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II. Developing Role Models and Resources: Self-determination in the Pacific A. Nature of the problem Disability services were introduced to the Pacific between the 1960s and 1980s. This saw the establishment of numerous single and cross-disability non-governmental organizations in the Pacific subregion. The year 1981 was named the International Year of Disabled Persons and Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI) was formed in the same year. Despite these promising initiatives, awareness of the disability movement and self-help organizations of persons with disabilities has remained minimal in the Pacific, particularly in the smaller developing island nations. Traditionally, disability organizations have focused on delivery of services and been managed by non-disabled persons, adopting the view that persons with disabilities must be cared for, protected and segregated. Persons with disabilities were regarded as recipients of goodwill and unable to make their own choices or determine their own destiny. Another hurdle in the self-determination of people with disabilities is culture, perceptions and attitudes. These attitudes can act as barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities in affairs that concern them, especially at decision/policy-making levels. The strong extended family system in most countries in the Pacific encourages family members to look after their own sick or less fortunate relatives. The association of a disabling condition with ancestral curse, parental misdeeds, witchcraft, shame and fear keeps persons with disabilities isolated, neglected, dependent and poor. Furthermore, the struggling economies of these island nations also inhibit government attention to the presence, needs and concerns of their disabled population. The disabled population is a minority group in most cases and their needs are outweighed by the national priorities and agenda. Further, the ability of self-help organizations to campaign for the rights and needs of the disabled to be put higher on the national agenda is hampered by lack of coordination between the many self-help groups, and their often limited focus and resources. The challenge to persons with disabilities in this subregion is to work towards gaining greater recognition and support for their involvement in decisions and activities that affect their lives. This involvement can be within their local communities, national governments or even management of disability organizations. This involvement is essential if they want to play a more active and leading role in affairs that concern them. This task can only be accomplished if people with disabilities are given equal treatment and opportunity, and are empowered, motivated and equipped with relevant information, skills and experience. Thus, the establishment of the DPI Oceania Subregion Office in Suva, Fiji in 2000 was significant as it acknowledged the self-determination of persons with disabilities in the subregion. B. Main features of the organization The DPI Oceania Subregion is one of the five subregions of the Asia-Pacific Region which in turn constitutes one of the five regions of DPI. DPI is an international cross-disability, self-help, human rights organization of people with disabilities and represents a relatively new social movement with member organizations in 114 countries worldwide. DPI was founded in 1981, during its First World Congress held in Singapore at the end of the ground-breaking United Nations International Year of Disabled persons (IYDP) prescribed for the same year. It endeavours to promote and achieve the goal of human rights for people with disabilities. Full participation in society, equality of opportunities, and self-directed developments of persons with disabilities are its major objectives. DPI’s philosophy provided the basis for the United Nations World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons through such principles as human rights, full participation, self-determination, integration and equalization of opportunities. On 17 August 1987, the United Nations gave DPI a testimonial award for dedicated service in support of the United Nations World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons which served as the basis for implementing the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, 1983-1992. From the beginning, DPI’s strategy in achieving its goal has been empowerment of people with disabilities through the building up of their individual capacities and their self-help organizations in all parts of the world, especially in developing countries. In this way, they become effective advocates on their own behalf and are able to undertake their self-development. The DPI Asia-Pacific Region has 22 member countries. Regular communication and close collaboration are maintained between the Oceania Subregion Office and member countries as well as with the Regional Office in Bangkok. Disability organizations as well as government departments and civil society organizations that provide disability services in countries of the subregion are being identified and encouraged to recognize and support the full participation and equal treatment of persons with disabilities. To fulfil its vision, the Oceania Office organized the first subregional leadership training seminar in Port Vila, Vanuatu in August 2001. National leadership and empowerment seminars were planned for Papua New Guinea and Samoa in 2002. C. Achievements Prior to its establishment, only four countries were recognized by DPI to have set up national self-help organizations of persons with disabilities in the subregion. These are Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands. All four have become member national assemblies of DPI. After its establishment phase spanning a period of six months from March to August 2000, the DPI Oceania Subregion Office, through the financial support of the Nippon Foundation of Japan, continued to strengthen its position, develop its role and raise its profile in the Pacific and beyond. Four key areas were targeted by the DPI Oceania Office to guide its strategic goals and objectives. These are:
The first Oceania subregion leadership training seminar was held in Vanuatu in August 2001 and attended by about 40 persons with disabilities from nine countries in the subregion. This seminar was instrumental in obtaining support from the Government of Vanuatu and has raised the profile of the issue of disability in the broader community. The Disability Promotion and Advocacy Vanuatu (DPA) has expanded in membership and has formed close and positive links with other disability-related and civil society organizations. DPA Vanuatu obtained full membership of DPI at the DPI Regional meeting held in Shanghai, China, in October 2002. The Oceania Disability Advisory and Support Committee (ODASC) was also formed at this leadership training seminar in 2001. This committee was set up in response to the need for persons with disabilities from participating countries to support, communicate and network with each other to promote and strengthen the disability movement in the subregion. As a result of this, a subregional network of self-help organizations has been formed in Vanuatu, Samoa and the Cook Islands. These countries are now seeking membership in DPI. In August 2002, the second Oceania Subregion leadership training seminar was held in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea has the largest population of any Pacific Island country, in excess of five million people. It is further challenged by its mountainous terrain, many remote communities, poor infrastructure and communications systems. Formation of a strong organization of persons with disabilities has been hampered by poor communication, lack of resources and the fact that disability services have been dominated by non-disabled people. The Leadership training seminar had very significant results. In August 2002 the National Assembly of People with Disabilities, (NAPD Papua New Guinea), was formed, and was accepted as the formal body to represent persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea at the DPI regional meeting referred to earlier. Thus, the disability movement in Papua New Guinea has developed impetus and begun activities to advocate for disability legislation and to undertake extensive awareness raising activities and extension of the NAPD to provincial level. The overall goal of the Leadership Seminars is to provide an opportunity for international learning experience and exchange for leaders who have disabilities from Asia and the Pacific islands. Furthermore, it assists in building and strengthening individual and organizational capacities, and strengthening the network of organizations in the region. Hence, it enables people with disabilities to be able to promote and achieve for themselves full participation, equality and integration within their own societies, and allows them to contribute constructively to their nation’s development effort. The Oceania Office has not limited its activities to the workshops and seminars which it has initiated, but has responded to requests for support of initiatives and activities at national level from several countries and territories in the region. In March 2001 the Ministry of Internal Affairs, focal point for disability in the Cook Islands Government, conducted a historic workshop entitled “The Cook Islands Disability Council Establishment and Awareness-raising Workshop”, with funding assistance from New Zealand Overseas Development Aid. The Workshop had the express purpose of establishing the Cook Islands Disability Council and, just as importantly, of raising awareness concerning disability issues amongst Government personnel, people from the wider community and people with disabilities and their families and caregivers. These objectives were achieved, and a series of recommendations for immediate further action made. These very successful outcomes were in part due to the vital input of the Oceania DPI Subregional Coordinator, Mr Setareki Macanawai, whose exceptionally high level of technical expertise, combined with his inspirational advocacy have earned him acclaim beyond the Oceania subregion. The Cook Islands became a signatory to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific “Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region” on 19 July 2000. In signing the Proclamation, the country was also party to the adoption of the “Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002”. The Cook Islands took these commitments seriously and has proceeded to take many actions resulting in the finalization of the Cook Islands National Policy on Disability and Action Plan, in June 2003. This document may provide a valuable model for other Pacific countries embarking on these steps. The progress in the Cook Islands has been achieved with very close consultation, cooperation and support from the DPI Oceania Office. In May 2002 a similar exercise was undertaken in Samoa, again with support from the Oceania Office. A national association of persons with disabilities was formed and in October 2002 in Shanghai, China, both the Cook Islands and Samoa national assemblies were accepted into the DPI family. The participation and involvement of persons with disabilities as resource persons in disability related seminars/workshops have also been acknowledged, promoted and practiced in the subregion as in the case of Vanuatu and Cook Islands in 2001. This was also the case in Samoa, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea in 2002. The experience and leadership of the Fiji Disabled People’s Association have been prominent and valuable in this initiative. Through the hard work of the Oceania Subregion Office, there has been a marked increase in the participation and representation of persons with disabilities, related organizations and relevant government departments from the subregion in regional and international meetings pertaining to disability. Furthermore, the Oceania Office has promoted disability issues as an important agenda for such Pacific-based regional organizations as the ESCAP Pacific Operation Centre, the Pacific Islands Association of Non-governmental Organizations (PIANGO), the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and others. D. Key lessons learned Even though the Oceania Subregion of DPI Asia-Pacific Region has been in existence for some time, the actual setting up of the DPI Oceania Office occurred in March, 2000. Therefore, key lessons learned are based on experiences, activities and feedback in the past three years. Information sharing, communication and networking help improve and strengthen disability organizations in Pacific Island countries. Within the short period since DPI Oceania’s establishment, there has been an increase in information pertaining to disability which the DPI Oceania Office has disseminated to these countries. Such information empowers disability organizations and motivates disability workers to learn and find out more about disability issues to make their services more effective and beneficial to the various target groups they serve. Also, most of the countries are at a similar level of disability development and exchange of experiences, success stories and newfound knowledge aids progress in throughout the region. Persons with disabilities are good role models, effective advocates and valuable resource persons. Much has been achieved in the area of self-help, self-determination and empowerment of persons with disabilities in this subregion because the DPI Oceania Office actively involved capable and successful persons with disabilities from Pacific island countries in its training programmes. The establishment of self-help organizations in Cook Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu are direct outcomes of such initiatives. Countries in the Pacific subregion share similar cultures, lifestyles and challenges, which enable persons with disabilities to identify with each other and draw strength from each other’s experiences. Non-governmental organizations are largely responsible for services to persons with disabilities in the Pacific subregion. From the contacts DPI Oceania has established with countries and territories in the subregion, it is evident that governments in almost all of these countries played a limited supportive role by way of minimal grants. This support is only forthcoming if funds permit. Policy support is also limited by the formulation of policies driven by social or economic reasons rather than human rights and equity issues. Yet, despite government reliance on NGOs to provide much needed services, their contributions are often ignored or overlooked. NGOs must be recognized, not just by their governments, but by international organizations such as ESCAP, the World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as valuable partners in any disability development initiative in this subregion. Persons with disabilities must be empowered, trained and supported to play more active and leading roles in disability programmes in their respective countries. DPI Oceania Office has discovered that for the most part, persons with disabilities in this subregion see themselves merely as recipients and beneficiaries of services provided by disability agencies. Positive self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence and family/personal counselling are essential components of any intervention measure prior to the promotion and implementation of full participation and equal opportunity programmes. E. Sustainability The DPI Oceania Subregion Office is an important catalyst and change agent for and by persons with disabilities in the subregion. It currently enjoys the financial support of the Nippon Foundation of Japan and guidance of the DPI Asia/Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok. However, countries and territories in this subregion must be encouraged to support this project, as it plays a pivotal role in the promotion and recognition of the human rights of, and self-determination by, persons with disabilities. Furthermore, this disability movement must not be seen as a threat to existing disability agencies and related government programmes in the subregion. Rather, the primary role of the DPI Oceania Office is to complement and strengthen such services by sensitizing government leaders, civil society and management of disability NGOs to the rights and capacity of persons with disabilities as equal partners in any disability development initiative.
Figure 1. Setareki Macanawai, first Vice Chair, DPI Oceania Subregional Office
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