Report: FIMITIC participation in the EDF AGA 2004, Warsaw

FIMITIC Participation in the EDF Annual General Assembly 2004, Warsaw, Poland
A stronger voice of disabled people in enlarged Europe
 
 
Warsaw, May 14-16, 2004 
 
The celebration of the Enlargement of the European Union was the focus of this year’s EDF Annual General Assembly in the Warsaw Marriott Hotel.  For the first time a capital of a new Member State of the EU thus was the AGA meeting venue. Representatives of all the new National Councils from the new Member States as well as from Bulgaria and Romania were part of the large number of about 210 participants.
 
The importance of the event was demonstrated by the host country, officially represented by Mrs. Krystyna Mrugalska (the President of the Polish Disability Forum), Mr. Roman Sroczynski (the Director of the Polish Rehabilitation Fund) and Mr. Leszek Zielinski (Secretary of State for Disabled People in Poland).
 
FIMITIC’s delegates were President Marija-Lidija Stiglic, Bonn, Germany and by Vassilis Dimitriadis, the Secretary General of the Greek Member Association NFMIP (National Federation of Mobility Impaired People), Athens.
 
The Business Agenda was dealing with the Elections to the Board, Annual Report 2003-2004, Final accounts 2002-2003, Adoption of Interim accounts, Membership fees for National Councils from new member States, Appointment of Internal auditors, Adoption of amendments to statutes and internal rules, Adoption of work programme, new working strategy and budget, Adoption of resolutions.
 
Two resolutions were adopted unanimously by the Assembly (see attachments):
- A resolution on the human rights of women and girls with disabilities and mothers of disabled children
- A resolution on the terrorism attacks on 11/3/2004 in Madrid
 
Discussions were held on an EDF statement on bioethics, on a common definition on the ground of disability, on the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and on the Council of Europe Action Plan on Persons with Disabilities.
 
The EDF General Council meeting held on May 16 in Warsaw was devoted to the following issues with interesting presentations.
- the situation of people with psychosocial disabilities, and the ENUSP-MHE Declaration on fighting discrimination in access to health for people with psychosocial disabilities and possible follow up actions
- Presentation of the European Quality Rehabilitation Mark
- Discussion on how to ensure that EDF and its members include people from ethnic minorities in their work and membership
 
All the National Councils of the new EU Member States were officially accepted in the Board Meeting which took place in Warsaw on May 17, 2004 (see attached list).
 
The frame Warsaw agenda of the FIMITIC President was full with talks and meetings with participants from different FIMITIC member countries on the AGA occasion. Especially also the voices of the member associations and partner organizations in Poland were heard.
 
In-depth discussions with OFOONR (Polish Federation of Organizations of Persons with Physical Disability), President Andrzej Szalach, Vice President Adam Kondziorat and Secretary Malgorzata Koter-Mórgowska an exchange of views on the situation of physically disabled  people in Poland and the coordinated action plans to improve their daily life took place.
 
During a visit at the Warsaw headquarters of PZERiI (Polish Union of Pensioners and Invalids) Marija-Lidija Stiglic met with President Elzbieta Arciszewska, Treasurer Alieje Giowacka and Board member Jadviga Reinstein. The cooperation for many years was reviewed and proposals for future cooperation possibilities considered.