EDF was delighted to welcome five Indians delegates last week in Brussels, for the European Disability and Development week. This visit was an activity planned within our project supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by local Indian organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs). The project is funded by the European Union, with Sightsavers India and EDF as co-partners.
We had the pleasure to meet:
- Ajit Kumar, from the India DPO “Jharkhand Vikang Adhikar Manj”
- Anuradhha Pareek, from the Indian DPO “Sajag Divyang Sewa Samithi”
- Arun Kumar, from the Indian DPO “Laksh For Differently Abled”
- Janki Bai, international judo champion for India
- Prasanna Kumar Padinharethil Narayanan, from Sightsavers India
The five Indian delegates had a busy week planned for them. They attended the European Day of Persons with Disabilities organised by the EU and EDF; the UNICEF/EDF event at the European Parliament promoting social inclusion of children with disabilities in Western Balkans and Turkey. They also took part in the event organised by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on the drivers and barriers of deinstitutionalisation.
The five Indian delegates had also the opportunity to exchange and understand better the work of European DPOs by meeting the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), the European Union of the Deaf (EUD), Inclusion Europe and of course EDF secretariat.
The delegation was invited to present the project and the work done so far during an event EDF organised with the EU, Sightsavers, Bridging the Gap and IDDC. We focused on women with disabilities and the EU’s role in pushing for inclusion in international cooperation. The week finished with an event organised by ENIL where delegates talked about promoting independent living through the SDGs.
Important to say that for their first time in Belgium and in Europe for some, they saw the celebrations for Saint Nicolas and Christmas!
For more information about this project, consult the following page.