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DRPI South Africa

A photo of all participants and facilitators sitting and standing in three rows. It is taken outside, in the parking lot of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa.

Group photo of participants and facilitators

From June 4 to 10, 2012, the South African Disability Alliance (SADA) and the DRPI Africa Regional Centre co-hosted a seven-day training involving 26 participants. The training was co-facilitated by regional representatives from Kenya, Rwanda and Zimbabwe as well as key leaders from the disability movement of South Africa. It took place at the offices of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa.

Four participants – two men and two women - are sitting in a group outside. The two women are sitting beside each other, speaking with a man who is sitting across from them. A second man is observing.

Participants practice their interviewing skills

During the training, participants learned how to use DRPI tools to collect information about the human rights experiences of persons with disabilities through face-to-face interviews and about disability-related laws, policies and programs. Participants also learned how to analyze and report on the information that they collect in order to make positive changes in their communities. Ample time was given to practice using the tools so that participants would be ready to begin monitoring soon after the training. The process was aided by role playing and group discussions in an effort to keep the training as interactive as possible.

Site Coordinator (woman) and three monitors (all men) are posing for a group picture, holding a sign that says “Kwazulu Natal”. One of the monitors is making a ‘thumbs up’ sign.

Site Coordinator (standing, far right) and three monitors from Kwazulu Natal

Following the training, participants returned to their home communities to begin the monitoring process. Pairs of trained monitors are now conducting interviews in four provinces: Eastern Cape, Gueteng, Kwazulu Natale and Mpumalanga. Each province also has a Site Coordinator who is facilitating the process. In addition, a team of monitors working with the University of the Western Cape Centre for Disability Law and Policy is examining the laws, policies and programs of South Africa to assess whether they adequately respect, protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Another monitoring team is looking at coverage of disability and persons with disabilities in print media.

DRPI South Africa Links