Title: Awareness Rising about Peace & Rights of PWDs Date: 03 December 2012

Time: 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM

Venue: Rest House Timergara Dir Lower Khyber Pukhton Khwa

Participants: 203 (male/female and boys/girls)

Background of SADA

Special Abilities Development Association (SADA) is non-governmental, non profit, non-

partisan, public interest organization striving for the development of special abilities in

District Dir Lower KP, Pakistan. Special Abilities Development Association (SADA) was

formed in 2005 in Dir Lower, which was the first DPO organization in Malakand division.

It was registered in 2009, with Social Welfare Department under the Voluntary Social

Welfare Agencies, registration and Control Ordinance 1961 (XLVI of 1961).

The mandate of SADA is too strove for the rights of disabled persons, and to do lobbing

and advocacy to create a space for the disabled person in each sector and walk of life.

SADA will do lobbing and will negotiate with government departments to make policy

changes for supportive working and social environment for the disabled community of

the Pakistan at large.

Activity Brief

Special Abilities Development Association (SADA) organized a one-day multi purpose activity on 3rd December 2012 on the occasion of International Day of Person with Disabilities (PWDs) in collaboration with UNESCO Islamabad at Rest House Timergara Dir Lower. The theme of the activity was “Awareness Rising about Peace & Rights of PWDs”.

Key Speakers

• Mr. Khurshed Alam President SADA • Mr. Ihsan Tajak Ex. UC Nazim • Mr. Hussain Shah General Secratory ANP Dir • Mr. Akbar Khan Chief Executive DITSWC • Mr. Raza Khan Coordinator DEWA • Mr. Fakhru Zaman President PTI • Mr. Malak Sher Bahadar G.S Alkhidmat Foundation • Mr. Anwar Zeb Principle Deaf School Timergara Dir Lower • Mr Hanif Ullah President Press Club Timergara Dir Lower • Mr. Nawab Mehmood Zeb Manister Technical Education KPK

Other activities of PWDs

Roll Plays by PWDS Foot Writing Competition

Wheel Chair Race Peace Poetry

Special Remarks

On the occasion, Chief Guest, Mr. Mehmood Zeb Khan, Provincial Minister for Technical Education said that education and specifically technical education is the right of everyone. He promised to include disable persons in the Banazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for their rehabilitation. He expressed his deep concern about raising the voice for the PWDs at provincial level. He further added that he is trying to establish a technical educational institute for the PWDs at Dir lower level for the economical empowerment of the PWDs. He re-affirmed provincial government’s commitment in devising plans and special projects to overcome the challenges faced by PWDs and mainstreaming them in the every walk of life. Mr. Hussain Shah President ANP Dir Lower said that the PWDs is the respectable people of the society. There are PWDs due to various reasons naturally or accidentally. But now days we are facing terrorism, we lost precious lives. There are high levels of increase in PWDs due to militarization and sabotage activities. Our provincial governments have determent to address the issues of PWDs on priority bases. In this context Social Welfare design and lunched a diverse range of initiatives and further more interventions are in the pipeline.

Mr. Khurshed Alam Khurshed President SADA: We are struggling to realize our Human Rights as PWDs since 2005. We are facing problems at two ends, one to acknowledge our presence to society and on the other hand are to motivate and mobilize the PWDs of Dir for self awareness to unite and organize for their rights. With the blessing of God and continuous struggle of SADA fellow’s members now we have strength of over three hundred active members. We know that is just the first small step of a long journey, we have to move on in the right direction with organized strategy and clear vision. We (the PWDs) have to prove that we can! And we sought the support of our society. Who will be more aware and suffered other then PWDS of the atrocities of terrorism? So we despite our special position and situation have a strong desires and aspiration to contribute toward peace and just society.