FIMITIC

 Attended by participants from 14 member countries, the FIMITIC Delegates´ Conference 2007 with determination and consistency, in an open and transparent manner, approved the reports of the past period and developed a forward looking strategy by adoption of the biannual work programme on the basis of the submitted motions and proposals as follows:

Focus on many areas of events in cooperation with member associations with the goal to drive progress towards achieving equal rights for people with disabilities across Europe during 2007, the European Year for Equal Opportunities, designated by the European Commission and towards the proposed 2010 European Year for fighting exclusion and poverty in line with the equal opportunity strategy.

Project Work:

PROGRESS:

• The EU programme for employment and social solidarity 2007-2013
• Support for the FIMITIC Office and the Secretariat
• Implementation and improvements of new technologies, ICT facilities
• Funding campaign and search for new members to increase membership fees

Policy action:

• Concept for the on-going decade to achieve non discrimination legislation in the member countries to focus on:
• Awareness raising, influencing the decision making process, promoting logistic and dynamic, initiating model programmes to make disabled people visible
• UN Convention and Additional Protocol implementation in the member countries (monitoring the development)
• Follow-up of the International socio-political Seminar topic 2007 on “E-technology as a means of enhancing opportunities for people with disabilities in the areas of education, training and employment”
• Search for new members

Expertise Task Force:

Supported and coordinated follow-up action in cooperation with the members for focussed work in line with European and International standards, possibly targeted and under responsibility by regions:

• A “Design for All” as basic concept of environmental planning
• Assessment and Accreditation of Rehabilitation centres
• Evaluation of the living conditions of People with Physical Disabilities (inquiry basis launched in 2005)
• Action plan on Women with Physical Disabilities (inquiry basis launched in 2003)

Joint action for increased integration of disabled people in the workplace

Towards the goal to empower people with physical disability, disabled workers, to be included in the Europe´ s equal opportunities strategy in accordance with the priorities set therein an International Conference is proposed by the Slovene member Association – ZDIS –, Ljubljana, (Federation of Disabled Workers of Slovenia) to take place in autumn 2009 in Slovenia, the definite topic, date and venue still to be agreed on.

FIMITIC and its members re already now invited to actively participate and contribute with their expertise to the thematic international dialogue of this initiated project.

The invitation extended by ZDIS to host the event in the year of its 40th Anniversary in 2009 inviting FIMITIC to same time hold its next statutory FIMITIC Delegates´ Conference 2009 in this frame in Slovenia, was positively responded by the participants of the Dublin event.

Financial

The tense financial situation common to all NGO´ s on international and national level was reflected in the deliberations and will further on be tabled on the agenda.

New FIMITIC Secretariat

At the core of the FIMITIC Delegates´ Conference was the planned change of Secretariat:

Following a discussion on general principles the Executive Board in line with Article 1 of the Articles of Association took decision to transfer the FIMITIC Office from Bonn, Germany to Vác, Hungary, to be finalised after the Delegates´ Conference by December 31, 2007.

The discussion of the Board was far-reaching, touching the whole dimension of issues:

• Decrease of membership fees
• Decline of remaining resources
• Effects on the planned middle-termed activities

For administrative and financial reasons the Executive Board decision is made related to a structural change in near future, given that the Secretariat office and staff support in the premises of the Regional Association of Persons with Physical Disability of Central Hungary – further MKMORE – in Vác, a city not far away from Budapest, is available to FIMITIC.

A project initiative launched by Dr. Csaba Chikan, Vice-President of FIMITIC and of the Hungarian member association MEOSZ in Budapest (National Federation of Disabled Persons in Hungary), as Chairperson of MKMORE.

Full support towards this aim is declared by the leadership of MEOSZ to assure the future work run in co-ordination with its International Affairs´ Office.

The Executive Board, aiming to continue the indispensable socio-political work of FIMITIC in the disability human rights field without still stand expects the new role and strategy to have a strong impact on the FIMITIC´ s work also in future.

The new address of the future FIMITIC Office from January 1, 2008 on will be made known in right time with all the contact details needed.

FIMITIC Award for the member Association of Physically Disabled Persons of Macedonia – STILM -

At the Delegates´ Conference in Dublin the FIMITIC Silver Medal was presented to the President of STILM, Miodrag Ignjatovic by the FIMITIC Secretary General in recognition of the association´ s efforts for promotion of civil and human rights of people with disability in Macedonia in more than 20 years and of its continuous encouragement and support towards improvement of their quality of life and equal participation in society on national level.

Many thanks to the leaders and the staff of the hosting Irish member association, People with Disabilities in Ireland – PwDI -

• for the warm welcome and the great hospitality offered to the FIMITIC participants in the Dublin events 2007
• for the co-operation, realization and successful run of the Delegates´ Conference, the preceded International Seminar on “E-technology as a means of enhancing opportunities for people with disabilities in the areas of Education, Training and Employment” and the accompanying preparatory meetings.
  

This also goes for the organized very impressive social programme, the civic reception in the Mansion House by Deputy Lord Mayor and the wonderful Gala dinner in the Trinity College Banquet Hall !

FIMITIC Delegates´ Conference & International Socio-political Seminar