FIMITIC

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

F I M I T I C

 

ACTIVITY REPORT

OF THE PRESIDENT

2001 - 2003

TO THE DELEGATESÂ’ CONFERENCE

APRIL 5, 2003

ROME, ITALY

 

 

 

PREFACE

 

 

At the end of October 2001 in Prague the cornerstone was laid with clear signals for innovation in accordance with FIMITIC´s  far reaching office restructuring, the work concept and the new leadership.

 

A positive response to the initiated FIMITIC project work and the Prague Employability Congress has given rise to significant interim results.

 

However it was noted that a co-responsible aggravation of social conflicts in the different regions could endanger the efforts to improve the stiuation of persons with disability becoming more vulnerable as well.

 

Peacefulness is a didactic task of socialisation. Nobody should be allowed to shun this responsibility.

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

Another quite short period but of hard work has passed and again we can highlight some major successes within the urgency programme level decided on the ocassion of the DelegatesÂ’ Conference 2001 in Prague. The report can illustrate a part process that started and will continue as follows:

 

 

  -    Realisation of the events marking the European Year of People with Disabilities - EYPD -

       2003 in Italy, setting up  the vision, concept and objectives

 

 

   -   Project work continued after the Prague Congress on Employability 2001 and on the basis of

        the results obtained there

 

 

    -   Publication of the final Congress documentation by the member association in Slovenia

        -ZDIS-

 

 

      -   Clear mission for project work priorities in the field of Employability, Barrier-free

           Environment/Accesssibility,  Social Policy and Social Security in Transition and Women

           with Disability

 

 

      -    Confirmed Expert groups/Commission

 

1. Expert Group Accessibility (Transport, Accomodation and Construction) (Coordinator

      RR Georg Leitinger, Austria)

2. Expert Group Employment (Coordinator Agostino Bravaccini, Italy)
3. Expert Group Internet Networking (Coordinator Marjan Kroflic, Slovenia)
4. Expert Group Social Policy (Coordinator Dr. Csaba Chikán, Hungary)
5. Expert Group Social Security Research (Coordinator Gianni DÂ’Alfonso, Italy)
6. Expert Commission Women and Disability (Coordinator Elisabeth Szöllösi, Hungary)

 

 

 

       -    Search for Funding, launched by FIMITIC by an coordinator to find means for project

             activities and coordinated action by the members, especially for research into social policy

             market economy and disability in the whole Europe with view to an international

             Conference in Budapest in 2004 and to support members while looking for other project

             funding and submitting proposals

 

 

       -    Intensified information and communication work to build up the image

 

 

       -    Effective presentation in the mass media (Executive Board meetings and awards to the

            model employability examples in Hungary and Italy and support to the regional cooperation

            activity between Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia, honoured by the signature of the agreement

            protocol in Croatia,  continuous regional cooperation between Austria, Italy and Switzerland

            in Trentino etc.)

 

 

 -    Internet accessibility, Website under restructure

 

 

     -    Strengthening the Internal and External relations

 

 

       -    Strengthening of the organisations´s structure, building a sense of self responsibility as a

             stronger getting awareness by the members, task splitting through governance, roles and

             responsibilities

 

 

       -    Cooperation with the International Associations and Institutions, regular reports to the

             United Nations, Council of Europe, International Labour Office, European Disability

             Forum and  briefing, discussion and submission of  contributions and comments

            (f.e. CE Concept paper of proposal for the European Disability Policy Agenda for the next

             Decade, ILO  Paper on Restructuring of Disability Pension Schemes, EDF working areas

             of Non-discrimination, European Year of People with Disabilities 2003, Mainstreaming of

             Disability, Disability Specific Directive, Enlargement etc.)

 

 

            

 

            

 

ACTIVITY REPORT

 

 

During the period covered by the report the FIMITIC Board held the following meetings

 

October 27, 2001                                           Prague, Czech Republic

 

April 5-6, 2002                                               Budapest, Hungary

 

May 28, 2002                                                 Varazdinske Toplice (Spa), Croatia

 

September 27, 2002                                       Forli, Italy

 

 

 

Expert Groups/Commission

 

exchange of information and initiatives,  see also the reports submitted to the Delegates´Conference, with view to improve the social, occupational and societal conditions of people with physical disability f.e. the Hungarian project ot examine the socio-political situation

in relation of the  market economy and disability in the frame of the globalisation, the Slovene efforts to develop a better communication strategy and the Women and Disability Commission launch of two questionnaires, one on the legal regulations and the second one on the situation of women with disability in different spheres of life.

 

 

Events and Activities

 

 

Within the scope of the FIMITIC work the following events and activities organised by FIMITIC or in co-operation, participation and with contribution of FIMITIC need to be pointed out:

 

 

        - European Congress on People with Disabilities on “Non Discrimination - Positive Action -

          Integration” March 20-23, 2002 in Madrid, Spain, elaborating the “Madrid Declaration”

 

        - MEOSZ-Seminar “A World to be Used by Everyone” and “Human rights in Declarations and

           in practice, May 2-3,2002 in Budapest, Hungary

 

       -  EDF-Annual General Assembly, May 17-19,2002 in Madrid, Spain and EDF-General

          Council Meeting

 

       -  7^th Croatian Symposim on Persons with Disabilities on “Asistive Technology - Added Value

           to the Quality of Life, May 26-28,2002, in Varazdinske Toplice (Spa), Croatia

 

      -   Annual Meetng of Poliomyelitis Federation Germany on June 15, 2002 in Kromsdorf nearby

          Weimar, Germany

 

      -   5^th Plenary Meeting of the EDF Southern Europe Disability Committee,  June 13-16,2002 in

          Rome,Italy, launching the Rome Declaration

 

      -   University Briefing on Legislative Medicine, June 20,2002 in Milan, preparatory work for the

           ICF-Conference 2003, FIMITIC´s advisory role

 

      -   6^th World Assembly of Disabled Peoples´ International with the theme “Freedom from

           Barriers:Celebrating Diversity and Rights”, October 15-18, 2002 in Sapporo, Japan

 

      -    EDF-Council of Europe enlargement countries Seminar of East and Middle-East European

           Countries November 8-9,200 in Thessaloniki, Greece

 

       -   Danish Presidency Seminar on Disability “Quality of Life and Quality in Services for People

           with Disabilities”, October 30-November 1, 2002 in Copenhagen,Denmark

 

       -   EDF General Council Meeeting, November 2^nd, 2002 in Copenhagen,Denmark

 

       -   Women Roundtable SOIH/HSIR, November 22-24,2002 in Lovran nearby Opatija, Croatia

 

       -   ILO/Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Tripartite regional Conference on “The

           Restructuring of Disability Pensions”, December 12-13, 2002 in Prague,Czech Republic

 

       -   Opening Event of the European Year of People with Disabilities January 26^th,2003 in

           Athens, Greece

 

       -   International Disability NGO´s visit to the Council of Europe and to the Pariamentary

           Assembly, Reporting on “Towards Full Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities”

           January 29, 2003 in Strasbourg, France, launching the NGO´s Declaration

 

       -  Council of Europe Working visit, 26^th February - 2^nd March, 2003 in Budapest, Hungary

 

       -  1^st International Spanish Women and Disability Congress on February 27^th - March 1^st, 2003

           in Valencia, Spain

 

      -   Joint EDF/ETUC Conference “Access to lifelong education and vocational training as key

           issue in access to employment and career development of people with disabilities”,

          March 1-3, 2003 in Thessaloniki, Greece, adopting the “ Thessaloniki Declaration”.

 

 

         

          New members in Europe:

 

          1. Cyprus Organization of Physically Disabled Persons - POAA-, Lefcosia

 

          2. Croatian Union of Physically Disabled Persons Associations - HSUTI -, Zagreb

 

          3. The Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association - HUPT -, Zagreb

 

          4. People With Disabilities in Ireland Ltd. - PWDI -      

 

     

 

          Expanded liaison outside of Europe:

 

          The Physically Disability Council of Australia - PDCA -, Sydney

          (for the Asia Pacific Region)

         

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSIONS

 

 

                                Towards developing a Framework for Security in Insecure times

 

 

The three most important areas in need of reform today are the employment market, social security systems and education. I would like to address the problem in precisely that order. Far too little growth is generated to be able to relieve pressure on the labour market long term. It is not enough to find jobs for disabled people better and faster. The pie has to be enlarged  to be distributed. Only then can we hope to avoid the intensifying struggle for a share. The aging of the population wil also cause largescale structural changes.

 

The most practicle way of making a society open and accessible can be achieved on national level.

FIMITIC can promote the collection, exchange and development of comparable information and statistics and good practices, encouraging the mainstreaming of disability in policy formulation and generally raising awareness of disability issues.

 

Raising awareness means to encourage reflection, discussion and action on measures to promote equal opportunities. FIMITIC considers that people with disabilities should be directly involved into the planning, monitoring and evaluation of changes in programs that affect them.

FIMITIC is committed to involving the social partners to integrate people with disabilities into the labour market.

 

FIMITIC can only be active as far the member associations are supporting the federation. Only an interchange of shared responsibility and joint action will bring us together a step forward on the realisation of an social Europe for all!

 

A challenge for FIMITIC and its members, since solidarity gives us power and generates synergies to continue in promoting the equalisation of opportunities for persons with physical disability and in fighting against their discrimination.

 

Since January 2001 FIMITIC has a new and independent office in Bonn, the place of its registration.

 

A very special thanks to all those who have contributed with their time and invaluable experise to empower FIMITIC to continue its work followed up at international and national level benefitting disabled people in their daily lives.

 

 

 

 

signed Marija Stiglic

 

           

Bonn,  March 25,  2003