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Organizing the Regional Training

Choosing the Five Countries

Five countries in Southeast Europe (Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro) were selected for participation in Regional Training for monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities using the criteria of those countries that have signed and/or ratified the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Also considered in this criteria was if selected governments of countries lent support to the inclusion of persons with disabilities.  Since the languages are similar in this region this was also a criterion used for selection. Some of the Disabled People’s Organizations have experience in previous cooperation in joint actions with COD. Considering all these facts, the countries were selected by partners on the project including, staff of DRPI, COD and Serbian Society of Autism.

People Involved in the Organization and Supporting Staff

Trainers, organizers and staff

  • Marcia Rioux – DRPI/York University
  • Chris Lytle – DRPI
  • Paula Pinto – DRPI Researcher, Portugal
  • Zoltan Mihok – COD
  • Goran Lončar – COD
  • Miloš Banjalić – COD
  • Gorjana Gordić – COD
  • Goran Brajović – COD
  • Marina Mitrović – COD

Accommodation

The participants were accommodated in three hotels within the same complex of hotels, located next to each other and linked with passages to each other so the conference room was accessible without need to go outside and leave the hotel and all offered accessible rooms and facilities.

Food

The price of accommodation in hotels in Kanjiža included food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) which was provided in Hotel Aqua Marin in Kanjiža.

Disability-Related Adaptations

The accommodation in Kanjiza spa is fully adapted for persons with disabilities. Hotel Aqua Marin has an adapted entrance, conference rooms, elevators and rooms for people using wheelchairs (wide bathroom doors). The conference room where training was held is on the 1st floor with elevator access.
Two sign language interpreters were hired since one hard-hearing person attended the workshop. Sign language interpreters were present during whole training, each of 8 days. One copy of training materials was printed in Braille since one person with visual impairment expressed the need for it.

List of the speakers at the opening ceremony:

  • Radovan Radulović – Association of People with Diabilities “Will for life”
  • Vesna Petrović – Executive Director of Belgrade Center for Human Rights
  • Nevena Petrušić – Commissioner for Equal Opportunities
  • Njilaš Mihali – Mayor of the Kanjiža Municipality
  • Marija Rauš – Special Advisor on Human Rights
  • Marcia Rioux – DRPI Co-Director
  • Zoltan Mihok – Executive Director of COD

List of the guests and observers:

  • Radoš Keravica – South-Backa district Association of Dystrophy
  • Dalma Biro – KOKUS Association of People with Diabilities, Hungary
  • Ann Marit Saebones – Assistant of UN Special Reporter on disability issues, Norway
  • Ljiljana Igrić – University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Frederick Stockhaus – SHIA, Sweden
  • Sonja Vasić – independent representative of Montenegro

Sight Seeing Activities

A short trip was organized for Sunday 1st May to Novi Knezevac during the free afternoon. Novi Knezevac is a town across the river Tisa, 15km away from Kanjiza. It was planned for participants to visit the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society, the local DPO run by one of the participants. Within the MS Society is the MS House serving as a household for community based living for persons with MS. A barbecue and dinner in a local restaurant called “Lovac” was organized for after the trip and this  included a performance of local traditional musicians.

Summary of Evaluation Report

In general, according to evaluations, the Regional training was organized at very high level. The needs of the participants were very well met in all aspects starting from accommodation, to accessibility, technical and logistic support, work of organizers and staff. The topic of training was relevant and interesting and trainers were very qualified and competent. The trainers were successful in conveying knowledge to the participants and empowering them to apply the DRPI methodology of monitoring in their countries.

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