To train or improve the knowledge and skills in the field of social project management – this was the mission of training, which was held in Viciebsk. It was organized by the human rights organization "Human Office of People with Disabilities", in partnership with the Lithuanian organization "Mental Health Perspectives".
Among the participants there were representatives of public organizations and associations – MOO rehabilitation of teenagers, the disabled and the elderly, "Diamond", NGO "RAIK" Viciebsk city department of the BHA "Positive Movement" and others, representatives of district territorial social service centers, city center correctional developmental. training and rehabilitation and representatives Masherov University.
During the two days of the event manager of the organization "Mental Health Perspectives» Virginia Klimukene told how to write projects to interested donors why the goal should be divided into stages, and what should be the project team. In addition, participants learned about the possible sources of funding for non-governmental organizations, received practical advice on searching for potential partners, as well as in practice, have learned to make the project budget and logical framework.
It is important to note that training – just the beginning of the training course, which puts the purpose to increase the expertise and organizational capacity of the Belarusian organizations and initiative groups that act in favor of deinstitutionalization and protect the rights of people with disabilities.
– The workshop – it is only a small part of a larger package of measures that we are implementing to that describes the process of deinstitutionalization himself run faster and more efficiently in Belarus, – says head of the "Office on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" Sergei Drozdowski. – What is meant here? The traditional form of social services, which we inherited from the Soviet Union – Enterprise, that is, when and in severe, and very severe disability of a person is in care under special institutions – boarding schools, special homes, etc.
On the other hand themselves boarding with its internal atmosphere give rise to, say, a terrible phenomenon and maintain segregation, and this infringement, removal man. This is directly contrary to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which in 2006 was adopted, and that our country has signed in the past year.
– For a long time people have tried to understand what the disability is and how it be – continues Mr. Drozdowski. – I think that it is a disease, tried to treat – can not be cured. Then he realized that it was still around the barriers began to fight with them. But there is little to beat the barriers, even the most simple, it is necessary to understand the nature of the disability. And, actually, today is the progressive understanding – this understanding that disability – this is a phenomenon which prevents a person to enjoy human rights on an equal footing.
Head office explained that when a person comes to the state and said that the need in the design of disability status, which means that even he and his family can not cope with all the hardships. So, he needs public support. And what should it be?
– Deinstitutionalization says that there should be three important criteria in the organization of all the help and support of the process, that is, we as a society somehow agreed to help these people. And now let's think about how we are going to do so that it does not cause any harm to a stranger. After all, there is such a thing as an independent way of life, then there is a possibility the person at all degrees of support to be still able to make decisions when choosing your life, namely, "what", "how", "why" and "why." And we can not put him to the condition that, for all social assistance, he should move to a boarding school. A person should have a choice. What is it here? At the local level, you have to line up help services, service in such a way that, first, to compensate for the restriction of its life, and secondly, that he is not there is a need somewhere to go. And the third – it is switched on (the criterion which, in principle, estimated of how much each of the human rights enforceable for him).
Belarus is currently boarding 81, of which more than half – neuropsychiatric. In general, about 19 thousand people living in them – this is a lot. And whether we like it or not, create a new administrative boarding reality where the rules and approaches. There are people actually lose some of their freedom in order to care for him. In what it is expressed: he lives with those with whom he comes; he is obliged to follow the routine and schedule, ie, up, breakfast, lunch, etc .; Well, and other factors. I'm not talking about the gross violations. For example, some recently boarding there were no locks on the doors. That is kind of how you live, and your private life – it's your private life, but they did not put locks simply because the administration wanted at any time to go back and forth. From the point of view of convenience of administration – yes, but in terms of the fact that this is the same person – not.
In our country, such a situation, when a disabled person is not considered to be opinion and think primarily about their welfare, unfortunately, a lot. And saddest of all is probably the fact that it is often so do the relatives of the one who due to some limitations of its features just can not do anything, can not resist. And here is the responsibility falls on us, because we often do not understand or simply do not want to understand and accept that every person has the right to choose.
And the holding of such workshops is important and necessary, because here people together and on an equal footing are looking for answers and decide how they can help, what they can do to ensure that our society has taken a step towards development, in this context – to the deinstitutionalization.
