We would like to inform you about an upcoming conference with the working title "Start up for Independent Living in Montenegro" that will take place in Bar, Montenegro on 24th and 25th May 2012. The conference will be co-organised by ENIL (European Network on Independent living), YHD (Association for Theory and Culture of Handicap) and UMHCG (Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro). YHD is a nongovernmental organisation from Slovenia that has run a programme of Independent Living for disabled people for more than 16 years now including personal assistance for disabled persons. UMHCG runs projects providing support and opportunities to disabled young people to their enhance personal, educational and professional development.  

1. Three CIL members (from Sombor, Smederevo and Leskovac) are on different lists for local parliament elections in May 2012.

The impact of having Gordana Rajkov as the first disabled MP has led more disabled people to become involved with politics, initially at a local level. Rajkov has influenced the disability movement and policy development at both national and level level, promoting the idea that  "disability could be the investment - not a burden".

CIL members - Julijana Catalinac from Sombor, Dusko Savic from Smederevo and Svetislav Marjanovic from Leskovac are on the lists of three political parties and have very good chances to become members of local city councils. There are four other DPOs in other Serbian cities who have become politically active for the next elections in May 2012.

The new Q Mark in relation to ABLE Tourism was launched on 12th April 2012 by Minister Phil Hogan TD in Dublin, Ireland.

Able Tourism is the new Q Mark for accessibility created by Excellence Ireland Quality Association, the guardians of the Q Mark, in association with Fáilte Ireland. Their aim is to become global trendsetters by turning Ireland into the first ABLE destination in the world.

The Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) had its two day annual meeting in Vienna. The annual meeting brings together members of the Agency's network to work in partnership on fundamental rights. This 5th FRP meeting aimed to:

• encourage a European debate on fundamental rights among different civil society organisations;
• facilitate knowledge exchange and the sharing of of promising practices among Fundamental Rights Platform participants;
• inform the work of the FRA about challenges and promising initiatives on the ground;
• create opportunities for networking and further cooperation between civil society, the FRA and other actors.

We are two disabled young people, planning to set up an international online network for disabled young people aged 16-30, to network, skill and knowledge share. 

We believe that by providing an interactive space for disabled young people to do so will not only allow young disabled people from around the world to share and in turn, learn new knowledge and skills, but also that it will empower disabled young people to connect and create positive change in their communities. 

We intend this network to be built and run by disabled young people, for disabled young people. 

We are contacting you because of your expertise and we would very much appreciate your input. We have created a questionnaire to help us design the site, which can be found at http://kwiksurveys.com?u=iydpn. The survey is only 9 short questions and will close on 27 May 2012. 

On the occasion of the International Day of Families COFACE will present together with Ádám Kósa (MEP, Chair of the Disability Intergroup) the new COFACE publication, The family dimension of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities at the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 May 2012, from 16:00 to 17:30.

Background information

With this publication, COFACE aims to highlight the family dimension of the Convention, contribute to its dissemination, support the implementation of the European Commission's European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 as well as the European Parliament's report on mobility and inclusion of people with disabilities drafted by Ádám KÓSA MEP. It also aims at empowering European citizens living with disabilities and their families.