News

Volume 8 Issue 8 - November 15, 2011

Javed Abidi elected as Chairperson of D.P.I.

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: At the 8th Disabled People’s International (D.P.I.) World Assembly in Durban, Javed Abidi was elected as the Chairperson of D.P.I. for next four years.

The other members of the executive body are Michael Fraser (North America/Caribbean) as Deputy Chairperson for Human Rights; Rachel Kachaje (Africa) as Deputy Chairperson for Development and Under-Represented Groups; Samuel Kabue (Africa) as Secretary; Wilfredo Guzman Jara (Latin America) as Treasurer; and Kalle Könkkölä (Europe) as Information Officer.

In his message as the new Chairperson of D.P.I., Abidi said, “We need to have the ‘Courage of Conviction’ to believe in the direction that we are moving in. We must question the status quo and enable the winds of change to sweep in.”

Speaking on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (C.R.P.D.) and the road ahead, he said, “The C.R.P.D. is as good as its implementation. To make C.R.P.D. a reality, we will have to invest in people with disabilities, build their capacities to be active and contributing members in the strategies for the implementation of C.R.P.D., groom younger leadership to take over the mantle and ensure political participation of people with disabilities.”