INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Handicap International South East
Europe annual award 2005 for Best Practices of Community-based services for
people with disabilities 20.01.2006, Skopje
Handicap International’s mission in South East Europe is to
support people with disabilities and other stakeholders involved in the change
process towards equal opportunities and full participation of persons with
disabilities in society. Within the program of support
to the development of Community based Services, the need for sharing knowledge
and good practices has been widely acknowledged among stakeholders in South
East Europe. In order
to provide opportunities for this, an award competition was developed during
2004 and has evolved to become a continuous annual award destined to community
based service providers that support persons with disabilities over the region.
Eligible applicants were service providers for persons with disabilities from
non-governmental, public and private sector in the countries from South East
Europe.
The process of selection valorized initiatives that: • Have a demonstrable and tangible impact on improving people’s quality of
life and their rights to full participation and inclusion in society,
• Supports the independent living of persons with disability according to his-her
own abilities and wishes,
• Are the result of effective partnerships between the public and civic sectors
of society to deliver services at community level,
• Are providing services based on an active participation of users, their possible
advocates (for example concerning persons with intellectual disabilities or
children with disabilities) and representatives of persons with disabilities
in the development of the services provided.
Five organizations were rewarded by Handicap International this year.
The organization that demonstrated a particular strength in partnership approach
and policy changes was PORAKA, the Republic Centre for
support of persons with intellectual disabilities in Macedonia. PORAKA ensures several structures providing
daily support to persons with intellectual disabilities for the training of
daily life skills, education and integration. They also work on awareness rising
in the community, information to their members and advocacy towards the authorities.
The jury’s motivation for awarding PORAKA for best practices of Community-based
services for people with disabilities was:
“PORAKA, working to strengthen the voices of one of the most under represented
groups in the community, has reached considerable achievements through advocating
for the right to access support services at community level, in partnership
with the Government of Macedonia and other civil society groups of the country”.
On 20th January 2006 (Friday) in the Home of Humanitarian organizations “Dare
Dzambaz” room nr.5 at 11:00, the Regional Director of Handicap International
Mr. Alexandre Cote officially awarded PORAKA and emphasized: “Today, Handicap International thinks
that Macedonia is one of the countries in the region that is strongly in capacity
to make society more inclusive for people with disability.
From New York to Brussels, from the development of disability rights convention
by the United Nations to the implementation of the EU action plan for people
with disabilities rights, the development of policy supporting the full participation
of people with disabilities is not an option it has become a duty for all responsible
central and local governments.
We sincerely hope that in the future the Macedonian Government will support
more actively the development and the sustainability of community-based services
for people with disability like the one promoted and provided by PORAKA. Apart
from the progress made in Macedonia regarding the service provision for persons
with disability, the need for development of other types of services is present,
like: small group homes, independent living, resource centers, personal assistances,
respite centers, supported employment etc.
It is necessary to establish partnership relations between the public and non-governmental
sector by making contracts, i.e. licensing and offering opportunities for managing
services to non-governmental sector. In order to contribute this process, Handicap
International and PORAKA will organize conference in April
2006 focused on the development in this area, i.e. making contracts for partnership
relations between the governmental and non-governmental sector.
To conclude, let me express our believes that PORAKA as an organization that
is involved both in service provision for persons with disability and involved
in long term policy change is a very good example what civil society is able
and supposed to do for a better society for all.
The award price in total of 2.000 Euro, PORAKA is obligated to use only for
activities which will contribute to service development, and is required to
submit technical and financial report to Handicap International”.
