All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

O uso da tribo amazônica Yanomami pelo comerciante de ouro Cartier leva os defensores Indigenas a alegar hipocrisia! Os Yanomami dizem: “Como pode uma joalheria de ouro, contra a qual nós Yanomami somos contra, usar a imagem dos Yanomami?” & “Quem compra um anel de ouro faz parte do crime!” | Barbara Crane Navarro

Publicidade Cartier/Fundação Cartier com joias de ouro à venda para clicar no texto proclamando um projeto que nunca aconteceu!

Source: O uso da tribo amazônica Yanomami pelo comerciante de ouro Cartier leva os defensores Indigenas a alegar hipocrisia! Os Yanomami dizem: “Como pode uma joalheria de ouro, contra a qual nós Yanomami somos contra, usar a imagem dos Yanomami?” & “Quem compra um anel de ouro faz parte do crime!” | Barbara Crane Navarro

Disability rights in Jamaica: Why has progress been so slow? – Petchary’s Blog

I think there are a lot of facts that we are not aware of, regarding people with disabilities. However, when you see the issue spelled out in a United Nations fact sheet, it makes you stop and think. I think this is, simply put, because we (members of society) don’t think about people with disabilities enough; we contribute to their marginalisation, because very often we don’t “see” them.

Jamaica has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesThe Convention has eight Guiding Principles. How is Jamaica doing on these?

  1. Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons
  2. Non-discrimination
  3. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
  4. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity
  5. Equality of opportunity
  6. Accessibility
  7. Equality between men and women
  8. Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities

As two Jamaican civil society organisations, Stand Up For Jamaica and the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition point out, progress in several of these areas needs to be stepped up. While organisations such as Digicel Foundation Jamaica and the Jamaica Council for Persons With Disabilities have made great efforts in this field, there is much more work to be done, and inequalities remain. Let me put this in a global context (picking out a few lines from the UN Fact Sheet mentioned above):

  • Did you know that the vast majority (80%) of persons with disabilities live in developing countries?
  • Around 15 per cent of the world’s population, or an estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. They are the world’s largest minority.
  • Women with disabilities are recognized to be multiply disadvantaged, experiencing exclusion on account of their gender and their disability.
  • Comparative studies on disability legislation shows that only 45 countries have anti-discrimination and other disability-specific laws.
  • According to UNICEF, 30 per cent of street youths have some kind of disability.
  • In some countries, up to a quarter of disabilities result from injuries and violence, says the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Here are the thoughts of SUFJ and CVCC on the issue…

Source: Disability rights in Jamaica: Why has progress been so slow? – Petchary’s Blog