Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) and DPOs of Bangladesh

Jannatul Ferdous presented a paper on CBR and DPOs from point of view of DPO context of Bangladesh in the Pre-Congress Workshop Program on 17 February 2009 at Bangkok. In her presentation she gave an introduction about DPOs in Bangladesh including cross-disability DPOs for taking forward the movement. She explained that “movement from SHGs to DPOs in Bangladesh are outcomes of self-help initiatives, and the understanding that we have to fight for our rights. These start from group solidarity, sharing of experiences, insights and experience, and gradually move on to collective actions for changing the situation.”

She showed pictures of a SHG in a slum of Dhaka, where persons are sitting in a circle, to explain the importance of power relations, so that “all persons are at the same distance from centre. Participants include men, women, children, all mixed up, all can contribute in a participatory way – this is our basic idea that leadership capacity can be supported from SHG to national level. There is a gap between SHG and DPOs. Our achievements include ensuring participation of women disabled persons.”She also spoke about her personal experiences and how she faced social barriers after severe burns and is discovering a new identity as a writer. She feels that her life started for a second time. According to her education is the fundamental part of rehabilitation. Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) & UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The full presentation will be available at http://www.aifo.it/english/resources/online/books/cbr/cbr_workshops_0209/CRPD/convention_workshop.htm

INTERNATIONATIONAL PRESENTATION

Promoting Inclusive Education. Venue: Auditorium of The Spastic Society of India, Mumbai. Date: 28 March 2008.

















12 weeks training sponsored by Women Council, UK organized by Spastic Society of India, Mumbai) held at Mumbai in India from 14 January to 4 April, 2008 on “Community Initiative on Inclusive Education”.

Ivy’s Publications Launched!

A Launching Ceremony of two publications
‘Shopno Nirman Proyash’ and ‘Ahmed Sofa: Oporahner Surjo’ written by Jannatul Ferdous Ivy was held on 8 February 2009 at Alliance Francaise Auditorium, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

This couple of publications was ever first publications of Jannat Ivy who is a woman with physical disability (severely fire burnt by an accident) and a development activist in Bangladesh. She has been working to promote rights and dignity of people with disabilities through a disability organization, Action on Disability and Development (ADD).

A significant number of participants including writers, academicians, development activists, civil society representatives, friends and well wishers attended this auspicious event. Dr. Salimullah Khan, Cynthya Walsh from ADD UK, Dr. Ahmed Kamal, Fahmida Monju Majid and Mrs. Lailatul Ferdous spoke on the occasion as special and invited guests while Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, the former Advisor of the Council of Caretaker Government of Bangladesh was the Chief Guest.

The first publication is the compilation of Jannat’s own life story. This is a bi-lingual publication in Bangla and English and the second one is a compilation of eminent writer and educationalist Ahmed Sofa’s short knows stories in Bangla

The author mentioned in her foreword that generally we cannot accept any accident happening to our day-to-day incidents. Then we think that life has been meaningless or it has lost all potentials. She (author) also does not desire any accident to be taken place or it makes a pause in the rhythm of life. But what rhythm was about to finish in her life it did not kill her, rather it stored all her lively attitudes to replenish her life again. And, her family was the source of her strength. She also mentions that thousands of our ordinary middle-class families inherit similar attitudes - they trust people and they are deceived; but they do not forget their simplicities, their dream-------and, it gives firmness to their dreams come true.

AWDP-Bangladesh highly appreciates Ivy for her literary endeavors. Ivy’s endeavors will light the way to many of our potential men and women with disabilities to come forward with their literary contributions and to expose real abilities and competencies towards building a knowledge-based society. AWDP conveys best wishes to the author and a wide circulation of her publications.