World Vision PNG partnering with the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded and facilitated a one-week workshop on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The workshop is under the Real Inclusion in Disability Engagement (RIDE) Project and had 16 representatives from different Organizations of Disability (OPD) in the four regions of the country who participated.
World Vision PNG Chief of Party/Education Portfolio Lead, Imelda Ochavillo, emphasized the project this is a first time project.
“The intention of this activity since Monday up until now is to come up with Master trainers in UNCRPD because we learned that there is still a big need for the UNCRPD that there is still a need to advocate for the rights of the people with disabilities and so that is our training and hopefully in each of the provinces in the four regions there will be master trainers who can roll-out the awareness on UNCRPD”, stated Ochavillo.
She added that a first phase was done in February 2023 with participants and the master training with two phases and will be certified after today’s workshop.
Participants including OPDs from the highlands, New Guinea Islands, the Momase region and the Southern region specifically the Nation’s Capital. According to statistics about 15 percent of Papua New Guineans are persons of disability.
PNG Assembly of Disabled Person Male Co-chair, Medley Laban is the Chair for New Ireland Disabled Organization.
Laban as a participant spoke about how this Masters training will allow him to advocate on the rights of Disabled people in his province.
“The UNCRPD, hopefully going back to the localities which we came from we should be able to advocate for inclusion in terms of advocating at all levels in sub-levels, districts to LLGs and Wards. The core focus will be to planners, leaders, decision makers and the community at large.” Emphasized Laban.
The roll-out will take place in all regions next month.