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USICD News
October 2015
Join USICD on December 2!
Celebrate_ On the Eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with Board_ Donors_ Friends_ Members_ Congressional_ Corporate and Institutional Partners of the United States International Council on Disabilities.  Wednesday_ December 2nd_ 6 to 8 pm. Cocktail Reception_ Hors d_oeuvres_ Carving and fish station with Finnish specialties presented by in-house chef. Hosted by H.E. Kirsti Kauppei_ Ambassador of Finland at The Embassy of Finland_ 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW_ Washington DC 20008. Special Presentation of the Dole-Harkin Award to Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. Business Attire. The Embassy of Finland is fully accessible.  Honoring International Advocate Kalle Konkkola_ Chair_ The Abilis Foundation of Finland. Special thanks to our sponsors_ as of October 15_ AT_T_ Google_ JP Morgan Chase _ Co_ Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. Arrival by taxi is recommended. Valet service will be available. RSVP by November 23rd_ 2015. Guests must RSVP for admittance. ONLY 175 TICKETS AVAILABLE. Tickets are available for _125 each.
The U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD) will host its second annual gala on December 2, the Eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At its gala, USICD will honor leaders of the disability rights movement whose impact has been felt on the international stage-an American policymaker is recipient of the Dole-Harkin Award, for distinction in public service to the global disability community, and an overseas disability rights advocate is honored for his/her outstanding work in advancing the rights, opportunities, and dignity of persons with disabilities.
 
USICD will also recognize and honor corporations that have demonstrated leadership by instilling the best practices of the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout their companies' values, operations, and hiring practices. The annual USICD gala brings together disability rights advocates, legislative leaders, new and long-term donors, business and philanthropic leaders, and other friends of the disability rights movement.
 
Visit our Gala event page for more details and to register!  Learn about this year's Gala Honorees!

Please note: Social media conversations about USICD's Gala will use the hashtag #USICDGala
USICD Membership Elects Board Members, Convenes in National Teleconference
USICD's logo: A globe with a ring around it, overlaid with the name U.S. International Council on DisabilitiesUSICD's Annual Meeting was open to all members and held on 8 October, 2015. The membership received an overview of USICD's activities and a copy of the  Annual Report. This year, for the first time, the annual meeting was conducted entirely via teleconference which helped allowed us to include those members from outside the Washington, D.C, area.

USICD Board Members and staff acknowledged the many years of hard work and commitment completed by retiring board members Jeff Rosen, David Oaks, and Tom Zampieri. New incoming USICD board members include: Daniel Fisher, Janet Lord, Jerry McCloskey, Faith McCormick, Sheila Newman, and Susan Parker.

Follow this link to our bio page to reach about USICD's new board members!

Returning board members include Jill Houghton, David Hutt (Treasurer), Axel Leblois, Barbara LeRoy, Susan Mazuri, Stephanie Ortoleva, Diana Samarasan, and Glen White (Secretary).

The Annual Meeting was very productive and resulted in over 15 action items for the Board and staff to pursue in 2016. Updates to members will be provided in future convenings and through the USICD newsletter.

Call for Applicants: Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs
The summer 2016 Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program is 
now 
open for applications until January 12, 2016. 

Group of interns, USICD staff and board, and funders post for group picture USICD's internship program focuses on youth with disabilities from across the U.S. who intend to pursue careers in international development or foreign affairs.  
  
The summer 2016 internship program will bring a group of talented graduate students, recent graduates, and rising juniors and seniors with disabilities to Washington, D.C., for nine weeks.  This will include a one-week training and orientation program followed by an eight-week internship at an international organization in the Washington, D.C., area.  USICD will cover the cost of accessible housing during the program, reimburse travel expenses to and from D.C., and provide a limited stipend.  

To  learn more about the Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program, eligibility criteria, anticipated dates, and the application process, please visit http://usicd.org/template/page.cfm?id=257
 
USICD thanks the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation for their support for this initiative!
 
Application deadline for USICD's summer 2016 internship program is January 12, 2016.
Film Premiere of "No One Left Behind"
A child_s dirty face peers through torn white paper _logo for Disability Rights International_
You are invited to an evening with Disability Rights International at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., for a reception and viewing of the PBS documentary:
 
"No One Left Behind"   Film premiere with Sam Waterson (part 2)
 
Wednesday, November 4, 6-8 PM
 
Busboys and Poets at 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
 
6 PM-Refreshments and welcome; 6:30 PM-30 minute film showing;
7 PM-Q&A with DRI staff
 
Admission is free but seating is limited. Please RSVP to Rachel Arnold at (202) 296-0800 ext. 654 or [email protected]
 
Documentary is captioned and sign language interpretation is available.
 
People unable to attend can view both parts one and part two of "No One Left Behind" online with captions at http://www.driadvocacy.org/visionaries/
Global Community Adopts Disability-Inclusive Sustainable Development Goals
For 15 years, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) helped guide hundreds of international donors and dozens of country governments toward meeting targets for reducing global poverty and improving access to education and healthcare.  Targets for the MDGs were to be met by the end of 2015, although many have been met with strong success, others were missed.  But even in areas where targets were missed, some experts believe that the effort may have spurred more action than would have occurred otherwise.

On September 25, the United Nations agreed to adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that will replace the MDGs at the start of 2016.  The deadline to meet the SDGs will be 2030. Unlike the MDGs, the new SDGs mention disability several times in the targets. Work is still ongoing to campaign for integrating disability into the indicators that will measure success toward meeting the targets.

Some articles that provide an overview on the SDGs, how they were developed, what the 17 goals are, and how they will be met:
Some articles that take a closer look at disability inclusion in the SDGs:
UN launches Global Network on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-Inclusive Development
A world map surrounded by a laurel leaf in white on a blue background







The UN DESA Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD/DSPD/DESA) has been mandated by the UN General Assembly to produce an UN flagship report assessing progress towards internationally agreed development goals, including SDGs. (UN GA resolution A/RES/69/142).

A prototype report "Global Report on Disability and Development" is expected to be released by the end of 2015.  

The first edition of the UN flagship report on disability-inclusive implementation of the SDG is planned for 2018.

As part of the preparatory process, it is urgent to identify data to inform any progress towards disability-inclusive implementation of the  SDGs and other development goals, and to coordinate the analysis of such issues, data and trends.

As the focal point on disability of the UN system, SCRPD is creating a Global Network on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-Inclusive Development, for experts from the UN system, non-governmental organizations, in particular, disabled persons organizations, researchers and entities working on (1) data, statistics, monitoring and evaluation for disability-inclusive development, as well as (2) data analysis for policy making.
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Read Pat Morrissey's presidential remarks delivered during USICD's annual meeting!
In This Issue
USICD to Hold Second Annual Gala December 2!
USICD Annual Meeting!
Apply for USICD's Internship Program!
Film Premiere of "No One Left Behind"
Global Community Adopts Disability-Inclusive Sustainable Development Goals
UN Launches Global Network on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-Inclusive Development

Events and Opportunities

Apply by January 12, 2016




WORLD HEADLINES
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USICD
Board of Directors

Patricia Morrissey - President

Lex Frieden- Vice President

David Hutt - Treasurer

Glen White - Secretary

Marca Bristo - Past President

Candace Cable

Jennifer Dexter

Daniel Fisher 

Jill Houghton

Axel Leblois

Barbara LeRoy

Janet Lord

Susan Mazrui

Jerry McCloskey

Faith McCormick

Sheila Newman

David Oaks

Stephanie Ortoleva

Susan Parker

Debra Perry

Neil Romano 

Eric Rosenthal

Diana Samarasan

John Wodatch 

 

Government Representatives

David Baquis (US Access Board)

Joan Durocher (NCD)

Meredith DeDonna (ODEP)

MarcieRoth (FEMA)

Sue Swenson (OSERS)

CRPD Ratification Watch
As of October 2015:
  
CRPD:
  • 160 Signatories
  • 159 Ratifications
Optional Protocol:
  • 92 Signatories
  • 88 Ratifications
Recent Ratifications:
 
Democratic Republic of the Congo Ratified the Convention on September 30, 2015

Bahama Ratified the Convention on September 28, 2015
 
Gambia Ratified the Convention on July 7, 2015
 
Trinidad and Tobago Ratified the Convention on June 25, 2015
 
Madagascar Ratified the Convention on June 12, 2015
 
Kazakhstan Ratified the Convention on April 21, 2015 
 
Turkey Ratified the Convention on March 26, 2015
 
Marshall Islands Ratified the Convention on March 17, 2015
 
Vietnam Ratified the Convention on February 5, 2015
 

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