NGO Little People of Kosova enjoys consultative status with ECOSOC and has been accredited to participate in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee of U.N. as of the Seventh Session and Eighth Session to a drafting text the new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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Last event
in 2006

Pristina - October 30, 2006

MONTH OF OCTOBER, WHICH IS NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH; ACTIVITIES CONTINUE YEAR-ROUND

DISABILITY MENTORING DAYS - DMD

The partnership of NGOs in this DMD Volunteer Promoting Program is a good practice for preparing our conditions to implement the goals of the new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Multiethnic Main Celebration of DMD was held on the 30th of October 2006 in Pristina.

In past three years, following the initiative of, and in cooperation with, the partner NGOs gathered under the multi-ethnic DMD Volunteer Promoting Program, as an integral part to International Campaign DMD (Disability Mentoring Days) originating from America and spreading into the countries across the world, the Office of the Prime Minister invited all relevant actors of the Kosovo society to participate in the finale of an annual happening of this Volunteer Program DMD, which was organizing round year four campaigns aiming to sensitive public opinion about dignity and integrity of persons with disabilities in Kosovo society, and also to endeavors to upgrade difficult situation of disabled women and children, and to promote professional abilities of this particular group of citizens.

Month of October 2006 was proclaimed as Disability Employment Awareness Month and Kosovas’ Voluntary Promotional Program of Disability Mentoring Days – DMD with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities Kosova wide. Kosovas’ Voluntary Promotional Program of DMD (Disability Mentoring Days) has made great progress to ensure that opportunities are accessible to everyone who is willing and able to work and to build on the progress of the fully integrate men and women with disabilities into all aspects of life without discrimination and keeps New Freedom Initiative and it has helped expand access to technology, training, and education for citizens with disabilities.

Seven years after the war, persons with disabilties feel discriminated, said Hiljmnijeta Apuk, Representative of NGO Little People of Kosova, on the occasion of main manifestation of the campaign October: Disability Employment Awareness Month which was organized on October 30, 2006 in Prishtina.

According to Apuk, 99 percent of the population with disabilities do not have access to employment system and this tells best how vulnerable are they as a group in the integration system.

“It cannot be said that were no motions in the integration of persons with disabilities in Kosovo, but we still are not with equal opportunities, we still have obstacles in the education system, employment, we have no access to business sphere and unfortunately as a population we are very poor”, added Hiljmijeta Apuk.

She says the New Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted this August by the Ad Hoc Committee of United Nations as hope for improvement of position for persons with disabilities in Kosovo and worldwide.

LPK representative, Hilmnijeta Apuk which was also active part in the 8th session of the Committee for adoption of this UN Convention, says that lobbying for this Convention in Kosovo since it covers the key areas such as; access, personal mobility, health, education, employment, clothing, training and rehabilitation, participation in politics, equity and non-discrimination.

Habit Hajredini, Director of the Office for Good Governance in the Kosovo PM Office, said that institutions support civil society organizations which deal with the issue of persons disabilities.

He added that local institutions are also doing much in the legislative and awareness aspects in order for this category of society to be constituent part of the institutions.

To assist in providing additional access to employment opportunities, we have also implemented the "Ticket to Work" program and strengthened training and employment services.

The event was project implementation NGOs’ organizations Little People of Kosova (LPK), NGO Hendifer – Ferizaj, Inter-municipal association of blind people - Prishtina, Center for Education of Deaf-mute Nëna Terezë – Prizren, Blind Association – Peja and Center of Resources and School of Blind Persons – Peja, Association of cerebral paralyze- Mitrovica, Hendikos – Mitrovica, Hendikos.

Donated by:

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Activities during Month of October

Custom day of DMD ,

October 16, 2006

Month of October, which is proclaimed to be the month dedicated to DMD Volunteers, a Customs Day was organized for DMD and, in this occasion, 45 disabled persons were employed in all Customs Offices throughout Kosovo, followed by symbolic payment for that day’s work in the amount of 10 EUR. This gesture of including the Kosovo Customs in the DMD Campaign is an excellent example to be followed by other public institutions as well as the private sector.

October in Ferizaj

NGO “HENDIFER”

Leaders Mr. Xhevat Islami and Ms.Fazile Bungu of Hendifer NGO from Ferizaj managed to employ 112 disabled persons in their community with commendable support and understanding of that community’s local authorities, and local institutions and the private sector. This symbolic promotional employment was also organized in all other communities throughout Kosovo.

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Topic news

Miss. Hiljmnijeta Apuk, representative of Little People of Kosova registered for the Eighth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 14-25 August 2006

	Several members of IDC regarding women with disabilities issues during Eighth Session							Ms. Judith Heumann, disability’s advisor in World Bank and representative of Little People of Kosova
				Ambassador Don MacKay, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, New Zealand and Miss. Hiljmnijeta Apuk, representative of Little People of Kosova
						“This is the first convention of this magnitude for this century,” UN General Assembly President Jan Eliasson said after the agreement was reached late Friday. He told the negotiators that they were conveying to the world “the message that we want to have a life with dignity for all and that all human beings are all equal.”

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will touch people in all countries

What was happened this August?

Friday in night (25 August, 2006) the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted as a historic achievement for 10 per cent of the world’s population or about 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. The successful completion of the treaty, after a day of intense negotiations and compromises that capped years of effort, was met with applause by well over a hundred government delegations and hundreds of representatives of disability organizations who participated in the process of crafting the 40-article pact.

The convention will be formally sent to the General Assembly for adoption at its next session, which begins in September. It will then be open for signing and ratification by all countries.

Who is a disabled person?

Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Some people suffer from more than one form of disability and many, if not most people, will suffer from a disability at some time in their life due to physical injury, disease or aging.

What does the convention cover?

It covers a number of key areas such as accessibility, personal mobility, health, education, employment, habilitation and rehabilitation, participation in political life, and equality and non-discrimination. The convention marks a shift in thinking about disability from a social welfare concern to a human rights issue, which acknowledges that societal barriers and prejudices are themselves disabling.

What is society missing out on?

A larger talent pool. Persons with disabilities can contribute a wide array of expertise, skills and talents. While persons with disabilities face higher unemployment rates than the rest of the population in virtually every country, studies show that the job performance of persons with disabilities is as good, if not better, than the general population. High retention rates and less absenteeism have more than offset fears that it is too costly to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities in the workplace. Furthermore, fears that hiring persons with disabilities adds significant costs to employers are overblown. A 2003 survey in the United States found that almost three-quarters of employers reported that employees with disabilities did not require any special accommodations.

Representative of NGO Little People of Kosova was donated by:

USA Office Pristina

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Posta dheTelekomunikacioni i Kosovës SH.A.
Pošta i Telekomunikacija Kosova , D.D.
Post and Telecommunication of Kosovo, J.S.C.
www.ptkonline.com

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Seminar on Implementation of a UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Saturday, August 26, 2006 (10 am – 6 pm)

New York, USA

					Organized by :
			Speakers were included: Ambassador Don MacKay, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, New Zealand Professor Theresia Degener, Protestant University of Applied Sciences, Bochum, Germany Government representatives and civil society leaders, including organizations of persons with disabilities

Seminar Objectives:

In light of the 8th session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the UN Convention (August 14 - 25, 2006), this RI seminar brought together experts on a broad range of disability issues to discuss how persons with disabilities, governments, practitioners and advocates can utilize the rights enshrined in the Convention to develop projects and policies that would benefit the growing population of persons with disabilities around the world. A seminar focusing on how to implement this Convention once it is adopted is particularly important in order to give practical effect to a treaty. This meeting provided a forum for awareness raising and the exchange of good practices, as well as contribute to increased partnerships among governments and civil society.

RI – REHABILITATION INTERNATIONAL, GOVERNING ASSEMBLY

27 – 28 AUGUST 2006, NEW YORK

Governing Assembly adapted membership of Little People of Kosova and Kosova became member in worldwide network of disabled persons.

	Workshop with members of The International Paralympic Committee – IPC and representative from Little People of Kosova				Meting with members of Japan delegation

Representative of NGO Little People of Kosova was donated by:

USA Office Pristina

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Posta dheTelekomunikacioni i Kosovës SH.A.
Pošta i Telekomunikacija Kosova , D.D.
Post and Telecommunication of Kosovo, J.S.C.
www.ptkonline.com

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International Children Day by point to the children with disability

01 June 2006

Promotion the goals of The International Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons that

is coming up at the UN.

President Mr. Fatmir Sejdiu has met Ambassadors of children with disability, their parents and coordinators of event towards goals the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

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July 11, 2006

Prishtine - Kosova

Fond of Minorities, Multiethnic and vulnerable groups granted monthly magazine Newspaper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of Kosova. Government of Kosova founded the Fond.

Newspaper Persons with Disabilities was donated for two editions on three languages as attachment in Koha Ditore, ALEM and Jeni Donem.

The ceremony for the occasion of the donation was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Kosovo Prime Minister Mr. Agim Ceku has given the opening speech for the occasion.

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23 May 2006

Special Representativ of Secretar General - SRSG Mr. Jessen-Petersen meets representative of “Little People of Kosovo”, at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo - UNMIK HQ.

http://www.unmikonline.org/DPI/PhotographsPress.nsf/f0500?OpenForm&M=May%202006

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Promotional Voluntary Packet Program

of Disability Mentoring Day - DMD

New free initiative of Kosova

Kosova - Prishtine
April 12, 2006
Informative meeting:
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability,
opportunities and challenges of its implementation by Kosovo PISG

This meeting was foreseen to initiate a discussion among leaders of disabled Kosovars, local and international key decision makers, members of the Assembly and representatives of civil society and private sectors so that we all together assess the goals of International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability an its possible effect or reaction in the Kosovo actual and forthcoming legislation for this field of matter and also the challenges for its implementation by Kosovo PISG. The meeting is hosted and supported by FES Prishtina on the initiative of Mrs Hilmnijeta Apuk ( Director of Little People of Kosovo) as participant from Kosovo on the UN Session dedicated to this convention.

donated by: FES - office Pristina

We started to promote goals of a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities in Kosova anent International Women's Day 8th March. We organized event of the campaign on the 6th March in Pristina - Kosova and Miss. Hiljmnijeta Apuk wrote brochure named "Respect for Differences" and poster was advertised by all kind of media. Persons with disability of Kosova have had good opportunity to promote goals of the Convention.
We are thankful to speakers of the Main Celebration and they supported promotion of human rights and dignity of persons with disability.
Speakers were :
· Representative of USA Office Pristina Mrs. Wendy Kolls,
· Representative of OSCE - Director of the Department of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Mr. Henry McGowen
· Representative of PTK - Public Relations Manager Mr. Seremb Gjergji
· Representative of FES - Office Pristina Mrs. Besa Luzha
· Representative from Office of Prime Minister Mr. Habit Hajredini
· Representative of UNMIK Mrs. Maddalena Pezzoti

Kosova - Prishtine

February 14, 2006
Campaign of Valentine's Day

United Nations , U.N. - New York

Seventh Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities

16 January - 3 February 2006

		Sponsored by: Posta dhe Telekomunikacioni i Kosovës SH.A. Pošta i Telekomunikacija Kosova , D.D. Post and Telecommunication of Kosovo, J.S.C.
					www.ptkonline.com

Seventh Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International

The representative of the NGO Little People of Kosova, Hilmnijeta Apuk, actively participated as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee which is the first ever convention of its kind and is responsible for the process of creating, reviewing and issuing of the UN convention on human rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Among the issues discussed were equality and non-discrimination, raising awareness regarding disability, accessibility, right to life, equal recognition before the law, access to justice, liberty and security of the person, liberty of movement, personal mobility, living independently and being included in the community.

Hilmnijeta Apuk delivered a presentation on the 3rd February 2006 in which she conveyed the valuable experience of the Kosovo movement of Disabled People in implementing during the last four years the Voluntary Promotion Program; Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) or the Day of Professional Opportunities for disabled people; an idea conveyed from U.S.A., which was accepted with great interest in the global scene,

Also, the NGO Little People of Kosova gave their suggestions for Article 6 which refers specifically to Women with Disabilities and then suggestions on Article 8, which refers to increasing public awareness about people with disabilities.

By participating in the Ad Hoc Committee and making presentations the people with disabilities of Kosovo has been successfully represented in the eyes of the world and begun the development of network in the global level with all relevant factors regarding to the issues of human rights of people with disabilities.

The International movement of people with disabilities has insisted on bringing global legislation with which the economic, social, cultural and political rights of people with disabilities will be guaranteed. The guidelines are still being prepared, soon it will be finished and ready for endorsement by endorsement and implementation in the whole world.

An additional result from the DMD Promotional Package Program is that, on the 8 of March was organized a campaign focused on women with disabilities and in that way has started the increase of public awareness towards the goals of the convention on human rights and dignity of people with disabilities. During the main ceremony of the campaign one of the speakers was a representative of PTK; Mr. Seremb Gjergji, Public Relations Manager, who talked about the efforts of PTK to enable the employment of disabled people in all PTK departments.