Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) World Assembly

NOTE: Abner Manlapaz, president of Life Haven attended the DPI Summit. He presented IL Movement status in the Philippines particularly activities directly related to our organization.

Seoul Declaration(Adopted at the Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) World Assembly on September 8,2007)

There are no human rights to which persons with disabilities do not lay claim. Upon this foundational principle at our last World Assembly in Sapporo, Disabled Peoples' International called upon Member States of the United Nations to adopt of a specific international human rights treaty on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Today, five years later, as a result of unprecedented collaboration by UN Member States, the international disability community, our global leaders and our allies, we have achieved this and much more. On December 13, 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. Negotiated in record time, with record participation, and signed on its opening day by a record number of countries, the Convention reflects our language and vision of disability rights. The Convention is not just about persons with disabilities, it is by us and for us and all of humanity. Our rights, our convention, that will benefit all.

Now, celebrating our achievements as we also celebrate DPI's quarter century of engagement in the struggle for human rights for all disabled people, the time has come to prepare ourselves and our allies for the future and our participation in ratification and implementation of this historic new treaty. We the 2700 people of DPI gathered here in Seoul for our 7th　World Assembly, declare that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as a core international human rights treaty, shall be the foundation for all laws, policies and practices addressing the rights of persons with disabilities.

Therefore we call on:

a. All Governments, including the Republic of Korea, to move swiftly and with conviction to sign and ratify the Convention, so that it may enter into force by December 13th, 2007.

b. All States Parties to vigorously uphold their treaty obligations, working with us to breathe life into the words of the Convention, so that its vision may be reflected in the everyday lives of all people with disabilities.

c. All international human rights bodies and mechanisms to engage people with disabilities, so that the standards set by the Convention are fully reflected in their work.

d. All UN agencies to actively include disability and people with disabilities in their programming, so that the international cooperation they promote furthers the objectives of the Convention.

e. All National Human Rights Institutions to promote awareness, knowledge of and compliance with the Convention, so that national-level implementation may become a reality.

f. All Development Agencies to fully utilize the Convention as a tool in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, so that all people with disabilities may benefit equally from full and sustainable development.

g. All members of Civil Society to commit to Convention ratification and implementation, so that we may work in partnership to achieve our common goal of a just and equal society for all.

h. All our sisters and brothers in the struggle for disability liberation to make Convention ratification and implementation a priority in their work, so that together we may finally realize the human rights to which we have always laid claim.

IL-PC AT POC

3 Days IL Peer Counseling Seminar Workshop for Patients with Disabilities


Life Haven and SCI Foundation conducted Peer Counseling Seminar Workshop at Philippine Orthopedic Center last September 12 to 14, 2007. The seminar workshop, funded by Toyota Foundation of Japan, introduced Independent Living Philosophy and Peer Counseling to patients who are about to be discharged. 14 rehab patients participated during the first day. We were fortunate enough to have six participants finish the three-day course the others were unable to do so due to reasons beyond our control. The seminar workshop is geared towards formation of support group of peers to enable patients with disabilities to accept their new situation and face life with self-determination, thru self-choice and take self-responsibility.

We intend to continue this noteworthy project to contribute in the preparation of newly-disabled persons to live independently when they return to their families and live in the community.

Life Haven, the first meeting

This picture was taken during the inception of our organization Life Haven. Even then we cannot get a 100% attendance. There are numerous concerns PWDs have to prepare just to get out and attend meetings like this. This is not a complaint just stating a fact.

Disability and PWDs as Seen Through History

The nomads considered people with disabilities useless because they could not contribute to the wealth of their tribe. Whenever the tribe moved on to a new location, people with disabilities were left behind and die.

The Greeks sought rational reasons for disability. They reached such conclusions as: epilepsy was a disturbance of the mind; and deaf people could not learn because communication was essential to learning.

Early Christianity brought a period of sympathy and pity toward people with disabilities. Churches began organizing services for people with disabilities within their congregations and homes. Many Christians believe that disability is some sort of impurity. This impurity could be purged through worship and forgiveness of sins, including the belief that with enough prayer and rituals the disability could be eliminated.

During the Middle Ages, Christians became fearful of people with disabilities as their attraction to supernaturalism increased. People with disabilities were also ridiculed, such as court jester who was actually someone with a humped back. People with disabilities were not only ridiculed but persecuted as well. Disability became a manifestation of evil.

The Renaissance brought the conception of medical care and treatment for people with disabilities. Education was available to people with disabilities for the first time in history. An enlightened approach to social norms that dreams for better future seemed to encourage active participation of people with disabilities in their respective communities.This is not to say that people with disabilities were not often institutionalized. Periods from the Renaissance through World War 2 indicated that society believed people with disabilities might be educated, but usually in "special" schools, far from urban or heavily populated areas.

During the 1930s in Hitler’s Germany, people with disabilities, most notably those with mental retardation and mental illness, became the Gestapo's first guinea pigs in medical experimentation and mass execution. Before the SS began mass extermination of Jews, Gays and Lesbians and other minorities and their supporters, people with disabilities were all put to death by Hitler's concentration camp staff.

INDEPENDENT LIVING: PHILOSOPHY AND MOVEMENT

Independent Living is a philosophy and a movement of people with disabilities who work for self-determination, equal opportunities and self-respect.Independent Living does not mean that we want to do everything by ourselves and do not need anybody or that we want to live in isolation. Independent Living means that we demand the same choices and control in our every-day lives that our non-disabled brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends take for granted. We want to grow up in our families, go to the neighborhood school, use the same bus as our neighbors, work in jobs that are in line with our education and abilities, start families of our own. Just as everybody else, we need to be in charge of our lives, think and speak for ourselves. To this end we need to support and learn from each other, organize ourselves and work for political changes that lead to legal protection of our human and civil rights
by Dr. Adolf D. RatzkaInstitute on Independent Living, Stockholm, SwedenPresentation at the conference "Our Common World" organized by Disability Rights Advocates Hungary in Siofok, Hungary, May 9-11, 1997

Jala-Jala, Rizal IL Peer Counseling Seminar

May of 2007, Life Haven and SCI Foundation in cooperation with Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, Inc. conducted an IL Peer Counseling Seminar Workshop at Bahay San Leonardo (San Leonardo House) in Jala-jala, Rizal. Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH) is the biggest institution in the Philippines with several Sheltered Workshops and Residential Institutions scattered across the Philippines. TWH is advocating Independent Living and is promoting inclusion and barrier-free country. Fourteen persons with disabilities attended the 3- day seminar workshop. Life Haven (LHI) and Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH) are looking forward to more activities and programs like this.

Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) Peer Counseling Introduction

April 2007, Life Heaven held an IL orientation seminar in Philippine Orthopedic Center as part of their Psychological Service of the Rehabilitation Department. This opened doors for a possible new program of the hospital for patients about to be discharged.

Abner Manlapaz, Life Haven Rep to APNIL

December of 2006, former trainees of APCD were invited for a Refresher Course of the IL program at APCD in Bangkok, Thailand. APCD and Human Care Association gave recognition to the achievements of Life Haven. During the training, the Asia Pacific Network for Independent Living (APNIL) was established to link all the IL Centers in the Asia-Pacific Region. The president of Life Haven is one of the committee members of APNIL.

February of 2006, more Filipinos were invited for another Training of Managerial Personnel of Independent Living Centers and Peer Counselors for Persons with Disabilities at APCD in Bangkok, Thailand. Abner Manlapaz was invited as one of the Assistant Resource Persons for this International Training Workshop. Benjamin Bernandino was one of the participants from the Philippines.

PEER COUNSELING TRAINER'S TRAINING

August 2005, Peer Counseling Leadership Training was held in Cebu attended by members of SCIF, HACI Cebu, HACI de Oro and Life Haven. Benjamin Bernandino and Nestor Baltazar were among the participants of this Training Workshop.

Life Haven Establishment

July 2005, Life Heaven was established to promote the Independent Living philosophy and encourage all persons with disabilities to open Independent Living Centers by reaching out and giving seminar workshops to persons with disabilities especially the severely disabled beginning from Valenzuela City and adjacent cities and municipalities of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Independent Living Philosopy Starts in the Philippines

Since the late 1960’s the disabled people had been demanding for their rights in the Philippines.
In celebration of the Biwako Millennium Framework and the Proclamation 240 of President Glorai Macapagal-Arroyo, Human Care Association of Japan reached out to Disabled People’s Organizations (DPO) per island group last 2004, namely Spinal Cord Injury Foundation (SCIF) from Metro Manila and Handicapped Anchored in Christ, Inc (HACI) of Cebu and had a Peer Counseling seminar workshop in Cebu.

November of 2004, Abner Manlapaz was invited by Human Care Association to go to Hachioji, Tokyo in Japan for a more Intensive Leadership training on Peer Counseling.

March of 2005, Abner Manlapaz, one of the six leaders from the Philippines who received training on Independent Living was invited to the Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) in Bangkok, Thailand for Training of Managerial Personnel of Independent Living Centers for Persons with Disabilities. Since then, there is a continuous study and learning on Independent Living, which later on was shared with their relatives, friends and colleagues.

Life Haven, Inc.VMG

Life Haven Incorporated is an organization duly registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 7th, 2005. We aim to present Independent Living Concept in a new perspective.

We envision a society where people with disabilities are independent, self-determined and participates actively in promoting self-development.

It is our mission to lead the establishment of Independent Living centers in the Philippines as its vehicle towards full empowerment, integration and participation in the community.

Our goals are to lead and promote IL philosophy and concept among PWDs and non-PWDs.

1. To equip PWDs with the necessary knowledge and skills to exercise the IL philosophy and concept.

2. To define the criteria of an IL center based on Japan Council on Independent Living Center.

3. To mobilize resources both local and foreign in the establishment of IL centers.

4. To work in partnership with other organizations who share similar aims and objectives.

5. To provide other services that might properly be considered appropriate for the furtherance of the aims and objectives of the organization.

Mabuhay!

Mabuhay! Welcome! Konichiwa! Hola!