June 2013 1

Volume 6, Issue 4

June 2013

Reflections from PFD’s Secretary-General on the EMPOWER Program

www.discoveringdeafworlds.org

Last May, Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) Secretary-General George Lintag joined a group of 10 other Filipino Deaf community lead-ers on a three-week cross-cultural ex-change program in upstate New York and Washington, D.C. This Profes-sional Fellows EMPOWER Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, was hosted by DDW.

Lintag’s work with PFD is critical. Anecdotal evidence indicates that approximately 60% of the 121,000 Deaf people in the Philippines do not go to school, and unemployment among Deaf people is as high as 95%. PFD and its 28 member organiza-tions, with no paid staff and limited funding, struggle to overcome these issues. While rich in creativity, ideas, and passion, Deaf Filipino leaders acknowledge they have difficulty acquiring the skills and resources they need for their organizations to reach full potential, often due to limited communication access in their country.

A goal of the EMPOWER Program is to develop the organizational management skills of Deaf Filipino leaders, allowing them to more effectively run their

Deaf advocacy programs back home. Over 45 presenters from 20 institutions in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and Washington D.C. provided workshops on strategic planning, disability law, fund development, organizational develop-ment, and other relevant topics.

Lintag said, “The expert presenters DDW lined up gave me new informa-tion and tools to analyze my work with disability law, administration, and com-munications, and face the challenges in front of me. These sessions broadened

my understanding and assisted me with making good decisions.” He continued, “Many presenters were very good and I wasn’t satisfied with a two hour lecture. I wanted them to keep going for one to two days each. I want to learn more!”

Many of the presenters were Deaf or used Ameri-can Sign Language (ASL). Despite the fact that Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and ASL are different languages, the similar foundations in visual language and Deaf culture created an immediate connection between the Filipinos and the Americans.

Lintag has worked in advocacy for decades, and has taken numerous workshops. The majority of these

Lintag visits the National Association of the Deaf headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.

Lintag leads a group discussion with EMPOWER workshop participants in Rochester, NY.

2 Discovering Deaf Worlds

workshops were delivered by hearing people unfamil-iar with sign language or Deaf culture. “During this program, I was surprised at how clearly I understood things I thought I’d understood before,” he said. “Hav-ing this experience with other Deaf professionals who share an understanding of the importance of sign lan-guage and Deaf culture, made things more clear to me than ever before. I feel more open-minded, and my ability to learn in itself has improved.”

Upon returning to the Philippines, all 11 participants will present what they’ve learned to their home com-munities. Lintag recognizes that the EMPOWER Pro-gram has been a one-of-a-kind experience, adding, “I want to thank DOS and DDW for giving me this op-portunity. If I can come again in the future, that would be great, but even more, I hope other Deaf Filipinos can join similar programs and become strong leaders for future generations of Deaf Filipinos. I also hope the presenters I met here can come to the Philippines and

help plant more seeds to improve our skills, so that we can improve our community.”

PFD and DDW’s work together will continue in No-vember 2013, when 10 American Deaf community leaders visit the Philippines for the second half of the EMPOWER Program. DDW and PFD will then contin-ue their collaboration over the next several years, until PFD has reached full autonomy in all aspects of orga-nizational management. While there are difficult chal-lenges ahead, with support from DOS, both PFD and DDW have already made great strides in advancing the self-determination of Deaf people in the Philippines.

“[During the EMPOWER Program], I didn’t get the answers to my problems – instead, I received guidance on how to solve my problems on my own,” said Lintag. “I realized I’ve had the answers all along.”

For more information on the DOS/DDW EMPOWER program, please visit: www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/programs/u-s-department-of-state.

EMPOWER participant Jet Romo leads a discussion on the Philippine Federation

of the Deaf’s SWOT analysis.

National Association of the Deaf CEO Howard Rosenblum and Youth Leadership Coordinator Allie Rice hosted a visit from our delegation.

June 2013 3

DDW EMPOWER Program: One U.S. Delegate’s Perspective

By Christie Ong

How does one learn from and empower a deaf community?

My parents, Indonesian im-migrants, faced challenges adapting to life in the United States and raising a hard of hearing daughter. My parents’ perseverance helped them suc-ceed in finding the right recipe of resources to make a profound difference in my life. The help I received inspired me to work with others in the Deaf community. My commitment to learn from other Deaf and hard of hearing communities motivated me to become an international ambassador for Deaf people through the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and DDW.

As an American EMPOWER Program participant, I look forward to working with the U.S. and Filipino delegations to understand and provide insight on the current state of affairs for Deaf and hard of hearing people in the Philippines. Each U.S. delegate will bring a unique insight to our discussions with the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) and other influential Deaf advocacy associations. I am thrilled to work with such a great, collaborative and talented group, knowing that our partnership will have a long-lasting impact on the Filipino Deaf community.

I believe that listening to others empowers us to be-come better advocates for ourselves. I have found that cultural exchanges like this program are vital because they encourage people to reanalyze their approaches to Deaf issues, using lessons learned from another culture.

On May 6, 11 Filipino delegates arrived in the U.S. for a three-week visit. The group represented the PFD and 28 member organizations serving various sub-cul-tures and regions in the Philippines. They aim to im-prove their capabilities in managing organizations, as most are run by only one or two people, making long-term sustainability a challenge. The delegates traveled to Rochester, N.Y., and Washington, D.C., to learn as-pects of organizational management.

On May 25, I met the Filipino delegation and one of the U.S. delegates, Allie Rice, at a closing reception hosted by Mencie and Ernie Hairston. Each Filipino del-egate left a great impression on me, including Raphael Vergel de Dios Domingo, PFD co-founder and current

advisor to the PFD and two other Deaf organizations. His determination provided a glimpse into how com-mitted the Filipino delegates are to make changes in their community. The evening concluded the success-ful three-week capacity-building visit and celebrated the Filipinos’ accomplishments to date. The delegates’ passion for sharing their cultural values and desire to apply knowledge stirred up even more inspiration.

Rice said, “I am particularly eager to collaborate with the Filipino deaf and hard of hearing population, shar-ing and finding creative ways to bring forth a proactive approach in building stronger leaders and advocates.” U.S. delegate Jamie Munro, who met the Filipino del-egation in Rochester, added, “While the focus is on ca-pacity-building efforts for the Filipino deaf community, I am also expecting to learn equally as much about their culture and gaining new perspectives on various Deaf culture topics.”

The EMPOWER Program (see page 1) will send 10 American delegates to the Philippines for three weeks in November. The overall program goal is to build a global community in which deaf individuals understand the meaning and necessity of deaf education, policy, culture, organizational development, and community outreach.

It is a privilege to contribute to the continued growth of a lifelong partnership between the Filipinos and DDW. Overall, I am excited that we have the chance to work with the Filipino delegation, to collaboratively empower individuals to become their own advocates and catalysts for change. More importantly, the U.S. delegates hope to build a lasting friendship with the Filipinos and to continue to serve as an inspiration for each other and other deaf communities.

Ong (far right) with the Filipino EMPOWER delegation, DDW staff and members of the Filipino

Deaf community in Washington, D.C.

Christie Ong

4 Discovering Deaf Worlds

This program is sponsored by:

Congratulations to our Filipino EMPOWER Participants!

Photo collage credit: Jesdelton “Jet” Romo

Patrick Bryan Q. AblazaYvette S. Apurado B.Hazel Dangcal BualMackie D. Calbay

Raphael Vergel de Dios DomingoJessie Susan N. Flores

Rey Alfred A. LeeGeorge Lintag

Natividad P. NatividadJesdelton S. Romo

Rowella Boglosa Tanjusay

For more photos, please visit our DDW Facebook page athttp://fb.me/2aPiyIkgw

June 2013 5

DDW’s Third Annual BenefitOn Friday, April 19, 2013, over 300 guests attended DDW’s Third Annual Benefit at the German House in

Rochester, N.Y. The event celebrated the organization’s work and marked the official launch of the EMPOWER Program with the deaf community in the Philippines, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Edu-cational and Cultural Affairs. Funds raised from this benefit have allowed DDW to provide capacity-building train-ing to members of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf, as well as educate Deaf Americans on global disability rights and deaf education movements.

Volunteers greet guests at DDW’s 2013 annual benefit at the German House in Rochester, N.Y.

DDW President Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D., (left) and Executive Director Davin Searls present

the 2013 Service Provider of the Year Award to Margit Brazda Poirier of Grants4Good.

The Bharata School of Indian Music and Dance provide entertainment.

DDW board members Dr. Khadijat Rashid (left) and Dr. Donalda Ammons help raise

an additional $2,000 during a call for action.

Guest Meredith Low won the grand prize, a “Best of Rochester” gift basket.

Senator Joseph Robach shares words of encouragement with the DDW team as Harold Mowl, Jr., Ph.D., looks on.

6 Discovering Deaf Worlds

Newsletter services provided byT.S. Writing Services, LLC

www.tswriting.comA Deaf-Owned Company

What is DDW?Discovering Deaf Worlds is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ad-vancing the self-determination of signing Deaf communities through local capac-ity building in developing countries. DDW recognizes that all people, regardless of their social or economic background, pos-sess the capacity to succeed, and deserve equal access to education, the workplace, and the benefits that society has to offer.

For more information, visit:www.discoveringdeafworlds.org.

Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations.

– Jean Paul Richter

Briane Doane and Denise Kavin, Wendy Dannels, Mark and Lisa Sommers, JMatt and Susan Searls, Guillaume and Margaret Chastel: You were WONDERFUL hosts! Thank you for adding a beautiful personal touch to a very intense three weeks of training. Perhaps you’ll visit the Philippines some day and your guests can return the favor!

Carol Herrera, Linnea Allison, Michael Stanton, and Alana Rudkin from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: Thank you for your continued guidance and support. It was a pleasure to participate in the May 22 EMPOWER conference. We look forward

to what’s to come from this opportunity to work together!

To the 45-plus presenters and lecturers who participated in our May EMPOWER program: Thank you for your time and wisdom to help keep this long-term partnership between DDW and the Philippine Federation of the Deaf moving in the right direction! Alpha Xi Delta Delta Lambda and Sigma Nu Mu Zeta Chapters at Rochester Institute of Technology: Thanks for your efforts to host a successful fundraiser at Five Guys Burgers and Fries! You are very generous!

Shout-Outs!Shout-Outs!Shout-Outs!

Check out DDW’s weekly vlogs at www.discoveringdeafworlds.org/videos/frontpage.html

View DDW’s weekly vlogs

June 2013 7

Thanks to our 2013 Annual Benefit sponsors. . .

Ramay East LLCJustice Enterprises

®

J Matt & Susan Searls

Elissa Newport & Ted Supalla

. . . we raised $24,422 for 2013 DDW programming!

Thank you.

8 Discovering Deaf Worlds

Find DDW on Facebook and Twitter!

www.facebook.com/DiscoveringDeafWorlds

www.twitter.com/DDW_Team

If you have connected with the Deaf community in a

developing country and want to share your story, we’re

interested!

E-mail a brief summary of your experience to

ddwteam@discoveringdeafworlds.org.

Call for Contributing

Writers!

June 2013 9

The Wildebeest Migration is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Wildebeest Migration is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

An up-c lose and personal wi ld l i fe experience, with unrivalled game viewing.

FROM

$ 2,504based on 7 per person for one jeep and sharing a double room

itinerary 8 nights/9days

P R I C E INCLUDES

P R I C E EXCLUDES

Airport Transfers4x4 Safari Jeep Equipped with Roof HatchExperienced and Licensed Safari DriverSign Language Tour Conductor/GuidePark Entrance FeesOne Game Drive per Day in Mentioned Park ReservesFull Board Accommodation

Visa Entry for KenyaInternational AirfareTravel InsurancePersonal Items (drinks, laundry, phone, souvenirs)Other optional activities in the park

august 4-12, 2013

Special O�er by D-Travel

$100.00 off

Sale Deadline May 31

kenya

Itinerary by Deaf Tours - Kenya per pax

For booking or more information call D-Travel. Skype: peggy.prosser or E-mail peggy.prosser@d-travel.co