Dicembre 2018

December 3rd, 2018

Distinguished representatives of the Government and diplomatic missions, Esteemed officials and staff of NUOD, NCD and Disabled People Organizations, Fellow colleagues from the Development Community and Intergovernmental organizations, Members of the Media, Persons with Disabilities, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for giving me the chance to speak with you today.

It is a great honor for me to address you on this important occasion to mark world disability day 2018.

Today is the 26^th celebration recurring every year on December 3^rd, of the International Day of People with Disabilities. Today, all over the world, Governments, Civil Society Organizations and Disabled People Organizations come together to celebrate abilities of people with disabilities. For the past 26^th years, the celebration of this day has been an important tool in promoting the rights of people with disabilities.

The special occasion is important because it’s when all participants are required to jointly define the prospective of people with disabilities in the coming year. So, I’m very pleased that today, is the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, the National Commission on Disability and the National Union of Organisations of the Disabled who are bringing us here to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the national motto ‘’Creating a Level Playing Field for the Empowerment of PWDs’’.

The national motto echoes this year’s global theme which is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. This theme focuses on empowering persons with disabilities for the inclusive, equitable and sustainable development goals that are envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pledging to “leave no one behind”. It is critical, therefore, to ensure the full and equitable participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and to create environments which enable such participation.

It is in this regard that the Liberian National Motto of ‘’Creating a Level Playing Field for the Empowerment of PWDs’’ goes beyond the global theme, by focusing its attention on the need of “creating equitable opportunities” for Persons with Disabilities; to articulate, claim, act upon and enjoy the rights they are entitled to. Creating equitable opportunities, or a Level Playing Field, talks of an equitable society; a society which gives people what they need to enjoy full, participative, contributing and healthy lives. Equity, as opposed to equality, recognize that not everyone in society starts from the same place, as well as that peoples’ needs are different. This will be the flavour of my speech today.

By: Staff Writer  

Luther Sangar Mendin

November 26, 2018

As AIFO-Liberia inaugurates its office ramp project, the European Disability Forum has called on the government of Liberia led by President George Weah to ensure that all public and private buildings are made accessible to persons with disabilities especially those in wheel chairs.

Giampiero Griffo, a board member of the forum said people living with disabilities like any other individual can meaningfully contribute to societal development once they are provided the opportunity and space to showcase their talents. He made the assertion during the dedication of a ramp constructed at the offices of the Italian Association Amici di Raoul Follereau- Liberia Office in Sinkor, Monrovia.  The ramp was constructed with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation as part of the Disability and Startup project which is currently being implemented in Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and the city of Monrovia. Giampiero, who recently visited Liberia as part of an Institutional Training for heads of Disabled People Organisations under the Disability and Startup project said his visit was intended to provide capacity building training to disabled people organisations in other to empower their members.

For her part, the Country Director of AIFO-Liberia, Silvia Poggioli described the dedication of the ramp at her institution as a first step taken to achieve the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. According to her, in the absence of a ramp, persons with disabilities wouldn’t have the opportunity to access her office especially those in wheel chairs and even those using crutches. She also supported the call for government to ensure smooth accessibility of public and private buildings including banks, hospitals, offices, among others.

AIFO-Liberia Head Office
19 th Street, Beachside Sinkor, Monrovia
Press Statement (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
Monrovia, July 24, 2018

The Italian Association Friends of Raoul Follereau, AIFO and partners will on Wednesday, July 25 launch a three-year (2018-2021) project titled: “Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development in Liberia”. The project is being led by AIFO and implemented along with the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled and the National Commission on Disabilities, in Liberia and the University of Florence and RIDS in Italy. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the Liberian Civil Society with focus on Disabled People Organizations to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth processes in Liberia. The project which is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation with a One million and four hundred thousand-dollar grant is meant to enhance the capacity of Disabled People Organizations (DPOs) in economic sustainability, strategic planning, human rights, resource mobilization, and leadership skills, as well as foster inclusion of
persons with disabilities in national development agenda. The project will address organizational capacity building of disabled member organizations and administrative functions of the umbrella organization of people with disabilities, the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled, NUOD, in order to enhance its capacity to lead and coordinate a country-wide citizens’ actions for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and other pro-disability policies and programmes in Liberia.
The project will be implemented in three counties of Liberia namely Bong, Nimba and Grand Gedeh and in the city of Monrovia. The project will work with county and national AIFO-Liberia.

Monrovia, 03 August 2018: Senior leaders from Nine Disabled People Organizations
(DPOs) and the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) gathered at a
workshop from July 23-25 at the Exceeding Hotel in Monrovia to discuss key issues
faced by Disabled People Organizations and the identification of different priorities and needs for income generation activities as part of the ongoing project titled: “Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development”(DASU) funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – AICS (AID 11516).

The Nine DPOs and NUOD leaders were from Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and
Monrovia. The DPOs included SAPRO, Group of 77, Christian Association of the Blind
and the Liberia National Association of the Blind in Bong County. Nimba Disabled
Community and Group of 77 in Nimba County, Grand Geeh Disabled Community in Grand Gedeh County and Cultivation for Users Hope and the Liberia National Association of the Deaf in Monrovia respectively.

July 25, 2018, Corina Hotel, 24th Street, Sinkor-Monrovia, Liberia
Representatives from the Government, Disabled People Organizations and CSOs
working on Inclusive Development, Distinguished Members of the Business
Community, Distinguished officials and staff of AIFO, NUOD, NCD, The Group
of 77 management, Fellow colleagues from the Development Community and
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Members of the Media, Distinguished Ladies
and Gentlemen.
The office of the vice president is very happy to officially launch the project titled:
“Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development
in Liberia” funded by the Italian Agency for International Development. The
project addresses a concern which is so significant to me: to make sure people with
disabilities are fully included in economic life: that they can get a job, has dignity
in everything they do, and exercise their full rights as citizens. Too often they are
the poorest of the poor and the forgotten people.
Our office has started some efforts through the executive director of the Group of
77 Madam: Wayfa F. Ciapha by including all categories of disabilities for
employment.