Empowerment Starts within OneselfA Story of One Disabled People’s Organization in Papua New Guinea

Before the CBSHOD (Sub-Regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building for Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities) in 2007, I had no idea how many persons with disabilities were actually in my home community. I felt very ashamed as a person, as a member of parliament, and as the Minister. I really did not know because persons with disabilities are often hidden in the community. This experience has let me work hard on disability. In Papua New Guinea, it is impossible for the government to deal with all aspects of disability. Moreover, it would divide communities because of money and jealousy if communities depend on other resources. In this sense, I believe the only way is to empower people in communities. They should never just rely on services. Sometimes there is too much assistance from outside. The government is responsible for policies, and our policy should be inclusive. There are many areas of social development, but again, the community-based empowerment process is the only approach that can support persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea.

Foreword

Dame Carol A. KiduMinisterDepartment for Community Development

Empowerment starts within oneself. Persons seeking change in attitudes from others should step out and be agents of change themselves. Recognition of inherent human rights by individuals and reacting positively to such changes can be a catalyst within society. Persons with disabilities have to stand up and be agents of change themselves and advocate for the change they want society to recognize.

Changes cannot come about when persons work in isolation, rather many voices advocating on a particular issue can have more impact that individual isolated voices. Forming self-help organizations provides a greater voice that can have much greater effects than an individual isolated voice. Societal reforms will occur when all persons with disabilities stand together under one main umbrella expressing their concerns with one great voice.

Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP) is that greater voice for persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea.

I urge all persons with disabilities to join a self-help group wherever you are and collectively share your concerns and advocate as a concerted voice for society to respond positively.

Ipul PowaseuChairperson

Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons

On behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Project Team to Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), it is our great pleasure to publish this memorable photo booklet.

With participants from 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Pacific Sub-regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building for Self-help Organization of PWDs (CBSHOD) was organized in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in 2007.

The “Port Moresby Declaration,” which was developed as a result of CBSHOD, really impacted at the policy level in Papua New Guinea. As one of the milestones in our regional cooperation in the Pacific, it was a great collaboration between Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP), other colleagues in Papua New Guinea, Disabled Peoples’ International Asia-Pacific Region, APCD and JICA.

Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our colleagues in Papua New Guinea, the Thai counterparts including the APCD Foundation, the Royal Thai Government, and all persons and organizations concerned who supported this successful collaboration.

Katsuji Onoda JICA Chief Advisor

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

ForewordThe Foundation of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD Foundation) was established in 2004 under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

The late Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit was the first Board Member and Resource Person of APCD, who proposed dispatching a mission to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2005, since PNG did not have a policy on disability or any self-help organizations of persons with disabilities in a practical way.

Mr. Kulkhanchit was the leader of this project in PNG since he proposed, planned and implemented the Regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building for Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) in 2007, which made a tremendous impact. A National Policy on Disability was adopted with a large budget allocated for it. The National Board for Disabled Persons, and the Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP) were strengthened shortly afterwards.

Honourable Lady Dame Carol Kidu, Minister of Community Development supported the late Mr. Kulkhanchit and initiated the outcomes.

APCD Foundation has been supporting the disability movement and activities in PNG, especially in the area of community-based inclusive development.

This Booklet is dedicated to the late Mr. Kulkhanchit for his total commitment with the APCD Foundation to the disability movement in the Asia-Pacific region.

Akiie Ninomiya Executive Director

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability

As one of the most diverse countries in the world, more than 6 million people live in Papua New Guinea.

More than 10 years ago, we persons with disabilities were not always aware of our potentials since understanding about disability in society as a whole was not really profound.

In 2004, a high rank government official from Papua New Guinea joined the South-to-South Cooperation Meeting by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and APCD at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.

In addition, information about persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea was shared with APCD through an international workshop in Vietnam in 2004, and in Pakistan in 2005. In this way, we got to know APCD.

In March 2006, APCD dispatched a mission to Papua New Guinea to clarify the outline of potential collaboration with persons with disabilities there. A Thai leader with disabilities led the mission and visited local villages. It was good news for us to know that a persons with a disability in a small village of fishers agreed to form a self-help group.

During the mission, a preparation meeting was held to discuss details for a Regional Workshop the Capacity Building of Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) in Papua New Guinea. We were interested in the topic since a concept of “Self-help Group” was not really understood among us.

At the same time, we facilitated the APCD mission members to meet the representatives from the Department of Labour, Department of Health and the Department of Education for their support to CBSHOD.

In July 2006, the second APCD mission was sent to Papua New Guinea. In collaboration with us and other local persons with disabilities, the mission team met Dame Carol A. Kidu, Minister, Department for Community Development. She expressed her positive support for us and the organization of CBSHOD in 2007.

In December 2006, the APCD’s third mission was sent to Papua New Guinea. In collaboration with APCD and us, the preparation of CBSHOD was made one by one. With this preparation process, we persons with disabilities got more opportunities to associate with people in different communities. It was really empowering for us.

In February 2007, we welcomed the APCD mission team and persons with disabilities from 13 Asia-Pacific countries who also participated in CBSHOD.

The CBSHOD opening ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, Minister of Community Development, Japanese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, and other key stakeholders.

With great support from Dame Carol A. Kidu, Minister, Department for Community Development, the CBSHOD was successfully organized. In collaboration with international stakeholders particularly from the Pacific, the CBSHOD demonstrated a great impact to persons with disabilities.

In actual fact, persons with disabilities got an opportunity to deepen our understanding about self-help organizations. Some of us never participated in such intensive discussion before, and it was an eye-opener for us.

It was a good opportunity for people in the community to join this regional workshop.

Indeed, CBSHOD raised awareness about disability in each community.

Accessibility perspectives were also addressed in the field visit.

It was the first time for persons with disabilities from all over Papua New Guinea to get together in one place. With the experiences of CBSHOD, we persons with disabilities learned how to manage the national level self-help organization called “Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP)”.

As a result of CBSHOD, the National Policy on Disability was developed in 2009 by the Department for Community Development. It was a happy surprise that the cover page of the new policy included the picture of “CBSHOD” as a milestone of PNG’s disability and development.

We can do something.

There is still a long way to go. But we have been more confident than before to work as a group.

It is our commitment to continue the movement towards the future, with a good memory of our efforts through CBSHOD.

what is PNGadP?Papua New Guinea Assembly of Disabled Persons (PNGADP) was incepted in 2002 and fully registered in 2008 as an Association representing persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea. The Association is fully recognized by the Government of Papua New Guinea as the national umbrella Disabled People’s Organization, promoting and protecting rights and advocating for the needs of persons with disabilities.

PNGADP is comprised of a board of provincial DPOs and other persons with disabilities including women with disabilities. It facilitates relevant programs to increase the capacity of its members to improve the quality of their lives and claim their rights. It also advocates with the government at all levels in spirit of partnership for improvements in the lives of persons with dis-abilities.

PNGADP is a member of the Pacific Disability Forum and also the Disabled Peoples’ International Asia-Pacific Region and is represented on the National Advisory Committee on Disability, which advises the Minister for Disability on issues that persons with disabilities have in Papua New Guinea.

what is aPCd?Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) is a regional center on disability and development established in Bangkok, Thailand as a legacy of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 1993-2002, under joint collaboration of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Royal Thai Government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Government of Japan.

In collaboration with more than 30 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, APCD is currently managed by the APCD Foundation under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. APCD has been endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific as a regional center for its Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012.

ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION:This booklet is available in a text format for person with visual impairments and blind persons free of charge.

Please contact APCD (info@apcdfoundation.org) for further details.

Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) 255 Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand tel: 66 (0) 2354-7505 fax: 66 (0) 2354-7507email: info@apcdfoundation.org website: www.apcdfoundation.org

PNGADP has been collaborating with the Department for Community Development according to the Strategic Plans 2010 - 2014.