Concerned Action Now - A Non-Profit And Non-Political NGO.

UN had kept the "CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: DIGNITY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL OF US" as the theme for the year. Keeping in line with the theme, the main speaker Mr. Prasanna Kumar Pincha, an expert on the Convention and Senior Consultant with Action Aid spoke in detail about the Convention and its relevance. He pointed out that as India has signed and ratified the Convention, it is now under an obligation to amend all its laws to be in consonance with the spirit of the Convention. In order to do this, Mr. Pincha pointed out that India must also make amendments to its Constitution and put disability in the concurrent list from the state list, so that both the central and state legislations can start the process of bringing the various laws of India in consonance with the Convention. Mr. Pincha said that this is the first international document in which the group being addressed i.e. the persons with disabilities, were allowed to be active participants in the consultations and deliberations that took place in its drafting. Furthermore, he said that “the Convention has been based on the lived experiences of the persons with disabilities”.

This year Concerned Action (CAN) collaborated with the UN Information Centre, New Delhi to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the latter’s premises. CAN together with the UN Information Centre organised a Panel Discussion on Tuesday, the 2nd of December 2008 to mark the occasion. The theme of the discussion was the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The other speakers also shed light on the relevance of the Convention and its impact on different aspects of the life of a person with disabiltiies. Ms. Shalini Dewan, Director UNIC for India & Bhutan, read out the Message of the UN Secretary General highlighting the need to keep on working in this field to attain justice and equality for all. Ms. Dewan emphasized the slogan of the international disability community: “Nothing about us without us.” She urged that Governments and all stakeholders should ensure that persons with disabilities and their organisations are an integral part of all development processes. In this way integration can be promoted and a better future for all people in society can be expected.

Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva, Honorary Founder, Sanjeevani India spoke about the need of care-givers for persons with disabilities. Referring to the consequences of disintegration of joint families he said that the responsibility of care for a person with disabilities, financial as well as physical, falls usually on one person. He emphasised on the need of a parallel support system for disabled persons. He stated that the Convention also provides for assistance through the provision of care-givers. It is also equally necessary to put proper policies in place for the same. The Vice- President of CAN, Mr. Jagdish Chander, also spoke about the Convention and how during his duty as a note-taker at the 2nd UN ad hoc Committee to draft the Convention in June 2003 he had witnessed that most of the nations were eager to see the Convention adopted. He also stated that there is a great need to advocate for the Convention to be implemented in India, a process in which all of us must partake.

At the function the students of Tamana School, for the mentally retarded, gave two dance performances, one was a group performance and the other was a solo performance. Distribution of wheel-chair and crutches was also made at the function to the disabled members of CAN’s Vocational Training Centres at Kusumpur Phari and Dakshinpuri Slums with the funds donated by Mr. Nand Kumar for the said purpose. The function was well attended by persons working in the field of disability, the UN and others.

On the 3rd of December, the CAN team was invited to give a presentation on disability and observe the day through its Yellow and Blue Ribbon Campaign at the office of Pepsi India’s Fritolay Department, at the latter’s premises. Ms. Shivani Gupta, a Board Member of CAN also came along for the presentation. CAN also distributed ribbons and badges to their staff. CAN's ribbons, badges and posters were distributed in Delhi Public Schools, the Shri Ram School, Gurgaon, Universities and various localities to generate a greater awareness about disability.

This year’s campaign would not have been possible without the encouragement and financial support of Mr. Parkishat Sahni and the Goodearth Education Trust. The UN Information Centre also provided a lot of support to the team of CAN in organizing the panel discussion event. The press also covered the event. The Hindu reported as follows:

The theme was “The UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and the role of care givers”. Special students of Tamanna School gave a dance performance. Wheelchairs and crutches were distributed to differently-abled members of Concerned Action’s vocational training centres in Kusumpur Pahari and Dakshinpuri slums.”