Ibero-American Network of People with Disabilities Created by Agreement of 11 Countries
By Hernando Ayala M.
An Ibero-American Network of organizations of people with disabilities is being created during the first six months of 2002 and its legal life will be the result of the work of 11 countries, among them Colombia, being represented by the Federación Nacional de Sordos de Colombia, Fenascol (National Federation of Deaf Persons of Colombia).
This network was called for by the Declaration of Santa Cruz, the final document of the "Associations of People with Disabilities" Workshop, which was sponsored by Imserso and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency, on October 15 - 19, 2001, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Twenty disability leaders from Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Uruguay participated in drafting the agreement leading to the establishment of the Red Iberoamericana de Organizaciones de y pro Personas con Discapacidad (Ibero-American Network of Organizations of and for Persons with Disabilities).
Henry Mejía Royet, General Director of Fenascol and Member of the National Consultative Committee on Disability, representing deaf persons, participated in this event.
The gathering met its objectives of conducting an analysis of the situation of persons with disabilities in Ibero-America and organizing a network linking all countries performing work in this sector.
Venezuela, recognized as the most organized country after Spain in Ibero-America, having a Federated System of Associations of Persons with Disabilities, assumed the challenge of hosting, in six months, the first general assembly of the Ibero-American Network. A eight-member working group was established to organize that first assembly and to present the Articles of Constitution. The member countries are Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Spain, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who will finance a large part of the First General Assembly of the Network, which should be held within a period nor exceeding six months, as agreed by this Workshop.
The Working Group will also draft the Articles of Constitution and work on promoting the Santa Cruz Declaration containing the objectives of the Network and the guidelines to foster associations of persons with disabilities in Ibero-America.
Declaration of Santa Cruz
We, individuals with disabilities and families of people with disabilities from the countries indicated here under, gather by the sponsorship of INSERSO and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency on October 15 to 19, 2001, at the headquarters of Centro Iberoamericano de Formación de Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with the purpose of:
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Exchanging experiences regarding the associative movement in Ibero-America;
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Knowing about the strengths and weaknesses of organizations of persons with disabilities in Ibero-America; and
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Creating closer ties and information sharing to know about each other.
Propose the establishment of the Ibero-American Network of Non-Government Organizations of and for Persons with Disabilities, as an associative movement which focuses their actions toward social welfare and improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities and their families.
Our operational principles are the following:
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Solidarity with other social struggles in order to provide strategies and alternatives for resolving the needs of persons with disabilities, through the joint effort of groups acting within disability groups or in groups working on other social problems.
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Justice, to fulfill the challenges of human rights and eliminate discrimination in society and the violation of rights.
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Ethical responsibility and transparency, as the highest level of commitment and professionalism.
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Respect for diversity, refers to equal opportunities to promote leadership and growth to social movements.
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Quality in the processes and results to ensure the objectives con efficiency, efficacy, and in the implementation of alternative options.
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Democracy, refers to an open and permanent participant of all members of society, by implementing alternative options.
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Representation, refers to effective access to national governments and to international institutions.
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Mutual help and cooperation, refers to the elements needed for growth and management among the members of society.
Objectives of the Network:
WITH RESPECT TO THE ASSOCIATIVE MOVEMENT
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To promote the organization and the strengthening of national associative movements.
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To promote self-esteem and personal development processes for persons with disabilities and their families.
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To create spaces for inclusion and participation among persons with disabilities, their families, and the professionals.
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To provide and exchange information and experiences.
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To provide experiences for persons with disabilities to learn about the disabilities that other present.
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Foster leadership processes, particularly oriented to youth and groups victimized by discrimination.
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Subscribe cooperation agreements.
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Obtain resources for the operation of the Network and to achieve its objectives.
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To establish a management entity for government and non-government national and international organizations.
WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN RIGHTS:
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To ensure equal opportunities for all persons with disabilities, without allowing for any type discrimination based on ethnic, national, religious, age, gender, sex preference or social class considerations.
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To denounce violations of Human Rights.
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To defend a welfare system within the principle of equal opportunities, which will provide persons with disabilities the economic and other resources they need for health, education, housing, transportation, work, social services, culture, sports, training, and access to jobs and social participation, fostering personal autonomy and specialized treatment as needed.
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Demand from society a solidarity attitude toward persons with disabilities.
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Demand from governments that the types and level of disabilities be determine when conducting the national population and housing censuses.
WITH RESPECT TO IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
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Demand from governments the fulfillment of national legislation and policies and the approved international instruments on disability.
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To foster mutual respect and cooperation relationships between the associative movement and governmental organizations.
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To foster conscience raising processes in order to eliminate prejudice and stereotypes.
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To exert influence upon the mass media to ensure a dignifying and positive image regarding persons with disabilities.
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To promote the operation of total attention networks working for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
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To foster social, artistic, cultural, information, sports, and recreational activities for persons with disabilities.
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To demand the accomplishment of and collaborate with national programs to prevent disability.
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To foster research processes to learn about the real needs of persons with disabilities and to propose the pertinent actions for development and social inclusion.
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To start with this Network constitution process a Commission was appointed with the following persons: Antonio Rodríguez Soto (Argentina), Regina Lucía Barata Pinheiro (Brazil), Henry Mejía Royet (Colombia), Pilar Samaniego Santillán (Ecuador), José Rodríguez García (Spain), Sebastián Toledo Sebastián (Guatemala), María Auxiliadora Moreno V. (Nicaragua), and Lenín Molina Peñaloza (Venezuela), in charge of:
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Making this Declaration known among national organizations so they will adhere to the Network.
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To elaborate a proposal of Articles of Constitution.
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To summon national organizations to the First General Assembly to constitute the Network.
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To obtain resources to organize this First General Assembly to constitute the network.
The term for elaborating the proposal for the Articles of Constitution is hereby established as 120 days.
Summons to this First General Assembly will be issue within sixty days of after the proposed Articles of Constitution have been approved.
Adopted in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, October 19, 2001.
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