the rights of the disabled, there is still much more we can do", he added.

In his remarks quoting the World Health Organisation estimates, he said that about 15 per cent of the world population is living with a disability and more than 800 million of those live in poverty and 3.5 million of them are refugees with disability.

"Our brief experience thus far working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Women's Refugee Commission, the Refugee Law Project of Uganda and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency enforces and underlines the fact that refugees with a disability are amongst the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised of all people living in the world today. There are estimated to be over 3.5 million of them. Most refugees with disability live in abject poverty and in reality there is a huge disconnect between the conditions in which they live and the opportunity to even begin implementing their numerous legal rights under the provisions of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", he added.

He also added that many of the countries that have signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have neither the financial and human resources, nor expertise to properly implement the provisions of the Convention.

The opening of the forum was held with the presence of Professor Emeritus and Chair of the United Nations Committee of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Ron McCallum and Deputy Director of International Protection for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Louise Aubin.

The forum gave an opportunity for the disabled people from the refugee camps, and the conflict affected areas in many countries to share their harrowing experience with the disabled community from other parts of the world and also for the organisations committed for the disabled persons to tell the world how they have overcome the problems they have confronted when handling disabled persons issues.

Many disabled persons were able to share their stories on how they have overcome their disabilities to stand along with others in society. Philippe Croizon, a French athlete and the first quadruple amputee to swim across the English Channel was also present to share his experience with the disabled community that participated at the event.

His story inspired the thoughts of many disabled person and also other participants as he showed through video clip, how a normal human being became a person with many talents even after becoming quadruple amputee after a sudden accident when he was 26 years.

Now a 42-year old father of six children, he now takes up the challenge of swimming across the seas in many parts of the world through his organisation committed for the disabled people.

Florence Nightingale Mukasa from Uganda National Association of the Deaf, gave voice of the voiceless in the Uganda refugee camps highlighting the point that the disabled, the blind and the deaf also need to know about their rights and also about the conventions and Acts on their rights as many of the legal documents are unaccessible to the disabled people.

"How can we push the governments and authorities when they are not aware what their rights are and what legislations there are with regard to their rights", she queried at a panel discussion.

At the same time she also highlighted the need to have a separate system that can accommodate the disabled people who are living in refugee camps when the international community provide their helping hand for those refugees.

Dr. Sarah Costa, Executive Director of the Women's Refugee Commission stressed the importance of registration as the first step in identifying and addressing conditions that affect refugees with disabilities.

"We need to start identifying the people with disabilities at the time of refugee registration and break down on basis of age, gender and profile of disability." Dr. Costa added.

Many of disabled persons who participated at the forum stressed the necessity for the respective governments to urge the private sector to allocate a quota for the disabled persons when providing job opportunities.

However, many participants representing many organisations have pointed out that their disability did not become an obstacle to get employment opportunities as they need only determination and courage to reach those positions.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa also shared her views with many disabled people who had attended the forum. Philippe Croizen the quadruplet amputee who crossed the English channel shared a moment with her when the proceedings of the forum was going on.

She also met many UN representatives who were present at the forum, including Rima Salah, the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the forum and Gerald Oriol, Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities of the Government of Haiti who himself is a disabled person.

The three day conference with full of fruitful discussion provided an opportunity for those engaged in decision-making to have second thoughts about their decisions to include the disabled people who represent at least 15 per cent of the world population.

An eight point declaration was made by the participants to make the lives of disabled people a brighter one in the future and making a commitment to recognise and support the launch of 'One Billion Strong' campaign to empower one billion disabled people across the globe.

The forum determined to garner the support of all governments, ensuring countries ratify to truly and meaningfully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability through education, awareness and monitoring.

It also declared to make the facts and issues surrounding the one billion persons with disability in the world today, a sustained mainstream global focus. The aim of such focus is to make the media content inclusive, create awareness, change perceptions and educate the world's general public about these facts and issues and to identify and raise awareness of the poverty issues as well as issues of disability to make a real difference to the lives of persons with disabilities.

With their strong commitment made to make the one billion disabled community across the globe a strong community, all the participants who had fruitful time in the State of Qatar dispersed with enlightened mind on the disabled community.