|
|
|
|
|
| Kuwaiti disability rights leader receives RI Award, dedicates it to Amir |
|
| Politics 5/29/2009 9:01:00 AM |
| |
NEW YORK, May 29 (KUNA) -- Founder and Secretary-General of Kuwait Society
for the Handicapped, Munira Al-Mutawa, received late Thursday from
Rehabilitation International (RI) the first-ever Sir Harry Fang Empowerment
Award for Leadership in Promoting Disability Rights and Inclusion.
She immediately dedicated the award to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his support of persons with
disabilities in Kuwait.
The event, under the theme "Empowerment, Inclusion, Access: Unlocking the
Potential of Children and Youth with Disabilities," was attended by leaders
from the disability community, the corporate sector, the civil society,
diplomats, including the Kuwaiti delegation to the UN, as well as UNICEF Chief
Ann M. Veneman and President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Ambassador Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg.
Al-Mutawa, who is also founder of the Gulf Disability Society, received the
award, along with Charlotte Mc-Cain-Nhlapo of South Africa, Senior Disability
Advisor for the World Bank and former member of the South African Human Rights
Commission.
The award was in recognition of their important contributions to empower
persons with disabilities around the world and make a more inclusive society.
Receiving her award plaque, Al-Mutawa said in her acceptance speech, "I
would like to say that I dedicate this award to His Highness the Amir of
Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his longstanding support of
persons with disabilities in Kuwait."
She extended her gratitude and appreciation to RI for helping her achieve
important tasks in the disability field, not only in Kuwait, but also in the
Gulf region, the Arab world and the world in general. She serves as the RI
National Secretary for Kuwait and has been a member since 1979.
"It was through my cooperation with RI that I learned a lot and shared
experiences with true professionals. The results of that fruitful cooperation
were the important achievements in my country, such as the Law on Care for the
Disabled, on which I used to work for several years and that was finally
adopted by the National Assembly in 1996," she said.
"My love for giving never ended. I became somehow directed to supporting
persons with disabilities but it has not stopped there. It extended to the
needy on the global level for I have never distinguished people by their
religion or nationality," she told the guests.
RI President Anne Hawker told the fund-raising event that "an important way
that RI can contribute to raising awareness and advocating for the UN treaty
is to highlight the significant efforts of individuals like Munira and
Charlotte, whose commitment to disability rights has far-reaching impacts
across the globe."
The recipients were chosen by RI for their leadership in the disability
field, innovation and partnership.
Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abdullah Al-Murad,
told KUNA following the event that he was gratified that Al-Mutawa received
the award and that is an honor for Kuwait which is always in the forefront of
the countries in the region that pays a great deal of attention and importance
to the disabled people, praising the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped for
supporting them.
Al-Mutawa later told KUNA she is "proud of receiving this award because I
highlighted my country, Kuwait, in the RI."
She noted that she is now fighting to have the Kuwaiti Higher Council for
the Disabled Affairs as an independent body from the Ministry of Social
Affairs and to have medical testing before marriage approved by the
parliament, because that would give an early signal if there are cases of
handicapped children, voicing her expectation that the four women recently
elected to the parliament will help push the issue forward.
Al-Mutawa was accompanied by Hashem Taqi, Director General of the Kuwait
Society for the Handicapped which hosts some 475 handicapped.
The event, co-sponsored by Ambassador Nassir A. Al-Nasser of Qatar and
Ambassador Christian Wenaweser of Liechtenstein, was hosted in the latter's
residence and marked the first anniversary of entry into force of the United
Nations Disability Convention.
RI, founded in 1922, has 1,000 members representing 100 countries. It has
been a leader in the disability field in the US and around the globe, working
to empower the more than 650 million persons with disabilities around the
globe and provide sustainable solutions for a more inclusive and accessible
society.
The award was named after Sir Harry Fang, from Hong Kong, in recognition of
his important contribution to the RI humanitarian projects. (end)
sj.ema
KUNA 290901 May 09NNNN
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
مجلس الوزراء
اللجنة العليا للتحضير للاحتفال بالذكرى
الـ(50)
لاستقلال دولة الكويت و الذكرى الـ (20)
لعيد التحرير
اعـــــــــــــــــــلان
فى إطار الاستعدادات و الترتيبات الجارية للإعداد و التحضير للاحتفال
باليوبيل الذهبي للاستقلال و مرور
(20) عاما على تحرير دولة الكويت و انطلاقا من
حرص اللجنة العليا على إشراك كافة قطاعات الدولة فى الاحتفال بهاتين المناسبتين
الوطنيتين
يسر اللجنة الإعلامية المنبثقة عن اللجنة العليا دعوة من يرغب من مؤسسات و
شركات القطاع الخاص و الاتحادات التجارية و الاستثمارية للمشاركة في الأنشطة و
الفعاليات المقرر تنظيمها فى شهر فبراير من العام القادم 2011م
للاستفسار والتنسيق ومزيد من التفاصيل :
1- مكتب مقرر اللجنة الإعلامية:
هاتف: 22462289
فاكس: 22462296
2- البريد الإلكتروني:
kuwait5020@media.gov.kw
|
|