Intervista a Tulgamaa Damdinsuren coordinatrice Aifo in Mongolia
Si parla sempre più spesso di sviluppo inclusivo, mi puoi definire, in base alla tua esperienza che cos’è la CBID (Community Based Inclusive Development) o nella sua versione italiana SIBC (Sviluppo Inclusivo su Base Comunitaria)?
Lo sviluppo inclusivo significa semplicemente dare l’opportunità a tutte le persone, soprattutto a quelle che stanno ai margini, di essere una parte attiva della società. Sono le persone con disabilità a essere più svantaggiate. Per costruire una società inclusiva occorre che tutti i cittadini, anche quelli con un deficit, siano parte di questo sviluppo.
In cosa consiste la differenza tra RBC (Riabilitazione su Base Comunitaria) e SIBC?
La RBC è in un certo senso una buona base da cui si parte per avere uno sviluppo inclusivo, attraverso questa i cittadini, le persone con disabilità, le autorità e i tecnici prendono coscienza di certe cose e questo è stato, ed è, molto importante in un paese come la Mongolia. 25 anni fa, prima che s’iniziasse fare la RBC le persone disabili non venivano viste come persone portatori di diritti, casomai come persone da assistere. Questa pratica ha portato a un cambiamento di mentalità che possiamo vedere nelle nuove generazioni di giovani con disabilità. Non aspettano più una pensione dal governo ma lottano per i loro diritti, studiano le lingue straniere (inglese e giapponese) per comunicare con il mondo.
E per quanto riguarda la progettazione inclusiva, in che modo Aifo la sta facendo in Mongolia?
Negli ultimi due anni Aifo ha prestato attenzione soprattutto all’iter della legge nazionale sui diritti delle persone disabili che è stata approvata questo febbraio. Avere una legge significa avere anche una politica a favore delle persone con disabilità che non si basa tanto sul solo welfare ma sui diritti delle persone. Il prossimo passo sarà l’elaborazione del Piano di Azione nazionale per dare corpo a questa nuova legge. In questo piano oltre al Ministero per lo sviluppo e la protezione Sociale saranno presenti le organizzazioni delle persone con disabilità e Aifo farà da facilitatore nei gruppi di lavoro.
Mi puoi fare qualche esempio recente di sviluppo inclusivo in Mongolia?
Mi viene subito in mente l’esperienza dell’associazione mongola “Utenti delle carrozzine”.
Dopo che sono venuti in Italia in occasione di Expò 2015 e hanno provato a viaggiare senza barriere architettoniche tra Milano e Bologna, hanno voluto incontrare il Ministro dei Trasporti per parlare di accessibilità ai treni, agli autobus e agli aeroporti. Bene l’incontro c’è stato nel dicembre del 2015 e a marzo del 2016 si sono visti i primi risultati. Le ferrovie nazionali hanno reso accessibili dei vagoni ferroviari. Nell’aeroporto invece è stato organizzato un servizio chiamato “SOS” per aiutare le persone con disabilità, ma anche anziani, donne incinte o con bambini piccoli. Infine gli autobus di Ulaan Baatar hanno deciso di riservare due posti per persone disabili in ogni mezzo. Molto spesso le persone e soprattutto chi deve decidere non conosce i reali problemi delle persone disabili, ma quando li conosce, non dice quasi mai “Non abbiamo soldi per farlo”, ma opera un cambiamento e questo noi lo abbiamo sperimentato più volte.
L’esperienza delle organizzazioni delle persone con disabilità in fatto di sviluppo
inclusivo può portare anche a nuovi rapporti istituzionali o addirittura a nuovi rapporti tra paesi in via di sviluppo e paesi sviluppati?
Si certo. Sempre nel 2015 una delegazione mongola ha preso parte a Ginevra a un incontro sulla Convenzione Onu sui diritti delle persone con disabilità; dopo quell’incontro Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, presidente della Mongolia ha chiesto alla rappresentante della Federazione nazionale dei Non vedenti di diventare suo consigliere sui temi legati ala disabilità e ha anche invitato a colazione un gruppo di donne con disabilità per parlare delle loro esigenze.
Sempre dopo l’esperienza di Ginevra, il responsabile di “Universal Progress”, il centro mongolo per la vita indipendente, è stato invitato in un’università di Tokio per parlare di quello che è stato detto a Ginevra e a condividerlo con le associazioni locali giapponesi
English version
INTERVIEW
What’s for you inclusive development? Can you describe me with your words?
Inclusive development means to give opportunity for all the person, especially marginalized people to be part of active society. Why we talk about inclusive development of the persons with disabilities? The persons with disabilities have less access to all the life, which belong to them. They have less access to school, health, labor and social services. In order to build up integral world in the country every citizen, including people with disabilities need to be part of the development. They need to be the part of mainstreaming of the country.
How is the aifo’s planning in Mongolia? In which way is this planning inclusive?
AIFO’s main focus in Mongolia is to contribute to the implementation of CBR program at national level. Mainly we focus on self-help groups (SHGs) established in the country. The value of these SHGs is that persons with disabilities play important role for their future life.
During the last two years AIFO paid special attention to the development of national law on the rights of the persons with disabilities in the line of CRPD. And the Law of the rights of the persons with disabilities of Mongolia just recently adopted in February 2016 by the Parliament of Mongolia. To make it possible, EU co-funded project “Protecting the rights of the Persons with disabilities through strengthening capacity building of the civil society organizations”, its implementer “Tegsh Niigem” NGO and Ministry of Population Development and Social Protection played very important role. To have a law means we have a policy. It is remarkable year for Mongolian people with disabilities that they have rights-based law shifting from welfare-based law.
Now the next step will be to elaborate National Action Plan to implement the new Law. The working group is established at the Ministry of Population Development and Social Protection including national DPOs, NGOs and relevant ministries. AIFO is planning to play a role to facilitate the working group to elaborate Action plan in line with international documents and experiences of the other countries.
The planning of AIFO in Mongolia is based on the request from grass-root organizations of the persons with disabilities and CBR coordinators of aimags and districts. According to the priority and value of AIFO we collaborate with local authorities and stakeholders. And also the partners of AIFO participate actively in the planning of the activities, funded by AIFO. AIFO never implement any activities without their active participation.
What is the difference between rbc e inclusive development for you?
CBR established very good ground for the inclusive development. The CBR program improved the knowledge of stakeholders, persons with disabilities and public, especially for the country like Mongolia, who had different political regime and mind-setting is different. Before the CBR the persons with disabilities are treated just welfare receiver. For 25 years the CBR played very important role to disseminate holistic approach of disability to let it grow in the ground.
After 25 years of working in Mongolia we can see the result from the young disabled people. Their approach is changing and they are not just waiting the pension from the Government. They are starting to fight for their rights in good way. They are starting to learn to negotiate with the Government in order to protect the rights of the persons with disabilities. They are learning foreign language (English and Japanese) to communicate with the world. They are learning to write Shadow report to CRPD Committee.
Can you do some examples of inclusive development in Mongolia?
One very good example of last year was initiation of Wheel Chair Users Association of Mongolia. After coming back from Milano Expo and accessible trip from Milano to Bologna and to Mongolia together with Giampiero Griffo, Ms. B.Chuluundolgor addressed to AIFO Country Coordination Office to organize a meeting with Minister of Road and Transport. The meeting was held in December 2015 after discussion of almost two months. Mrs. Chuluundolgor introduced to Mr. Zorigt Munkhchuluun, the minister of road and transport and his colleagues about the possibilities to make the airport, train and bus accessible for the persons with disabilities on the basis of her personal experience to travel by plane and train in Italy. AIFO has paid just the meeting cost and invited press journalists. Instead Mr. Zorigt Munkhchuluun promised to National Association of Wheel chair users to make steps in next three months. He reached into his promise. In March 2016, Mongolia had one wagon accessible for the wheel chair users. The Railway Authority made the wagon accessible with their budget. Surely the cost was millions of tugriks. But everything is possible only when people know what to do to make the people convenient. The airport “Buyant Ukhaa” is establishing a service called “SOS” to support the needed people including persons with disabilities, elder people, pregnant women and mothers with children. The local busses reserve 2 seats for the persons with disabilities.
As a result of this meeting very important steps started. It can be only beginning. This is real example of good and on time expression of the person with disability.
After the CRPD Committee session in Geneva, the President of National Federation of Blind became advisor to the President of Mongolia. And Mr. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, the President of Mongolia invited the representatives of women with disabilities and other women for breakfast. The representatives of women with disabilities expressed the voice of disabled community, especially women with disabilities.
After the CRPD Committee session in Geneva, the Head of “Universal Progress”, the independent living center was invited to Tokyo University for testimonial of experience of the CRPD session and lessons learnt to share with other countries DPOs, who will be reviewed by the CRPD Committee very soon.
March 2016, the group of people with disabilities attended to the Abilympics in Bordeax, France. Three people received medals from the Olympic game. It becomes very good example to the public and young peope with disabilities.
I think that 2006 was peak success for Mongolian DPOs. AIFO implemented a project co-funded by UNDESA. DPI-Italy played important role to train representatives of DPOs in collaboration with Human Rights Commission of Mongolia on the text of UNCRPD. This project was very fruitful seeds in the ground.
Another important success was that first time Mongolia had rights-based law with full participation of national DPOs.
How should be the inclusive planning for you?
Every activity needs to be performed with the participation of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are experts. Once they are empowered they can own everything.