A Message from USICD President Marca Bristo
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Dear USICD Members and Colleagues, It was wonderful to see many of you
in Washington, DC, last week for the USICD Annual Meeting. The
afternoon's program was enriched by insightful remarks on the international
disability advocacy movement from Venus Ilagan of RI,Steven Estey of DPI, and
White House Special Advisor Kareem Dale. Many of these remarks addressed
the exciting efforts currently underway to support the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Cliff Missen and USICD staff educated
audience members about the goals of the Global Disability Rights Library and
the technology supporting the project. Several participants approached Missen and the USICD staff with ideas
for information to be included in the library.
The USICD membership also
elected
elected the 2010-11 Board of Directors, including two new directors: Maria Veronica Reina and Ann Cody. The USICD Board and I have a vision
for a USICD that brings people together across international borders to advance
the cause of disability rights around the world. Your participation in USICD activities, your
willingness to share your expertise with the international disability
community, and the contributions of our international colleagues in USICD
dialogues, are all key to achieving this vision. We have an important year ahead of
us. We hope to see the Obama Administration complete its interagency
review of the CRPD, and request the U.S. Senate for its advice and consent for
ratification of the treaty. Your continued involvement in supporting CRPD
awareness, and your participation in USICD education and training programs will
be vital in this upcoming phase of our advocacy to support ratification of the
CRPD.
We will keep you apprised of progress through email and the USICD
website, and encourage you to participate in our national teleconferences of
CRPD advocates. We rely on your continued support through your
membership. In addition, we encourage
you to support USICD by recruiting new members and by sharing your work
and suggestions with us. In particular, please do share your suggestions
for ways we can enrich the value of USICD membership or build programs that fill
the unique role of our organization. The
USICD Board and staff and I look forward to staying in touch with you this
year.
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Photos from USICD Annual Meeting, April 26, 2010
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USICD Members Experience 'Music By Prudence!'
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On May 6, 2010 USICD, Human Rights Watch and the World Bank welcomed the director and star of the Academy-Award winning documentary Music by Prudence for a series of screenings and discussions. Pictured below, attendees meet the star and disability rights advocate Prudence Mabhena. Read the full article and view more photos here.
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