What's New
WELCOME
TO THE 22nd INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSON 03 DECEMBER 2004
An
Official Installation of the DAC New Governing Board
An Official
Installation of the Governing Board of the DAC was expected to be
on 27 February 2004 from 08:30 to 10:00 a.m., at
the National Institute of Public Health, Phnom Penh. H.
E Nim Thot, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social
Affairs, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSALVY)
will preside over the event by declaring the formal installation
of the DAC Governing Board.
All 9 members of the DAC Governing
Board at the installation ceremony
Name
of the members of the new DAC Governing Board:
Representatives
of Local NGOs:
-
Mr.
Bun Mao, Director of Association of Blind Cambodians (ABC)
-
Mr.
Ngin Saorath, Director of Cambodian Disabled Independent Living
(CDILO)
Representatives
of International NGOs:
-
Ms.
Alison Rhodes, Country Director of the Cambodia Trust (CT)
-
Ms Edith
van Wijngaarden, Coordinator, Rehabilitation Department, Handicap
International, Belgium (HI-B)
Representative
from Government Organisation:
-
Mr.
Khuon Pheng, Director of Victim Assistance Department, Cambodia
Mine Action and Victims Assistant Authority (CMAA)
Representatives
from Ministries:
-
Mr.
Touch Samon, Deputy Director General of Social Affairs and Youth
Rehabilitation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational
Training and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSALVY)
-
Ms.
Sieng Sorvathanna, Director of Pre-school Department, Ministry
of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS)
-
Dr.
Prak Piseth Raingsey, Director of Preventive Medicine Department,
Ministry of Health (MOH)
Representative
from the Business Sector:
-
Mr.
Debashish SANYAL, Finance/Admin Manager, TOTAL Company, Cambodia
Quote
from Mr. Debashish SANYAL, Finance and Admin Manager of TOTAL Company
in Cambodia and a member of the new DAC Governing Board: «I
feel proud to be the DAC Governing Board Member since its give me
direct opportunity to be close with people with disabilities and
guide them to a better and brighter future.
Unfortunately
we call them disabled but at times they possess much higher ability
than the ablest ones and can exhibit incredible work.
Certainly
DAC is doing a commendable job but there is yet a considerable amount
of tangible work that needs to be done to tap the potential productivity
of the disabled people, which otherwise would go a waste».
Message
from DAC affiliated member
Mr.
Marc Hermant, Country Director of Handicap International
Belgium in Cambodia: I have been requested to say a few words on
behalf of DAC affiliated members. I’m sure however that we
would all agree to congratulate the interim board members for the
immense and very courageous tasks they have performed during this
reorganization process. The DAC was in need of a serious reshuffle
and the board members have had the courage to take all the difficult
decisions. We would also all agree to congratulate the DAC staff
members who have continued to perform their tasks scrupulously in
this very uncertain period.
Today
is an important day. The installation of the new Board is another
big step in the reorganization process and opens the doors for the
future. And if the challenges the interim board was confronted to
12 months ago were immense, I think the challenges ahead for the
new board are even bigger. First the reorganization is still under
process and must be completed carefully. And most importantly it
is now time for DAC to really take its role in the disability sector.
Because even if the running affairs have kept going during this
interim period a lot remains to be done for DAC to meet the full
scope of its mandate.
The DAC
Mission statement says that: “DAC promotes, coordinates and
strengthens the capacity of DAC affiliated members to initiate,
secure the rights and services necessary for disabled persons, thus
enabling them to enjoy equal rights, obligations, opportunities
and quality of life as others in the community”
This
is quite an ambitious mandate and knowing how immense is still the
tasks in this country to indeed give to people with disability equal
rights and opportunities we would all agree that there is no more
time to waist.
Finally
it is important to mention the faithful support of the donor community
who has made DAC and this process possible. At last let me briefly
escape my neutral position in delivering this speech to express
a special thank to USAID which is providing an essential financial
support to DAC.
Brief
update on the Steering Groups other activities:
-
Finance/Admin
Manager has been recruited and will start in mid January 2004.
-
Recruitment
of the Director is ongoing. We hope to have someone is place very
soon.
-
DAC
Management Team-Punya Droz, Ngy San and Ou Brohs under the supervision
of Steering Group member Ms. Ellen Minotti, are continuing to affectively
manage the DAC programme under what has been a difficult time for
all Secretariat staff. Our sincere thanks to them and the rest of
the Secretariat staff for their dedication and commitment.
Government Award for Mrs. Helen Pitt
We would like to congratulate Mrs. Helen Pitt for her
outstanding contribution and efforts in assisting people with disabilities
in Cambodia. The Government of Cambodia through MOSALVY decided to
award its highest medal, the SAHAKMETREI Grade THIBDIN to Mrs. Helen
Pitt, former DAC Executive Director and Advisor. The ceremony was
organised on 27 May 2003 by MOSALVY and presided over by H.E. Ith
Sam Heng, Minister of the MOSALVY presented the certificate,
medal
and Sub-decree
to Ms. Pitt with participants included members of the DAC Steering
Group, Senior staff of the MOSALVY and DAC Secretariat staff. Please
click here for more information.
Iternational Day of Disabled
Persons in December 03rd 2003
The Disability Action Council and affiliated members are going to celebrate
and organize 21st International Day of Disabled Persons inDecember 03rd
2003
at Samdech Hun Sen Park in Phnom Penh. It is the fifth times
that Cambodia joins the world to celebrate this important event.
Please
detail report.
DAC Organizational Development (DAC-OD)
TOP
United States Agency International Development/Leahy War Victim Fund
(USAID/LWVF) continuation provided second cycle for another 3 years
funding (2002-2005) to DAC through Handicap International-Belgium.
There were 3 major recommendations as resulted from the external assessment
in late 2001: Organizational Development, Capacity building and Fundraising.
The Organizational Development (OD) was the first priority to implement
and funding was approved for the DAC-Secretariat to engage a OD Consultant.
The support and assistance was provided to the Consultant to carry
out the first phase to look at the restructuring of the DAC Board
from 2-15 February 2003. Key findings produced:
- Consultant's scope of work and TOR finalized and implemented.
- OD Consultancy report with recommendations, phase 1 produced.
- Feedback and comments from DAC-Secretariat on the Consultancy
report provided.
- DAC interim Steering Group (SG) established and carrying out its
mandate.
The OD Consultant second phase from 03-12 July 2003 to look at the
restructure of the DAC Secretariat. The consultant produced the report
with recommendation and handover to the DAC Steering Group. See OD-Report
Phase I and OD-Report
Phase II.
DAC interim Steering Group (SG)
TOP
Consists of the following members: Mr. Keo Soeun (MOSALVY),
Mr. Son Song Hak (People with Disability Representative), Ms. Kathleen
Biggs (former CT), Ms. Ellen Minotti (SSC), Ms. Edith van Wijngaarden
(HI-B) and Mr. Khuon Pheng (CMAA). The Steering Group is mandated to:
Provide interim oversight to the Executive body until a new Governing
Board (GB) assumes this responsibility.
Act as an interim Nominating Committee in order to convene a
properly constituted GB.
Guide the OD Consultancy. The Consultant will report directly
to the SG.
Provide progress updates to the DAC Advisory Committee.
National Workshop on Helping the Vulnerable
Group TOP
In Siem Reap province, from 26th -29th May 2003 DAC in
partnership with MOEYS was organised a National Workshop on "Helping
Vulnerable Children." Participants were staff members of relevant departments
of the MOEYS, deputy directors and special needs officers from 24 provinces
and NGOs representatives. In the Opening and Closing Ceremony was presided
over by HE. Nou Muth, Under-Secretary of State of MOEYS. For detailed
information
Please
click here.
National Workshop on Landmine Victim Assistance
National Workshop on Landmine Victim Assistance will be
organized on 01 August 2003 at the National Institute Of Public Health-Toul
Kok. The aim of the workshop to produce the National Plan of Action
on Victim Assistance, which will be presented at the Regional 5th State
Parties Meeting in September 2003, Bangkok-Thailand.
Handicap International initiated the Victim Assistance
Project with assistance from the French, German, Norwegian wiss Governments.
The Victim Assistance Project is aimed at enhancing the ability of government
and other actors in the countries of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia and Vietnam) in order to identify, plan and meet the needs
of landmine/UXO victims and similarly disabled people.
Regional Workshop on Victim Assistance
TOP
The Regional Workshop on Victim Assistance was organized
from 6 to 8 November 2001 at Bangkok, Thailand, with the support provided
by Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and Thailand, and coordinated by Handicap
International. Participation's delegations were invited from South East
Asia Countries including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Delegations
from Myanmar and other countries and from International Organizations
and Non-Governmental Organizations were also invited to be the observers
of the workshop.
For
more story, please click here.
National Strategy for the Accommodation Needs
of Children with Disabilities in Cambodia.
The DAC - Children with Disabilities (Accommodation) Committee
has initiated, facilitated and developed a National Strategy for the
Accommodation Needs of Children with Disabilities in Cambodia. The main
purpose of this document is to set out a strategy for the accommodation
needs of children with disabilities in Cambodia with priority being
given to orphaned and abandoned children with disabilities. This strategy
has been approved and strongly supported by the Ministry of Social Affair,
Vocational Training, and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSALVY).
However, the implementation of this strategy does not
apply yet. It is looking for comments, and recommendations from prospective
implementation ministries / agencies, stakeholders as well as individual.
Therefore, this document will be brought to discuss at a National Workshop
on "Accommodation Needs of Orphaned and Abandoned Children with Disabilities",
which will be held at the National Institute of Public Health, Phnom
Penh, from 13 to 14 August 2001. To view the National Strategy for the
Accommodation Needs of Children with Disabilities in Cambodia,
please
click here ... (DPF file, 79Kb)
The Christoffel Blind Mission
International provides medical rehabilitation equipment and financial
support to the MOH, Cambodia. TOP
On the 7th August 2001, a ceremony was held in order to
hand-over office equipment to the Department of Health Prevention within
the Ministry of Health (MOH), Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This equipment was
donated by the Christoffel Blind Mission (CBM)
International via the Disability Action Council (DAC).
The ceremony is presided over by honorable guests H.E.
Mam Bun Heng, Secretary of State of MOH; H.E. Ms. Prak Chantha, Secretary
of State of MOSALVY and Chairwoman of the DAC; Ms. Helen Pitt, Advisor
to DAC; Mr. Ouk Sisovann, Executive Director of the DAC; and Dr. Prak
Piseth Raing Sey, Director of Health Prevention Department.
Click
here for more information ...
New Publications TOP
DAC Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 19 for January to June 2002. (PDF
File: Khmer Version, (161Kb); Enlish Version, (149Kb))
DAC Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 18 for October to December 2002.
(PDF File: Khmer Version, (168Kb); Enlish Version, (156Kb))
DAC Annual Report 2002. (PDF File: Khmer Version (356Kb); English Version , 342Kb))
DAC Annual Report 2001. (PDF file, 548Kb)
"Coutry Paper on Welfare of People with Disability in Cambodia
- 2001" for International Seminar on Social Welfare i Asia and
the Pacific, Tokyo: 13 to 16 November 2001. (PDF file, 379kb)
National Workshop on Victim Assistacne's Report. Phnom Penh:
05 to 06 September 2001. (MS-Word 2000 file, 465kb; PDF file, 820kb)
DAC Annual Report 2000. (PDF file, 730Kb)
For more archive publications, please click
here ...
