Successful project in Austria: Positive action as a strategy for the fight against discrimination

27/04/2010 - Within the framework of the EU PROGRESS programme supporting national activities for the detection of good practice in fighting discrimination and the promotion of equality the Ludwig Boltzmann society - institute for human rights (BIM), Vienna has published a manual (in German) about the practical implementation of measures for the fight against structural discriminations and for supporting equality.

Citizens' initiative: The European parliament urges the Commission to answer 1 364 984 signatures on the rights of persons with disabilities

27 April 2010 - In case you don’t remember the 1million4disability campaign, 1 364 984 citizens are still waiting for an answer from the EU institutions. The European Parliament called yesterday for concrete and adequate actions from the European Commission.

CRPD Ratifications reach 85

21/04/2010 - The ratifications of the CRPD by United Arab Emirates and Maldives have increased to 85 the number of States Parties to the CRPD, while the Optional Protocol has 52 ratifications. The number of signatures to the CRPD is 144, while the Optional Protocol has 88 signatures.

Face to face with VAN ROMPUY: The disability pact gets the EU president's attention

16 April 2010 - The European Disability Forum EDF, the voice of 65 million European citizens with disabilities, met the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy to ensure that the strategy Europe 2020 will include the Disability Pact in its flagship priorities.

On 16 April 2010 Herman Van Rompuy received the leaders of the European disability movement Yannis Vardakastanis, EDF President, and Pierre Gyselinck, President of the Belgian Disability Forum. The new permanent President of the European Council stressed “I understand the necessity of a new approach to disability policies in the EU.”

Europe 2020 will address social issues

A new economic strategy which aims to help the European Union exit the recent recession and guide the economy over the next decade also promises to have a significant impact on social issues, such as poverty and inclusion.

The main building blocks of the Europe 2020 Strategy were agreed by the European Council on March 25 and 26. The decision to back the Commission’s proposal on the new strategy comes in the wake of the worst financial crisis the EU has faced in a generation.

Building on the work of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, Europe 2020 promises closer economic policy coordination to help Member States put their economies back on track and address global challenges in a coherent and effective way.

Wasted Time, Wasted Money, Wasted Lives ... A Wasted Opportunity?

On 24 March 2010 - the European Coalition for Community Living (ECCL) published a new report highlighting that European Union funding is being used in some EU Member States of Central and Eastern Europe to renovate, or build new, residential institutions for people with disabilities. This means that disabled people continue to be segregated from society and puts them at risk of serious human rights abuses.

A battle that we can win: DISABILITY PACT TO SAVE EUROPE 2020

21 March 2010 - The European Disability Forum (EDF), the voice of 65 million European citizens with disabilities, met in Thessaloniki, Greece and adopted the Disability Pact declaration. This is to ensure that the strategy EUROPE 2020, to be embraced by the European Council next week, will include the Disability Pact as one of its flagship priorities. Yannis Vardakastanis, President of EDF, stressed that: “The Disability Pact is the best policy instrument to ensure real mainstreaming of disability in the European Union by promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and by developing a strong agenda engaging both the EU Institutions and Member States”.

UN: Update on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

144 signatories to the Convention
  88 signatories to the Optional Protocol
  80 ratifications of the Convention
  51 ratifications of the Optional Protocol

NB: The CRPD now has 80 ratifications and therefore, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will increase its membership from 12 to 18 in 2011 (CRPD Article 34). At this year's Conference of States Parties to the Convention to be held from 1-3 September, elections for 6 members of the Committee will take place, alongside with elections for the expanded Committee of 18 members. In total, 12 new members will be elected to the Committee. See also Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, below.

Disabled workers on hunger strike in Banjaluka's Institute of Dystrophics, Republic of Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Banjaluka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovinia, employees in the Institute for Dystrophics are on hunger strike, following a row over job losses. Employees blame management for the situation. The Institute faces bankruptcy and residents are threatened with life on the streets without jobs and without a place to live.

2010 Paralympic Winter Games - Vancouver

The 2010 Paralympic torch relay starts on the 3rd of March in Ottawa, Ontario and ends with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games on the 12th March in Vancouver. The Winter Paralympic Games continue until the 21st March.

Paralympic sports are the following:

  • Alpine skiing
  • Biathlon
  • Cross-Country Skiing
  • Ice Sledge Hockey
  • Wheelchair Curling
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