In the name of God, dear countrymen greeting to you, I would like to present the Pashto text of a roundtable on International Convention of Occupation and capacitating of disabled and work ground preparation for disabled through Campaign for Change of Life of Killid radio, I hope you can follow it and increase your information.
The guests for this roundtable are Mohammad Sadeq Mohibi the activist of disability and Mr.Mohabati the coordinator of disability related programs in Afghanistan Human Rights Independent Commission, I would like to welcome them and first ask Mr. Muhibi about.
Question: Mr. Muhibi! How do you assess the activities accomplished of organization for disabled within past years, have the mentioned activities caused change in life of disabled?
Answer: I would like to mention different issues regarding the life and situation of disabled, we have had achievements as well as problems regarding the disabled within past years, the achievements include compiling the law of rights and privileges of disabled, increment of services delivery to disabled by ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, efforts of ministry of Education for education to disabled, endeavors of ministry of Public Health for disabled and joining of Afghanistan with four international conventions .
The problems that still exist for disabled are: not accomplishing of fundamental work for improvement of disabled life, existence of problems in capacitating and work, problems of access to health services has been done to improve disabled life, the fact that why the disabled face with so many problems is due to lack of political support of disabled, not accepting the issue of disability as priority, lack of specified budget for disabled and lack of enough professionals for affairs related to disabled. .
Question: So what are your suggestions to repel mentioned problems?
Answer: To solve the mentioned problems there is need for existence the laws that all related organs call themselves responsible and organize their work accordingly, though many works have been done but due to abundant problems of disabled the accomplished works are not visible, preparation of artificial organs for disabled is one of the works that all the disabled have access to.
Question: It is right that some services have been delivered to disabled specifically in the center but the disabled of remote areas even are not aware of their services so what is your view about?
Answer: It is right that the organizations and organs working for disabled accomplish activities only in central areas which is an issue of concern for us though we are trying to expand our activities to remote areas as well.
As the organizations are working in 17 provinces for capacitating of the disabled, but if we want to deliver enough services to improve the life of disabled in remote areas and provinces there is need that the government must implement the laws and encourage the related organs to deliver services to disabled.
Question: Mr.Muhabati! Isn’t the lack of attention to disabled’s rights in remote areas the trampling upon of their rights?
Answer: Thanks for your question! Though the existence international community after 2001 found the hope that positive change would occur to people’s life but we did not utilize it properly rather the injured people in our community became more injured, the works accomplished in the presence of international community are very petty and limited only to the center while our disabled live mostly in remote areas and don’t have access to their rights so the lack of attention of government is the clear disobedience to their rights, so the governmental organs and other non-governmental organizations should unify their activities to solve the problems of the disabled and get the rights of disabled though the lack of security has put negative effect on activities and activists of field of disability.
Question: Mr. Muhibi! Could you give some information about the Convention of Occupation and re-capacitating of disabled?
Answer: The international convention number 159 of disabled is called the convention of Occupation, job creation and re-capacitating of disabled which was established on June 20th, year1983 in Geneva of Switzerland through 69th session of labor and was approved by the member countries as Afghanistan also joined in 1389 the mentioned convention.
The convention has 17 articles and four chapters that all the member countries are obliged to report every two years on implementation and development of the convention.
Two issues have been considered in the convention first learning the occupation and working ability second their employing that how they would be able to work after learning a craft/occupation.
Question: Mr. Mohabati! Does the department of disability in Afghanistan Human Rights Independent Commission has the information how many disabled are jobless and how many of them have been employed.
Answer: The exact figures are not available on business and joblessness of the disabled but the research carried out four years back shows that the governmental organs have failed to absorb the disabled as they have absorbed small number of disabled, the research cites that the disabled have been employed on lower posts even some of the offices has ordered not to employ the disabled, the figures of employed disabled by ministry of Labor and Social Affairs shows that non-governmental organizations has paid more attention to the employment of disabled as they have absorbed 3% of disabled in their structures.
Question: Why the governmental organs have less attention to absorption and employment of disabled?
Answer: There are different causes, first the disabled are not aware of the rights of disabled, they have negative mentality against them, on the other hand the working capacity is weak in the disabled group which has role in absorption of the disabled, the governmental organs believe that the disabled don’t have the talent of work and they are seen as second category of people so the governmental organs think that the healthy people are not capable to perform good work how the disabled would perform their work and organize their life.
Question: As not implementation of the conventions and laws was cited and it was also mentioned that no one is ready to accept the responsibility so how the problems of disabled would be solved?
Answer: It is right that there are many conventions and laws but the implementation of the laws and conventions is a problem, so the issue of process of pleading for justice must be implemented as the process of pleading for justice has been implemented for law compilation that the problems are solved and the laws are implemented, the concerned and sector organs also should participate and priority must be given to disability.
Question: Mr. Muhibi! As you mentioned the pleading for justice as mean of giving awareness for example the ministry of higher educations has ordered its related organs to consider the physical access of the disabled during construction the dormitories and other buildings but the order has not been implemented yet so what is the problem for not implementing the laws and decrees?
Answer: I think there are many causes for not implementation, lack of awareness with responsible, lack of trust and attention on capacity of disabled, lack of supervision on responsible organs’ activities, not punishing the disobedient and offenders of the law and other causes that enlarged the problem but the committee of pleading for justice of the disabled is trying for the rights of disabled.
Question: Mr. Muhibi! Do you have information that the governmental organs allocated 3% share to disabled in their structures considering the International Convention of Occupation and Capacitating of the Disabled?
Answer: I don’t have information whether all organs have implemented all the instances of the convention or not but I can say that the ministry of Haj and Pious Devotions has considered the physical access in their buildings, the independent commission of election employed 5% of their staff from disabled as temporary staff, the ministry of labor and social affairs also has put the idea in practice but the non-governmental organization has put much attention to the issue as even some of the organization has employed 50% of their staff from disabled.
Question: Mr.Muhabati! How the problem of rights of disabled and disobediences can be solved?
Answer: I think the problem would be solved only when we along with other civil societies supervise properly the activities regarding the disability, we plead for justice to implement the laws and seek solution ways, the creation of good coordination between the civil societies and governmental organs also can solve the problem in some measure, the parliament also should supervise continuously the process because supervision of the laws is one of the duties of parliament, the media also should participate in giving public awareness to authorities and public on rights of disabled.
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