Pacific Disability Forum

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Pacific Disability Forum
DSABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PACIFIC
A partnership of Pacific Organizations of and
for People with Disabilities
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Background

• Persons with disabilities in Pacific island
  countries are among the poorest and most
  marginalised members of their communities.
• The struggling economies of PICs inhibit
  government attention to the presence, needs and
  concerns of Persons with Disabilities - minority
  group and needs are outweighed by national
  priority and agenda.
• Establishment of Disabled Peoples Organisations
  (DPOs) increased world-wide since United Nations
  proclaimed IYDP in 1981 Theme Full
  participation and equal opportunities for Persons
  With Disabilities

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Background contd

• UNESCAP spearheading regional efforts over two
  consecutive regional disability decades to forge
  a paradigm shift from a welfare to a human
  rights-based approach to disability.
• The first Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled
  Persons started in 1993 and concluded in 2002.
• The second Decade runs from 2003 to 2012. The
  Biwako Millennium Framework for Action (BMF)
  towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and
  Rights-based Society for Persons with
  Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific and its
  supplement, the Biwako Plus Five, are the
  Decades policy guidelines on disability to
  facilitate national policy formulation and
  implementation on disability.

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Background cont

• Positive Development emerged in the Pacific in
  the 1990s due to UNESCAP Decade of Disabled
  Persons, 1993 2002
• Goals Promotion of the Full Participation and
  Equality of people with Disabilities in Asia and
  the Pacific Region.

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Background contd

• Assessment of achievements made by PICs during
  the first Decade showed that PICs lagged behind
  in the implementation of the Decades Agenda for
  Action.
• Lack of progress due to lack of information
  distance and cost of travel poorly performing
  economies lack of commitment by governments
  lack of engagement with NGOs and DPOs and the
  overall lack of voice of persons with
  disabilities.

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Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities

• Purpose of Convention (Article 1)
• To promote, protect and ensure the full and
  equal enjoyment of all human rights and
  fundamental freedoms by all persons with
  disabilities, and to promote respect for their
  inherent dignity

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What is unique about the Convention?

• Both a development and Human Rights instrument
• A policy instrument which is cross-disability and
  cross-sectoral
• Legally binding

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A Paradigm Shift

• The Convention marks a paradigm shift in
  attitudes and approaches to persons with
  disabilities.
• Persons with disabilities are not viewed as
  "objects" of charity, medical treatment and
  social protection rather as "subjects" with
  rights, who are capable of claiming those rights
  and making decisions for their lives based on
  their free and informed consent as well as being
  active members of society.
• The Convention gives universal recognition to the
  dignity of persons with disabilities.

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2. Disability Pacific Island Governments

• Disability was not on the Forum agenda until 2002
  when the Honourable Prime Minister of Vanuatu
  raised the issue at the 2002 Pacific Islands
  Forum Leaders Meeting.
• Prompted by the recommendations adopted by the
  UNESCAP 7 Special Body on Pacific Island
  Developing Countries Meeting in Bangkok in May
  2002.
• Disability included in PIF Leaders Communique in
  2003 and Pacific Plan.
• Pacific offices of UN agencies also address
  disability issues in the region.

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contd

• 2008 Regional Meeting of Government Focal Points
  on Disability
• 2009 Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting,
  Cairns, Australia Disability included in Forum
  Communiqué
• 2009 Pacific Islands Forum Disability Ministers
  Meeting, Cook Islands, October, 2009.
• 2010 Pacific Island Forum Leaders endorsed the
  Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability,
  2010-2015.

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3. Disability Movement and Service Provision in
the Pacific

• The primary catalysts for developing responses to
  disability issues in PICs in the last four
  decades have been local, national and
  international NGOs.
• Governments like Australia, Canada, Japan, New
  Zealand and the United Kingdom provided financial
  assistance to support the efforts of these NGOs
  which mainly target the education and
  rehabilitation needs of children and adults with
  disabilities in the Pacific.
• e.g the Red Cross Centres in Cook Islands,
  Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga the Able
  Disable Centre in Nauru the parents support
  group in Kiribati Vanuatu Society for Disabled
  People Prevention, Rehabilitation and Education
  of Blind Persons and Loto Taumafai of Samoa,
  service providers in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

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Contd

• Single and cross-disability NGOs were established
  in PICs, focused on service delivery and managed
  by able-bodied persons.
• Persons with disabilities were cared for,
  spoon-fed, protected and segregated.
• Regarded as recipients of goodwill, unable to
  make their own choices or determine their own
  destiny.
• Strong extended family system encouraged family
  members to look after their less fortunate
  relatives.
• Association of a disabling condition with
  ancestral curse, parental misdeeds, witchcraft,
  shame and fear kept persons with disabilities
  isolated, neglected, dependent and poor.

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Contd

• The international disability rights movement
  caught the attention of leaders of DPOs in
  Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Solomon Islands
  in the 1990s.
• Their efforts gained momentum as other Pacific
  Island countries established their own national
  DPOs to be the voice and representative of
  persons with disabilities living in their
  countries.
• The disability rights movement is about persons
  with disabilities controlling their own lives
  with the support they need, and uphold the value
  that disability must not be looked at in parts
  but in totality.

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Contd

• In March 2000, several DPOs in PICs which are
  members of Disabled People International (DPI)
  established a sub-regional office in Fiji to
  strengthen their self-help initiatives at the
  national level through leadership training and
  information sharing.
• National DPOs were established in Cook Islands,
  Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and
  Vanuatu between 2000 and 2004.
• Inclusion International Asia/Pacific Region
  established Pacific Disability Development
  Network in 2001 with organisations of and for
  people with disabilities.
• Disability surveys were conducted in Cook
  Islands, Samoa and Kiribati.
• About 5 were children and adults with profound,
  severe or moderate disabilities.

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4. The Birth of PDF

• National DPOs and disability service providers in
  PICs met in Fiji in December 2002 to discuss a
  Pacific-based regional organisation on
  disability.
• This meeting saw the birth of the Pacific
  Disability Forum (PDF).
• NZAID) reviewed its funding support to disability
  programme in the Pacific region in 2005.
• NZAID Pacific Regional Health Programme received
  clear, strategic direction for assistance in the
  area of disability development in the Pacific
  region for the next five years.
• PDF well placed as a partner to NZAID and secured
  funding agreement until June 2011.

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Establishment of PDF

• PDF Council and Executive Committee elected in
  2004 inaugural meeting Constitution and Plan
  adopted
• NZAID Funding for PDF 2006 2011
• Staff appointed and Secretariat established in
  2007
• PDF General Forum and Pacific Regional Conference
  on Disability held every 2 years 2013 in New
  Caledonia

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Vision

• An inclusive Pacific society that is responsive,
  culture sensitive, gender equitable and ensures
  the promotion and protection of the rights of
  persons with disabilities

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Mission

• To improve the situations of persons with
  disabilities in Pacific Island Countries
  Territories by developing and strengthening the
  capacity of member disabled persons organisations
  (DPOs) through advocacy and collaboration with
  relevant stakeholders.

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KRA 1 - Support PDF members to become stronger
organisations.

• Advocate for and advance the rights of persons
  with disabilities in the Pacific
• Strengthen the capacity of NDPOs in PICs to be
  self reliant and sustainable by 2016
• Ensuring NDPOs have good and capable leaders
• Enhance gender equality Youth Participation
• Ensure access to relevant and timely information
  on issues and concerns to DPOs in the Pacific.
• Increase the membership of the PDF

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KRA 2 - Establish stronger relationships
with Development Partners, Donor Agencies and
National Governments.

• Establish support partnership between NDPOs
  development partners, donor agencies and national
  governments
• Strengthen existing and develop new partnerships
  with relevant development partners, donor
  agencies and national governments.

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KRA 3 - Influence Policies and Emerging Issues to
be disability inclusive.

• PDF is responsive to emerging issues
• Promote disability inclusive development in the
  Pacific through CRPD, MDGs, PRSD

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KRA 4 - Reviewing and Strengthen Governance and
Operations of the PDF. 

• Ensure the effective governance of PDF
• Ensure an effective management and operations of
  the PDF
• To develop a responsive Regional organisation
• Ensure effective monitoring and Evaluation of PDF
  activities
• Ensure financial sustainability for the PDF

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Organisational and Management Structures
Membership of the Pacific Disability
Forum (General Forum)
PDF Board 9 Members (including 2 Co-chairs
male/female)
CEO

• Committee
• Womens
• Youth
• Pacific DPO Fund

Programme Manager
Finance Office Manager
Administrative Officer
Office Assistant
Information Officer
DPO Development Officer
Gender Youth Officer
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MEMBERSHIP

• PDF Membership 38 organisations in 15 countries
  and territory (Australia, Cook Is, FSM, Fiji,
  Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand,
  Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Tuvalu and
  Vanuatu)
• 26 Full Members - DPOs
• 19 Associate Members with 7 Individuals , 12
  Organisations

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Thank You!

• Pacific Disability Forum
• 24 Des Voeux Road
• G.P.O 18458
• Suva, Fiji.
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E- mail pdfsec_at_connect.com.fj