LOCAL Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for people living with disabilities (PWDs) are now strategizing to fully exploit annual commemorations of such people to push for their agendas and educate the public to reduce their marginalization.
To implement that five organizations met in Dar es Salaam recently under the coordination of the right organization, which supports and builds the capacity of the local organizations working for interests of people living with disabilities.
At their meeting, the CSOs discussed how they would utilize national or international commemorations to have their challenges taken into account by the government or other stakeholders.
The organizations were Tanzania Albino Society (TAS), Tanzania Association of the Deaf (CHAVITA), Association for Spina B Bifida and Hydrocephalus Tanzania (ASBAHT) and Tanzania Users and Survivors of Psychiatric Organization (TUSPO ) and Tanzania Federation of Disabled People’s O rganizations (SHIV YAWATA).
“We want to see how we can use the commemorations to make our advocacies become more powerful,’ noted Ms Neema Seya, MyRight Country Coordinator.
She argued that many of the commemorations have been held as ‘business as usual,’ with no much impacts or implementations, which advocated for the rights of such people in their themes in any particular annual event.
“For instance, we want to see that when people commemorate International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) challenges facing people living with albinism are emphasized and taken for consideration for a whole year,” she said.
She said the commemoration days should be used to make more awareness among the members or the public on how to reduce marginalisations against victims.
On his part, Secretary General of the Shivyawata, Mr Jonas Lubago, said they always put themes to reflect on what they want to achieve in any particular annual commemoration.
“We want all associations of people living with disabilities to speak particular issues around them, while focusing on achieving a goal,” he stated.
Commenting, Programme Manager for advocacy, disabilities inclusion at the CCBRT, Mr Fredrick Msigallah, said a theme for any particular commemoration has to be valid for a whole year, till another one dawns.
He also advised that the themes for international commemorations should be localized to embed local context for people with disabilities.
