The document discusses Sightsavers' engagement with developing the post-2015 development agenda to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire in 2015. It describes some of the criticisms of the MDGs, including that they were too narrow in focus and missed critical issues like disability inclusion. Sightsavers has been advocating for a post-2015 framework that specifically targets reducing inequality, includes goals on health systems strengthening, and ensures data is disaggregated to show progress for marginalized groups like people with disabilities. The organization has provided input through various UN consultation processes and campaigns. While work remains, Sightsavers has made progress bringing attention to disability within these discussions.
Future Agenda 2010 Global Insights - The World in 2020Future Agenda
Five years on from the sharing of output from the first Future Agenda programme, several people have been asking how well the views have played out. So here is a reposting of the World in 2020 as seen from our discussions in 2010. Based on 50 workshops undertaken in 25 countries, the first Future Agenda programme was a step forward in open foresight that has since been built on and extended with the 2015 Future Agenda programme.
Points highlighted in 2010 that have already started to have impact include Intelligent Highways, Muslim Europe, Access not Ownership, Global Pandemics etc. In all we feel that over 80% of the views contained here have already moved forward - some faster than anticipated.
More information on the first Future Agenda programme including links to the full archive can be found on http://www.futureagenda.org/info/future-agenda-2010
For the latest insights from Future Agenda 2.0 please see the main site on http://www.futureagenda.org
Bridging the Humanitarian Development Nexus in HealthCORE Group
Development partners can bridge the humanitarian-development nexus in health by working collaboratively across institutional boundaries based on comparative advantages. New financing options include the Grand Bargain which brings humanitarian and development actors together, and the Global Concessional Financing Facility which provides concessional financing for development projects in refugee host countries. Addressing health challenges in humanitarian crises requires moving from separate humanitarian and development assistance approaches to an integrated nexus approach.
Youth LEAD achieved success in its work over the past year, expanding its network to 21 countries and hundreds of young people. It finalized a new 3-year strategic plan focusing on healthcare access, youth participation, removing legal barriers, data collection, and programs for adolescents and key populations. Youth LEAD has also strengthened partnerships with regional networks. The newsletter provides updates on Youth LEAD's programs and advocacy work, as well as news affecting young people from countries in its network.
This document summarizes Scott Hutcheson's presentation on Strategic Doing at the SSAB Quality of Life Planning Retreat in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on June 26, 2014. Strategic Doing is a framework that enables quick collaboration toward measurable outcomes. It divides basic questions into appreciative questions to think differently about issues and accelerate asset-based collaborations through agile strategic action plans. The document outlines the Strategic Doing process and packaging used at the retreat to define opportunities and pathways to address community quality of life issues.
The document outlines RESULTS' People Power strategy to advocate for ending poverty. It discusses building political and media power through campaigning, generating public support, and influencing policies. The strategy involves developing a core organizing team, volunteer network, and digital crew to mobilize supporters through actions leading up to key political events. The goals are to increase Australian aid commitments and support for global health issues like tuberculosis. Success requires strengthening relationships, engaging new supporters, and scaling an action-oriented model of grassroots organizing.
Shaping the Post-2015 Conversation: A guide on sharing Youth Voices to shape ...Y-PEER Hacioglu
This document provides guidance for youth organizations on disseminating the findings of post-2015 youth consultations to influence the global development agenda. 346 young people in 12 countries were consulted about their vision for a post-2015 world. They envisioned a world with equality, sustainability, and participation for all. Key issues identified included inequality, lack of basic services, and environmental degradation. The dissemination guide outlines how to share these "youth voices" with decision-makers through targeting messages and influencers at local, national, regional and global levels. The goal is to ensure the post-2015 development framework addresses the needs and rights of young people.
This is the introduction to 'Accountability in Action', a training presentation from Restless Development to train young people to become Accountability Advocates.
Use this guide to inspire young people to group together, to organise and to hold their governments and power-holders to account.
Young people who participated in consultations around the world envision a post-2015 world based on principles of equality, freedom, environmental sustainability, and participation. They identified key issues like ineffective governance, poverty, and nutrition that should be addressed. Participants offered solutions focusing on sensitization, empowerment, technology, collaboration, and institutional reform. The document provides guidance on disseminating these youth voices to decision-makers to influence the post-2015 development framework process, including key timelines and opportunities for engagement at the local, national, regional and global levels.
Future Agenda 2010 Global Insights - The World in 2020Future Agenda
Five years on from the sharing of output from the first Future Agenda programme, several people have been asking how well the views have played out. So here is a reposting of the World in 2020 as seen from our discussions in 2010. Based on 50 workshops undertaken in 25 countries, the first Future Agenda programme was a step forward in open foresight that has since been built on and extended with the 2015 Future Agenda programme.
Points highlighted in 2010 that have already started to have impact include Intelligent Highways, Muslim Europe, Access not Ownership, Global Pandemics etc. In all we feel that over 80% of the views contained here have already moved forward - some faster than anticipated.
More information on the first Future Agenda programme including links to the full archive can be found on http://www.futureagenda.org/info/future-agenda-2010
For the latest insights from Future Agenda 2.0 please see the main site on http://www.futureagenda.org
Bridging the Humanitarian Development Nexus in HealthCORE Group
Development partners can bridge the humanitarian-development nexus in health by working collaboratively across institutional boundaries based on comparative advantages. New financing options include the Grand Bargain which brings humanitarian and development actors together, and the Global Concessional Financing Facility which provides concessional financing for development projects in refugee host countries. Addressing health challenges in humanitarian crises requires moving from separate humanitarian and development assistance approaches to an integrated nexus approach.
Youth LEAD achieved success in its work over the past year, expanding its network to 21 countries and hundreds of young people. It finalized a new 3-year strategic plan focusing on healthcare access, youth participation, removing legal barriers, data collection, and programs for adolescents and key populations. Youth LEAD has also strengthened partnerships with regional networks. The newsletter provides updates on Youth LEAD's programs and advocacy work, as well as news affecting young people from countries in its network.
This document summarizes Scott Hutcheson's presentation on Strategic Doing at the SSAB Quality of Life Planning Retreat in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on June 26, 2014. Strategic Doing is a framework that enables quick collaboration toward measurable outcomes. It divides basic questions into appreciative questions to think differently about issues and accelerate asset-based collaborations through agile strategic action plans. The document outlines the Strategic Doing process and packaging used at the retreat to define opportunities and pathways to address community quality of life issues.
The document outlines RESULTS' People Power strategy to advocate for ending poverty. It discusses building political and media power through campaigning, generating public support, and influencing policies. The strategy involves developing a core organizing team, volunteer network, and digital crew to mobilize supporters through actions leading up to key political events. The goals are to increase Australian aid commitments and support for global health issues like tuberculosis. Success requires strengthening relationships, engaging new supporters, and scaling an action-oriented model of grassroots organizing.
Shaping the Post-2015 Conversation: A guide on sharing Youth Voices to shape ...Y-PEER Hacioglu
This document provides guidance for youth organizations on disseminating the findings of post-2015 youth consultations to influence the global development agenda. 346 young people in 12 countries were consulted about their vision for a post-2015 world. They envisioned a world with equality, sustainability, and participation for all. Key issues identified included inequality, lack of basic services, and environmental degradation. The dissemination guide outlines how to share these "youth voices" with decision-makers through targeting messages and influencers at local, national, regional and global levels. The goal is to ensure the post-2015 development framework addresses the needs and rights of young people.
This is the introduction to 'Accountability in Action', a training presentation from Restless Development to train young people to become Accountability Advocates.
Use this guide to inspire young people to group together, to organise and to hold their governments and power-holders to account.
Young people who participated in consultations around the world envision a post-2015 world based on principles of equality, freedom, environmental sustainability, and participation. They identified key issues like ineffective governance, poverty, and nutrition that should be addressed. Participants offered solutions focusing on sensitization, empowerment, technology, collaboration, and institutional reform. The document provides guidance on disseminating these youth voices to decision-makers to influence the post-2015 development framework process, including key timelines and opportunities for engagement at the local, national, regional and global levels.
This document summarizes the key findings from youth consultations on shaping a post-2015 development framework. Young people envisioned a world with equality, environmental sustainability, and participation for all. They identified the most important issues as widening inequality, violence, diversity, and environmental sustainability. The consultations showed that young people want to be involved in decision-making and can help solve development challenges.
Successful communication a toolkid for researchers and cs osDr Lendy Spires
This document provides an introduction to a toolkit for researchers and civil society organizations on successful communication. It discusses why communication is important for development work, providing information to empower communities and ensuring transparency. It also notes communication is important for learning and building understanding between different groups. The document reviews literature on improving research communication to policymakers, other researchers, and end users. It identifies some gaps such as treating communication as a systemic issue, improving the conditions for communication, and facilitating greater Southern engagement in communication processes. The toolkit that follows provides tools for planning, packaging, targeting and monitoring communications.
Undg report on dialogues on post 2015 implementation delivering the post 201...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes the key discussions from several dialogues on opportunities for implementing a post-2015 development agenda at the national and local levels. The dialogues focused on strengthening capacities and institutions, localizing the agenda, participatory monitoring and accountability, partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and the role of culture in development. The main messages are that implementation will depend on actions at national and local levels, and that localizing the agenda, building strong partnerships, and strengthening capacities and accountability will be essential.
Undg report on dialogues on post 2015 implementation delivering the post 201...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes the key discussions from several dialogues on opportunities for implementing a post-2015 development agenda at the national and local levels. The dialogues focused on strengthening capacities and institutions, localizing the agenda, participatory monitoring and accountability, partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and the role of culture in development. The main messages are that implementation will depend on actions at national and local levels, and that localizing the agenda, building strong partnerships, and strengthening capacities and accountability will be essential.
This document provides definitions for key terms related to tracking and ensuring accountability for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It includes definitions for concepts like accountability, governance, human rights, participation, transparency, and youth empowerment. It also defines organizations and initiatives involved in implementing and monitoring the SDGs like the High Level Political Forum and the Youth Governance and Accountability Task Team. The glossary is included in a toolkit to help young people develop accountability frameworks for tracking SDG progress.
History Of Louisiana Department Of Transportation And...Amanda Burkett
The document discusses Louisiana's Complete Streets policy, which aims to address infrastructure issues and improve pedestrian and cycling safety. Following devastating hurricanes in 2005, Louisiana had over $12 billion in needed road repairs. In 2009, the Louisiana Department of Transportation convened a work group to develop a Complete Streets policy to consider all road users and recommend future actions. However, pedestrian fatalities remained high, indicating more safety measures were needed in city planning. The policy aims to improve infrastructure while enhancing safety for all modes of transportation.
A33 Position Note: Post-2015 Development AgendaArticle33
Incorporating Transparency and Accountability Issues into the Post-2015 Development Agenda
This note is an excerpt of a series of discussions coordinated by Article 33 Indonesia together with Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia coalition
The World in 2025 - Future Agenda (2016)Future Agenda
What are the big issues for next decade? The World in 2025 is the full synthesis of insights from the second Future Agenda programme undertaken in 2016. From 120 discussions with thousands of informed people in 45 cities across 35 countries, we gained over 800 insights on the next decade. From these we identified and detailed over 60 key areas of change - those are all shared feely on the future agenda website (www.futureagenda.org).
This document brings all of these insights together in a single pdf for you to use. It is a free book shared under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 licence. We hope that you find it a useful view of how people around the world see change occurring over the next decade.
PLEASE NOTE: This book is also available at cost for local digital printing via Amazon and Create Space
https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-2025-Insights-Future-Agenda/dp/0993255426
https://www.amazon.com/World-2025-Insights-Future-Agenda/dp/0993255426
https://www.createspace.com/6656252
The document provides an introduction to a toolkit for researchers and civil society organizations to improve communication. It discusses why communication is important for development work, providing information to empower people and ensure transparency, as well as fostering social change. It also notes communication helps researchers learn how to better meet audience needs and maximize the impact of their work. The document reviews literature on communicating research, emphasizing the need to strengthen communication skills, collaboration between researchers and policymakers, and user engagement. It identifies some gaps in the literature around treating communication as a systemic issue and the conditions under which research is shared.
By 2025, everything that can benefit from an internet connection likely will have one. There will be over 50 billion SIM cards in use, connecting over 50 devices per capita globally on average. Most of the 50 billion connected devices will be machines and sensors, generating unprecedented amounts of data. While this connectivity enables many opportunities, it also risks security and privacy issues if all connected devices are not sufficiently protected.
This document provides guidance on effectively engaging with the media to communicate messages about sustainable development and influencing the post-2015 development agenda. It was produced as part of the Sustainable Development 2015 program, which aims to increase stakeholder participation in setting new global development goals. The document discusses defining clear messages and objectives, understanding audiences and journalists, preparing press releases and conducting interviews, and using additional methods like photos and social media to engage with media outlets. The overall goal is to help organizations convey their work and priorities to wider audiences in an accessible way.
This document provides guidance on effectively engaging with media to communicate messages about sustainable development and influencing the post-2015 development agenda. It was produced as part of the Sustainable Development 2015 program to help non-profits, NGOs, and other stakeholders advocate for their causes. The document covers topics such as defining clear messages and targeting audiences, understanding journalists and their needs, approaching reporters, conducting interviews, and using other engagement strategies like social media and press releases. The overall aim is to help readers communicate their issues effectively to wider audiences through the media.
Nadia Rafif will discuss concerns about the strategic direction and future of the Global Fund from a civil society perspective. She outlines 6 key areas of concern: 1) Restructuring has caused confusion. 2) Restructuring has negatively impacted HIV programs through interruptions, transitional funding not covering new patients, and stock outs. 3) Engagement with civil society has been dismantled. 4) Transparency and accountability are needed. 5) The focus on high impact countries leaves some behind. 6) The demand-driven model is in peril. She emphasizes the critical role of civil society and that the Global Fund's success relies on inclusion of communities.
This is an outline paper which summarises work done for the Association of Directors of Public Health on the Public Health contribution to health and social care integration
Universal health coverage (UHC)—ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health services when needed—can be a vehicle for improved equity, health, financial well-being, and economic development. In its 2013 report, Global Health 2035, the Commission on Investing in Health (CIH) made the case that progressive (“pro-poor”) pathways towards UHC, which target the poor from the outset, are the most efficient way to achieve both improved health outcomes and increased financial protection (FP). Countries worldwide are now embarking on health system changes to move closer to achieving UHC, often with a clear pro-poor intent. While they can draw on guidance related to the technical aspects of UHC (the “what” of UHC), such as on service package design, there is less information on the “how” of UHC—that is, on how to maximize the chances of successful implementation.
Motivated by a shared interest in helping to close this information gap, a diverse international group of 21 practitioners and academics, including ministry of health officials and representatives of global health agencies and foundations, convened at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center for a three-day workshop from July 7–9, 2015. The participants shared their experiences of implementing UHC and discussed the limited evidence on how to implement UHC, focusing on a set of seven key “how” questions from across five domains of UHC.
How global goals for sustainable development workDemocracy Club
This paper asks whether a set of global goals would be an effective tool for changing global behaviour towards meeting the requirements of sustainable development.
With the next round of planning for what follows the MDGs under way, this paper considers both sides of the argument. It concludes that the discursive, realm-of-possibility setting nature of global goals should not be underestimated.
The document summarizes insights from multiple expert discussions around the world on the future of philanthropy. It identifies three main drivers that will shape philanthropy over the next decade: power, knowledge, and trust. Power will be more fluid as new groups gain influence. Knowledge and data-driven approaches will increase but emotional giving will still be important. Trust must be built through integrity, reliability, and competence. Digital technology and long-term collaboration are seen as ways to create more impact.
Future of Healthcare Provision Jan 2017Future Agenda
Building on insights from our 2015 future of health discussions, this is a new initial view on how healthcare provision may change, especially given emerging opportunities for improved patient engagement. As well as insights from discussions in India, UK, Canada, Singapore and the US it also includes other additional perspectives shared in interviews and workshops over the past 12 months.
We recognise that given the multi-factored nature of this topic and the rapid emergence of new options, what we have summarised in this document is itself in flux. As such, over the next few months we will be sharing this more widely for additional feedback ahead of publication of an updated paper over the summer. So, if you have any comments on changes and additions or issues that you think need more detail, please let us know and we will include.
As with all Future Agenda output, this is being published under creative commons (share alike non commercial) so you are free to share and quote as suits.
The document discusses the upcoming UN agreement on a new post-2015 development agenda to replace the MDGs. It will cover sustainable development, poverty eradication, inequality reduction, and environmental challenges. The 17 proposed SDGs are presented. The UN will support implementation through its MAPS strategy of mainstreaming the agenda nationally, accelerating progress, and providing policy support. Means of implementation like financing will be critical to discuss at the upcoming Financing for Development conference. Civil society has an important role to play in supporting governments' implementation efforts.
This document summarizes the key findings from youth consultations on shaping a post-2015 development framework. Young people envisioned a world with equality, environmental sustainability, and participation for all. They identified the most important issues as widening inequality, violence, diversity, and environmental sustainability. The consultations showed that young people want to be involved in decision-making and can help solve development challenges.
Successful communication a toolkid for researchers and cs osDr Lendy Spires
This document provides an introduction to a toolkit for researchers and civil society organizations on successful communication. It discusses why communication is important for development work, providing information to empower communities and ensuring transparency. It also notes communication is important for learning and building understanding between different groups. The document reviews literature on improving research communication to policymakers, other researchers, and end users. It identifies some gaps such as treating communication as a systemic issue, improving the conditions for communication, and facilitating greater Southern engagement in communication processes. The toolkit that follows provides tools for planning, packaging, targeting and monitoring communications.
Undg report on dialogues on post 2015 implementation delivering the post 201...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes the key discussions from several dialogues on opportunities for implementing a post-2015 development agenda at the national and local levels. The dialogues focused on strengthening capacities and institutions, localizing the agenda, participatory monitoring and accountability, partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and the role of culture in development. The main messages are that implementation will depend on actions at national and local levels, and that localizing the agenda, building strong partnerships, and strengthening capacities and accountability will be essential.
Undg report on dialogues on post 2015 implementation delivering the post 201...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes the key discussions from several dialogues on opportunities for implementing a post-2015 development agenda at the national and local levels. The dialogues focused on strengthening capacities and institutions, localizing the agenda, participatory monitoring and accountability, partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and the role of culture in development. The main messages are that implementation will depend on actions at national and local levels, and that localizing the agenda, building strong partnerships, and strengthening capacities and accountability will be essential.
This document provides definitions for key terms related to tracking and ensuring accountability for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It includes definitions for concepts like accountability, governance, human rights, participation, transparency, and youth empowerment. It also defines organizations and initiatives involved in implementing and monitoring the SDGs like the High Level Political Forum and the Youth Governance and Accountability Task Team. The glossary is included in a toolkit to help young people develop accountability frameworks for tracking SDG progress.
History Of Louisiana Department Of Transportation And...Amanda Burkett
The document discusses Louisiana's Complete Streets policy, which aims to address infrastructure issues and improve pedestrian and cycling safety. Following devastating hurricanes in 2005, Louisiana had over $12 billion in needed road repairs. In 2009, the Louisiana Department of Transportation convened a work group to develop a Complete Streets policy to consider all road users and recommend future actions. However, pedestrian fatalities remained high, indicating more safety measures were needed in city planning. The policy aims to improve infrastructure while enhancing safety for all modes of transportation.
A33 Position Note: Post-2015 Development AgendaArticle33
Incorporating Transparency and Accountability Issues into the Post-2015 Development Agenda
This note is an excerpt of a series of discussions coordinated by Article 33 Indonesia together with Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia coalition
The World in 2025 - Future Agenda (2016)Future Agenda
What are the big issues for next decade? The World in 2025 is the full synthesis of insights from the second Future Agenda programme undertaken in 2016. From 120 discussions with thousands of informed people in 45 cities across 35 countries, we gained over 800 insights on the next decade. From these we identified and detailed over 60 key areas of change - those are all shared feely on the future agenda website (www.futureagenda.org).
This document brings all of these insights together in a single pdf for you to use. It is a free book shared under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 licence. We hope that you find it a useful view of how people around the world see change occurring over the next decade.
PLEASE NOTE: This book is also available at cost for local digital printing via Amazon and Create Space
https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-2025-Insights-Future-Agenda/dp/0993255426
https://www.amazon.com/World-2025-Insights-Future-Agenda/dp/0993255426
https://www.createspace.com/6656252
The document provides an introduction to a toolkit for researchers and civil society organizations to improve communication. It discusses why communication is important for development work, providing information to empower people and ensure transparency, as well as fostering social change. It also notes communication helps researchers learn how to better meet audience needs and maximize the impact of their work. The document reviews literature on communicating research, emphasizing the need to strengthen communication skills, collaboration between researchers and policymakers, and user engagement. It identifies some gaps in the literature around treating communication as a systemic issue and the conditions under which research is shared.
By 2025, everything that can benefit from an internet connection likely will have one. There will be over 50 billion SIM cards in use, connecting over 50 devices per capita globally on average. Most of the 50 billion connected devices will be machines and sensors, generating unprecedented amounts of data. While this connectivity enables many opportunities, it also risks security and privacy issues if all connected devices are not sufficiently protected.
This document provides guidance on effectively engaging with the media to communicate messages about sustainable development and influencing the post-2015 development agenda. It was produced as part of the Sustainable Development 2015 program, which aims to increase stakeholder participation in setting new global development goals. The document discusses defining clear messages and objectives, understanding audiences and journalists, preparing press releases and conducting interviews, and using additional methods like photos and social media to engage with media outlets. The overall goal is to help organizations convey their work and priorities to wider audiences in an accessible way.
This document provides guidance on effectively engaging with media to communicate messages about sustainable development and influencing the post-2015 development agenda. It was produced as part of the Sustainable Development 2015 program to help non-profits, NGOs, and other stakeholders advocate for their causes. The document covers topics such as defining clear messages and targeting audiences, understanding journalists and their needs, approaching reporters, conducting interviews, and using other engagement strategies like social media and press releases. The overall aim is to help readers communicate their issues effectively to wider audiences through the media.
Nadia Rafif will discuss concerns about the strategic direction and future of the Global Fund from a civil society perspective. She outlines 6 key areas of concern: 1) Restructuring has caused confusion. 2) Restructuring has negatively impacted HIV programs through interruptions, transitional funding not covering new patients, and stock outs. 3) Engagement with civil society has been dismantled. 4) Transparency and accountability are needed. 5) The focus on high impact countries leaves some behind. 6) The demand-driven model is in peril. She emphasizes the critical role of civil society and that the Global Fund's success relies on inclusion of communities.
This is an outline paper which summarises work done for the Association of Directors of Public Health on the Public Health contribution to health and social care integration
Universal health coverage (UHC)—ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health services when needed—can be a vehicle for improved equity, health, financial well-being, and economic development. In its 2013 report, Global Health 2035, the Commission on Investing in Health (CIH) made the case that progressive (“pro-poor”) pathways towards UHC, which target the poor from the outset, are the most efficient way to achieve both improved health outcomes and increased financial protection (FP). Countries worldwide are now embarking on health system changes to move closer to achieving UHC, often with a clear pro-poor intent. While they can draw on guidance related to the technical aspects of UHC (the “what” of UHC), such as on service package design, there is less information on the “how” of UHC—that is, on how to maximize the chances of successful implementation.
Motivated by a shared interest in helping to close this information gap, a diverse international group of 21 practitioners and academics, including ministry of health officials and representatives of global health agencies and foundations, convened at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center for a three-day workshop from July 7–9, 2015. The participants shared their experiences of implementing UHC and discussed the limited evidence on how to implement UHC, focusing on a set of seven key “how” questions from across five domains of UHC.
How global goals for sustainable development workDemocracy Club
This paper asks whether a set of global goals would be an effective tool for changing global behaviour towards meeting the requirements of sustainable development.
With the next round of planning for what follows the MDGs under way, this paper considers both sides of the argument. It concludes that the discursive, realm-of-possibility setting nature of global goals should not be underestimated.
The document summarizes insights from multiple expert discussions around the world on the future of philanthropy. It identifies three main drivers that will shape philanthropy over the next decade: power, knowledge, and trust. Power will be more fluid as new groups gain influence. Knowledge and data-driven approaches will increase but emotional giving will still be important. Trust must be built through integrity, reliability, and competence. Digital technology and long-term collaboration are seen as ways to create more impact.
Future of Healthcare Provision Jan 2017Future Agenda
Building on insights from our 2015 future of health discussions, this is a new initial view on how healthcare provision may change, especially given emerging opportunities for improved patient engagement. As well as insights from discussions in India, UK, Canada, Singapore and the US it also includes other additional perspectives shared in interviews and workshops over the past 12 months.
We recognise that given the multi-factored nature of this topic and the rapid emergence of new options, what we have summarised in this document is itself in flux. As such, over the next few months we will be sharing this more widely for additional feedback ahead of publication of an updated paper over the summer. So, if you have any comments on changes and additions or issues that you think need more detail, please let us know and we will include.
As with all Future Agenda output, this is being published under creative commons (share alike non commercial) so you are free to share and quote as suits.
The document discusses the upcoming UN agreement on a new post-2015 development agenda to replace the MDGs. It will cover sustainable development, poverty eradication, inequality reduction, and environmental challenges. The 17 proposed SDGs are presented. The UN will support implementation through its MAPS strategy of mainstreaming the agenda nationally, accelerating progress, and providing policy support. Means of implementation like financing will be critical to discuss at the upcoming Financing for Development conference. Civil society has an important role to play in supporting governments' implementation efforts.
Persons with disabilities are affected differently by their gender, as disabilities impact women more than men due to social and cultural roles. Discriminatory cultural practices regarding property inheritance and ownership adversely affect women with disabilities' livelihoods more than men. Inadequate programs that do not focus enough on the specific needs of women with disabilities during service delivery make it difficult for them to access healthcare, education, and other services. A lack of public awareness and negative attitudes along with an absence of gender-specific programs remain challenges for women with disabilities.
Education, rehabilitation, livelihood and after care of persons with disabili...Nusrat Zerin
The document discusses education, rehabilitation, livelihood, and aftercare programs for people with disabilities. It describes several approaches to education for children with disabilities, including special education in separate schools/classes, integrated education in mainstream schools with accommodations, and inclusive education in regular schools. It also outlines rehabilitation strategies like community-based rehabilitation, institution-based rehabilitation, and outreach services. Vocational training and livelihood opportunities in rural and urban areas are discussed. The importance of aftercare services like follow-ups, counseling, assistive devices, and home/workplace modifications is highlighted.
Modification of curriculum for visually impared studentsNusrat Zerin
The document discusses modifying curriculum for visually impaired students. A curriculum is designed to prepare students for adult life by teaching necessary skills and knowledge as determined by society. For visually impaired students, a "plus curriculum" is recommended in addition to the standard curriculum to help develop compensatory skills like Braille, orientation and mobility, daily living skills, and social skills. The expanded core curriculum for visually impaired students also includes independent living, recreation, self-determination, sensory efficiency, career education, assistive technology skills, and visual efficiency skills. Co-curricular activities that can be included are sports, cultural activities, physical education, and participation in student groups.
Children can be born with chromosomal abnormalities where they have an irregular number of chromosomes or where chromosomes have irregular structures. Down syndrome occurs when a child has an extra chromosome 21 and results in physical characteristics like a protruding tongue and mental retardation ranging from mild to severe. Klinefelter syndrome only affects boys who have one X and two Y chromosomes, and results in long legs, breast growth and sterility. Turner syndrome only affects girls who are missing a second sex chromosome, leading to broad chests, short stature and lack of sexual development.
Test of distance vision, near vision visual field bs edNusrat Zerin
Presentation on Test of distance vision, near vision and visual field for Bachelor of Special Education (BSEd), Education for visually impaired course, Bangladesh Institute of Special Education
Bangladesh
Presentation on different common eye diseases for Bachelor of Special Education (BSEd), Education for visually impaired course, Bangladesh Institute of Special Education
Bangladesh
This document summarizes a participatory research project in Bangladesh that gathered stories from persons with disabilities and older people about their experiences of social, political, and economic exclusion. 18 peer researchers, including persons with disabilities, family members of persons with disabilities, and older people themselves, collected stories from their communities in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar. They identified 13 priority issues faced by persons with disabilities and older people based on these stories: accidents and risks, access to education, livelihoods, medical treatment, family support, exclusion and mistreatment, superstition, access to services, mobility, marriage, land, rape and sexual abuse, and the role of grassroots organizations. The peer researchers enjoyed participating in the research and
18940_Insight-plus-towards-inclusive-education_Nusrat Zerin write up on BrailleNusrat Zerin
This document summarizes Sightsavers' work promoting inclusive education for visually impaired children in Belize. Key points:
1) Sightsavers' partner BCVI takes a "life cycle approach" to ensure visually impaired people of all ages can access services and live independently.
2) BCVI works to identify visually impaired children early through eye clinics and schools to provide early stimulation and support mainstream education inclusion.
3) BCVI's early stimulation program prepares young visually impaired children for school through activities at home and summer camps to build skills like Braille.
4) With BCVI's support, all visually impaired children in Belize are now identified and placed in mainstream primary schools with individualized
Braille Champions_Inclusive and Community Development_Nusrat ZerinNusrat Zerin
The document describes Sightsavers Bangladesh's approach of utilizing "Braille champions" to support children with visual impairments through inclusive and community development. Braille champions are community members trained in Braille who support visually impaired children in learning Braille. Sightsavers trained community members, including other visually impaired individuals and family members of visually impaired children, in basic Braille skills. These trained individuals now provide Braille instruction to children in their communities. This approach aims to increase community involvement and support for inclusive education of visually impaired children.
Teachers competencies _article at Unnayan Onneshan JournalNusrat Zerin
The document discusses the politics, economy, and culture of education through several brief theses. It argues that education functions as a commodity in the labor market, as an ideology to promote certain beliefs, and as a tool of dominance and hegemony. It states that the current social and economic systems, as well as definitions of modernity, are based on the system of education. Additionally, education determines one's social status and creates elites and outcasts. The author questions whether education is truly beneficial and who established the transactional system of education. Overall, the document critically examines the role and impacts of education in society.
Anatomy of Eye, How we see & eye problemsNusrat Zerin
The document summarizes the anatomy of the eye and common vision problems. It describes the three layers of the eye - sclera, choroid, and retina. It lists 13 key components of the eye including the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, and optic nerve. It explains how we see through the refraction of light by the cornea and lens onto the retina, and the transmission of signals via the optic nerve to the brain. Finally, it outlines several common vision problems like myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism caused by refractive errors, and discusses causes of vision loss like disease, accidents, and types of vision impairment.
AHMR is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed online journal created to encourage and facilitate the study of all aspects (socio-economic, political, legislative and developmental) of Human Mobility in Africa. Through the publication of original research, policy discussions and evidence research papers AHMR provides a comprehensive forum devoted exclusively to the analysis of contemporaneous trends, migration patterns and some of the most important migration-related issues.
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Combined Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Vessel List.Christina Parmionova
The best available, up-to-date information on all fishing and related vessels that appear on the illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing vessel lists published by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and related organisations. The aim of the site is to improve the effectiveness of the original IUU lists as a tool for a wide variety of stakeholders to better understand and combat illegal fishing and broader fisheries crime.
To date, the following regional organisations maintain or share lists of vessels that have been found to carry out or support IUU fishing within their own or adjacent convention areas and/or species of competence:
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO)
North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)
South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO)
South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)
Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)
The Combined IUU Fishing Vessel List merges all these sources into one list that provides a single reference point to identify whether a vessel is currently IUU listed. Vessels that have been IUU listed in the past and subsequently delisted (for example because of a change in ownership, or because the vessel is no longer in service) are also retained on the site, so that the site contains a full historic record of IUU listed fishing vessels.
Unlike the IUU lists published on individual RFMO websites, which may update vessel details infrequently or not at all, the Combined IUU Fishing Vessel List is kept up to date with the best available information regarding changes to vessel identity, flag state, ownership, location, and operations.
The Antyodaya Saral Haryana Portal is a pioneering initiative by the Government of Haryana aimed at providing citizens with seamless access to a wide range of government services
Contributi dei parlamentari del PD - Contributi L. 3/2019Partito democratico
DI SEGUITO SONO PUBBLICATI, AI SENSI DELL'ART. 11 DELLA LEGGE N. 3/2019, GLI IMPORTI RICEVUTI DALL'ENTRATA IN VIGORE DELLA SUDDETTA NORMA (31/01/2019) E FINO AL MESE SOLARE ANTECEDENTE QUELLO DELLA PUBBLICAZIONE SUL PRESENTE SITO
2. www.sightsavers.org
Front cover photo:
Motitram Meghwal earns his living
making rope in Rajasthan, India
Contents
Foreword 2
Dominic Haslam
The post-2015 agenda or how to make it big
in international aid 4
Dominic Haslam
Amplifying the voices of people with disabilities:
Sightsavers’ engagement with the post-2015
process at country level 7
Virginia Kamowa
Positioning disability in the centre stage of inequality:
a southern perspective to post-2015 12
Akbar Mehfuz Alam, Sudipta Mohanty
Health in the post-2015 agenda 17
Juliet Milgate
Liberia: a politics of hope 21
Adoley Sonii, Reverend Fallah S. Boima
Voices of the Marginalised: the use of participatory
action research to influence the post-2015 discussions 25
Marion Steff, Nusrat Zerin, Jahangir Alam
Post-2015: lessons from our engagement 28
Juliet Milgate
3. Page 1
From the editor
Claire Jago, Learning Support Officer
Welcome to the seventh
issue of Insight Plus,
Sightsavers’ bi-annual
learning review.
Working with partners across Africa, Asia and the
Caribbean, Sightsavers’ aim is to eliminate avoidable
blindness and promote equality of opportunity for
people with disabilities. This series collates learning and
best practice from across our programmes, with each
issue focusing on a different thematic area.
In this issue, we take a look at the Millennium
Development Goals or, more specifically, what will
happen when they expire in 2015 and are replaced with
a new global development framework. Sightsavers has
been actively engaging with the post-2015 agenda at
various levels, advocating for a framework that supports
our ultimate aims of universal availability of quality eye
health and full inclusion of people with disabilities.
The articles in this journal demonstrate the breadth
and depth of our engagement, from a national to an
international level, looking at the lessons we have learnt
so far.
I hope you find Insight Plus useful, and welcome your
comments and suggestions. Please send your feedback
to learning@sightsavers.org
Sightsavers
Grosvenor Hall
Bolnore Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 4BX
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1444 446600
Fax: +44 (0) 1444 446688
www.sightsavers.org
Copyright
Any Insight Plus material may be
freely reproduced, provided that
acknowledgement is given to
Sightsavers as the author.
ISSN 2044-4338
5. Page 3
session on the Millennium Development Goals
in September, I really welcome the timing of
this edition of Insight Plus.
I hope that through the articles included,
people from across Sightsavers will be able
to see the relevance of working on this key
international development framework, and
understand the importance of having our voice,
and the voices of those we work for, heard in
the process and reflected in the outcomes.
Simply put, our organisational strategy is to
demonstrate to governments, individuals and
other stakeholder organisations both why and
how our ultimate aims of universal availability
of quality eye health and inclusion of people
with disabilities can be achieved.
I cannot imagine any single more powerful
statement of this, than a future global
development framework which is inclusive of
people with disabilities and which commits
all UN member states to realise the Right
to Health, including eye health, within a set
timeframe, in all countries.
I hope the articles within this edition of Insight
Plus demonstrate that we can and are having
an impact on this agenda. There is still much
more to do to achieve our aims and I look
forward to working with all of you to make
this happen.
“I hope that people will be able to see the
relevance of working on this key international
development framework, and the importance
of having our voice, and the voices of those we
work for, heard”
6. www.sightsavers.orgPage 4
Forgive me if I start this article about the
future with a quick return to the past, but any
discussion about what happens when the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire
in 2015 has to start with a quick recap on what
the MDGs themselves are, how they came
about and what they’ve achieved. There’s a lot
of material out there on that, written by people
who were far more involved at the time and
know more about it than I do, so this will be
relatively brief, but I hope useful.
Bluntly put, although the impetus came from
the highly acclaimed and very politically
participatory Millennium Declaration, the MDG
framework itself – which includes eight goals,
18 targets and 48 indicators – was put together
in windowless rooms, by United Nations
officials and technocrats. If the simplicity and
focus of the framework isn’t evidence enough
of this fact, it’s also the opinion of one of the
framework’s creators, Mark Malloch-Brown.
This is important to know, as it partly explains
the strengths of the framework; crucially,
galvanising political will, but also providing
focus, measurability of progress and wider
communicability. A neat framework allowing
for these things is far easier to achieve with
a limited number of people involved, even if
they’re working within a structure as complex
as the UN. However, this process and the
framework’s neat structure have also attracted
wide-ranging criticism: that the MDGs are too
narrow; that critical areas were missed; that
it only focuses on things that can be easily
measured and not enough of the right systems
were put in place to measure progress,
including in reducing inequality; that it has had
very little transformational or structural impact
in terms of access by poor people to power, or
in terms of a reduction in global inequalities;
and finally and most simply, that most of the
MDGs are seriously off-track and progress
against these goals still needs to be achieved.
There are many criticisms beyond this, one of
the most interesting being that the funds spent
by aid donors on health areas such as malaria
and HIV/AIDS actually partially replaced
money that national governments in “recipient
countries” would have spent anyway. But I’d
need another article to outline all the criticisms
and frankly, others have already done this. Two
that are very relevant to Sightsavers and our
mission are:
1) The framework had a significant focus on
health; three of the eight current goals are
health-related. However, those three goals
had too much of a focus on mortality-
related specific health issues (maternal and
infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB)
and too little on either morbidity-related
health care or on health systems which
would deliver a wide range of services
(including eye health).
In fact, one argument is that, at least initially,
damage was done to health systems by
the focus on HIV/AIDS and other MDG-
related programmes, as it skewed available
resources to these diseases and away from
other activities. So nurses received better
pay if working on HIV/AIDS programmes,
drugs supply systems were swamped by
supplies for these diseases, and community
health workers focused entirely on those
programmes as they were the only
conditions they had the supplies to treat.
This is definitely less the case now and the
HIV/AIDS community is now often used as
an example of how to operate a vertical
programme in a health-system supporting
or health-system strengthening way.
Nevertheless it’s important to remember
that focusing on one narrow, specific
issue can be detrimental to a system as a
whole; this is why Sightsavers isn’t calling
for a goal on eye health, but will be calling
for a goal which supports health systems,
potentially with one measure of the quality
of that health system being the availability of
affordable and accessible eye care.
2) The second criticism of specific
relevance is that many of the goals had
targets expressed as percentages of
overall populations, for example MDG 1
“eradicating extreme poverty and hunger”.
Target 1A under this goal is to “halve the
proportion of people whose income is less
The post-2015 agenda or how to
make it big in international aid
Dominic Haslam, Director of Policy and Strategic Programme Support
7. Page 5
than $1.25 a day”. We can argue another
time about the definition of poverty and
whether the $1.25 dollar a day definition is
almost too narrow. However, the point here
is that the language is important. In order
to halve, reduce or increase anything, doing
the easiest things first and working your
way to the hardest may look like the logical
place to start. To give an example, imagine
you are a runner who lives on a hill. You
normally run up the hill and walk back down,
but you can only run 3k as a result. If your
aim changes and you now want to run 5k,
the logical thing to do is to start by running
down the hill instead and then walking back
up once you’ve run your 5k. You’ve met your
aim, but by doing so you’ve probably only
marginally improved your fitness.
The same thing happened with the MDGs.
As they didn’t specifically state targets for
reaching the poorest or most marginalised,
alongside aggregate achievements, many
programmes made progress by helping
those already close to achieving the goals.
This was not necessarily by design, but
simply because the most marginalised don’t
access programmes by definition; they are
marginalised. So any programme which
doesn’t address their specific needs will, by
default, end up helping those already better
off. Clearly, people living on $1.20 a day
should be helped to increase income, that’s
not the point, but if you only help those on
$1.20 you will miss the poorest.
Why is this relevant to Sightsavers?
Because, as we know, people with
disabilities are one of the more marginalised
groups in all societies. Without goals or
targets on their inclusion present in the
MDG framework, they have missed out on
much of the progress made by other groups
within the same communities. Evidence
often cited is that having a disability still
makes you twice as likely to never go to
school. Contrast that with girl children, who
during the MDG period have significantly
increased their access to primary education
in many countries. Again, that is crucial
and must continue, particularly in those
countries where gender inequality in primary
education is still a key issue. But it is unfair
that girls and boys with disabilities continue
to miss out on perhaps their only chance
at even a basic education, and that people
with disabilities continue to have less access
to jobs, earn less when they do work, are
excluded from health services and so on,
across the entire MDG framework.
This is why Sightsavers will support calls for
a framework which specifically includes a
reduction in inequality, based on the clear
evidence that greater inequality reduces
growth, creates social and political conflict
and clearly has direct impacts on those who
miss out. But we’ll also be directly calling
for data collected for reporting progress
within each goal to be disaggregated by
disability and age group, in addition to
gender. Indicators under each goal will
include measuring how these groups were
included in progress against the targets, in
addition to numbers benefitting in total. And
each goal should have a target to reduce
inequality and improve access for these
groups, across the life of the goal. Progress
or success in meeting goals can only be
claimed if both absolute numbers improve
and the relative share of marginalised
groups also improves.
Criticisms aside, few people really doubt that
the framework has led to improved results
and increased spend in some policy areas,
although the amounts are disputed. In many
donor countries, it has also undoubtedly
galvanised political and public support for
some areas of the development agenda
and has been a useful communication tool.
It has also informed the focus of national
and sectoral development plans in many
developing countries; some would say to
the detriment of more holistic development
processes, although I’d argue that it isn’t a fault
of having a framework, it’s a fault of having too
narrow an agenda within that framework (for
example, having a disease rather than a health
systems focus).
All of which hopefully makes it clear that having
Sightsavers’ issues included within a future
framework, after 2015, could play a major
role in the delivery of our strategy. I’ve also
hopefully laid out what it is that we hope to
achieve. As I said in the foreword, we’ve been
working on this for a year so far, so I’ll finish
this article by talking a bit about what we have
achieved so far and where next.
The first thing to say is that the process this
time, at least to this point, looks very different.
The UN has promised and is delivering a
wide range of opportunities to engage and
submit opinions, evidence and content into
its Task Team; the team of UN staff with the
8. www.sightsavers.orgPage 6
huge task of supporting the development of
the new framework between now and 2015.
These have included among other things:
thematic consultations, opinion polls, national
consultations across the globe, and civil
society, academic and private sector inputs
into the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons
(HLP), set up by the UN Secretary General to
discuss, debate and deliver a report on the
post-2015 framework to the next UN General
Assembly in September.
Discussions will then follow between member
states, using the HLP report as a starting point,
but also going far beyond that. It’s expected
this will be done through a mechanism called
the Open Working Group, which consists
of 90 member states, chaired by Kenya and
Hungary, and which has the remit to discuss
and hopefully merge the MDGs’ successor
framework with the Sustainable Development
Goals which came out of the Rio plus 20
environmental process. The Open Working
Group will be supported by the UN Task Team
so many of the same people will continue to
be involved, although the HLP’s work will be
completed. We will need to work differently in
this phase, as much on a country by country
level as internationally.
So with all this complexity and politics, what
have we achieved so far? We’ve certainly
put a lot of effort in, feeding into many of
the thematic consultations and facilitating
partners in taking part in some of the national
consultations, with many of our country offices
playing a leading role in this. We are also
heavily involved in the global Beyond 2015
campaign, where I sit on the international
executive committee, and which gives us
improved access to the HLP (including
the London, Monrovia and Bali meetings,
in which we played direct roles, as well as
supporting partners to actively contribute).
Within these processes, we have so far
made good progress in ensuring disability
is on the agenda, with evidence that the UK
government is now convinced data should be
disaggregated by gender, age and disability,
among other variables, but with disability
third in the list; a good place to be. The UK
government is key at present as the UK Prime
Minister is currently one of three co-chairs of
the HLP.
We have also been influencing the debate in
the media, with a number of blogs placed in a
range of well-read online media on issues such
as inequality, health, participation, disability
and education. We are also participating
strongly in the health network Action for
Global Health, which is a leading civil society
voice in the health sector, and are working
closely with others to ensure an appropriate
overall health goal replaces the current three
goals. It’s probably fair to say that securing
an indicator which specifically mentions
eye health is a work in progress, but we are
currently developing a comprehensive position
on health within the post-2015 context and this
will be a significant step forwards, putting us in
a better position to successfully advocate for
our position.
So good progress made so far. But we’ve had
this sort of progress before and will continue
to keep the pressure on to ensure words are
kept and that the final framework will reflect
the aims I’ve outlined above…
…And then of course, the work begins again;
to ensure the goals are built into international
structures and processes and national
development plans, that the right resources
are made available and that planned changes
actually happen. A long road, but one I look
forward to us taking over the next 15 years!
9. Page 7
Introduction
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
represent a concerted effort to address global
poverty and some notable progress has been
made since they were developed in 2000. Yet,
it is common knowledge that a key weakness
with the current MDGs has been a comparative
failure to reach specific vulnerable groups,
including people with disabilities. As noted by
the United Nations Report, “the most pressing
issue faced by persons with disabilities is not
their specific disability, but rather their lack of
equitable access to resources and services
such as education, employment, health
care and social and legal support systems”1
.
This exclusion has resulted in people with
disabilities having disproportionately high
levels of poverty2
.
The new post-2015 development framework
is an opportunity to avoid a repeat of the
failures of the current MDGs, and our aim at
Sightsavers is to see a post-2015 process that
tackles inequality and is inclusive of the world’s
one billion disabled people. The UN Secretary
General has stipulated that “the post-2015
development framework is likely to have best
development impact if it emerges from an
inclusive, open and transparent process with
multi-stakeholder participation.”3
Sightsavers
has taken this opportunity of the UN’s
commitment to an inclusive post-2015 process
to ensure the voices of our partners, especially
blind and disabled peoples’ organisations
(BPOs and DPOs), are articulated in the
process. Our engagement with the process
has transcended the international to the
national level. This is crucial as it is at the
national level where we have links with the
DPOs and BPOs whose voices we would like to
see articulated in the post-2015 process.
As an organisation, our messages are the
same at the international, regional and national
levels. We believe it is time to ensure that
people with disabilities are specifically included
in the process and outcomes of the post-2015
agenda. Our recommendations are that the
post-2015 process and framework should:
v
Ensure the full and equal participation of
people with disabilities.
v
Promote disability-inclusive development by
ensuring disability is a cross-cutting theme
in all development goals. There should be
disability, age, and gender-specific targets
and indicators of progress for each goal and
data should be disaggregated in the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of programmes.
v
Ensure a clear focus on equality, equity
and non-discrimination, drawing on the
fundamental values of the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
v
Ensure the most excluded children,
including those with disabilities, are given a
quality education.
v
Build on the progress made in the current
MDGs by including at least one goal on
health. The health goal should create
opportunities to ensure the improvement
of people’s health, promote health
equity through universal health coverage,
strengthen health systems, include NTDs
and address the social determinants of
health.
Amplifying the voices of people
with disabilities: Sightsavers’
engagement with the post-2015
process at country level
Virginia Kamowa, Global Advocacy Coordinator
1
United Nations (2011), Disability and the Millennium Development Goals: A Review of the MDG Process and
Strategies for Inclusion of Disability Issues in Millennium Development Goal Efforts.
2
Ibid.
3
United Nations Secretary General’s Annual Report (2011), Accelerating progress towards the Millennium
Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations
development agenda beyond 2015.
11. Page 9
Involvement with the UN-led post-2015
country consultations
The UN-led post-2015 country consultations
aimed to bring out the voice of civil society on
what they felt should follow the current MDGs.
Sightsavers worked to ensure that our BPO
and DPO partners were part of this process.
However, we realised that, in order for us and
our partners to effectively engage, we needed
to be clear about the process and how we
can influence it. Hence, an advocacy toolkit
was developed to guide our involvement at
country level. Some representatives of country
and regional teams (South Asia, Pakistan,
Malawi and Cameroon) provided input to the
development of this tool in an effort to ensure
that it is user friendly and practical.5
In order to register meaningful participation
in the country consultations, well thought
through preparations were nessesary. Through
our interactions with partners at the country
level, we discovered that many were not well
informed about the post-2015 process, let
alone impending country consultations and
how they could influence them. Therefore, one
of the main ways in which we engaged with the
process in some countries, for example Malawi
and Kenya, was to mobilise our DPO and BPO
partners to provide the required information
as well as prepare for engagement with the
process. It is for this reason that Sightsavers
organised and facilitated pre-consultation
workshops. These workshops were deemed
very useful and not only informed partners
about the process, but allowed partners with
diverse voices to reach some kind of common
understanding about key issues for influence.
The ultimate aim of our engagement with
country consultation processes is to see our
priorities specifically included in consultation
outcomes and the overall post-2015 agenda.
As these processes are currently continuing,
we do not yet know if we have achieved this
aim. However, even at this stage, Sightsavers
and our partners at country level are delighted
that we have managed to engage with this
important development process and had a
chance to articulate our priorities.
Thematic consultations
As disability is a cross-cutting issue, we
have ensured that we introduce it in all
relevant post-2015 thematic consultations,
including those on inequality, education
and health. Country representatives have
contributed to Sightsavers’ global responses
and contributions to thematic consultations.
Additionally there have been instances where
country teams have directly engaged with
thematic consultations taking place in their
own countries and beyond.
For example, in December 2012, Sightsavers’
Tanzania country office participated in a
civil society stakeholder health consultation
organised by Action for Global Health, which
was part of the UN thematic consultation
on post-MDGs. At the end of the workshop,
Sightsavers’ asks on health and disabilities
formed part of the priority list of issues to
be considered in the post-2015 agenda. A
Sightsavers representative was also featured
in the workshop output video clip, articulating
Sightsavers’ priorities for the agenda. The
workshop outcomes fed into the High
Level Dialogue on Health in the Post-2015
Development Agenda in Botswana (March
2013), which brought together high level
participants including Ministers of Health;
members of the High Level Panel of Eminent
Persons and their representatives; heads of
international organisations; representatives
from civil society and the private sector;
academics; public health experts; and youth.
In turn the outcomes of this meeting informed
the final report of the Health Thematic
Consultations.
Engagement with internal Sightsavers
working groups
It is our desire that all advocacy work
undertaken across the organisation is joined
up and contributes to achieving our overall
advocacy objectives. The post-2015 influencing
work is no exception; our national and sub-
national level experiences inform our advocacy
work at regional and international levels.
Hence, we ensure that we involve country
teams in international advocacy initiatives. Our
working groups on post-2015 influencing have
representation from country teams and their
engagement has been a valuable contribution
in framing our post-2015 influencing messages
and strategies.
A specific country engagement working group
was created to help spearhead Sightsavers’
country engagement with the post-2015
process. This group is instrumental in ensuring
5
The advocacy toolkit is an internal Sightsavers guide to help country teams efficiently engage with the UN process
on the post 2015 agenda through mobilising and coordinating BPOs/DPOs, like-minded organisations and other
partners and stakeholders’ input into the process.
12. www.sightsavers.orgPage 10
that country offices are actively involved with
the post-2015 process, but also that they have
the right guidelines and tools to advocate with.
Countries representatives from Kenya, Malawi,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon and Sri Lanka
have been actively involved in ensuring the
group’s objectives are effectively met.
It is through this group that Sightsavers’
international level initiatives and all relevant
information has been disseminated to the
country level. This is also the group behind
the development of Sightsavers’ advocacy
tool (described above) to guide country
engagement with the post-2015 process.6
Engaging with the High Level Panel
The UN Secretary General appointed a High
Level Panel of Eminent Persons to advise on
the global development agenda beyond 2015.
In line with the UN’s quest for a transparent
and inclusive post-2015 process, the HLP has
held three consultation meetings with various
stakeholders in London (November 2012),
Monrovia (January 2013) and Bali (March
2013). At the international level, Sightsavers
engaged with all these processes to ensure
our priorities are articulated and included. At
the national level, our Liberia country office and
partners engaged directly with the Monrovia
HLP meeting. Sightavers’ Liberia Country
Director and the President of the National
Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD)
participated in civil society consultation
sessions as well as engaging directly with HLP
members. They engaged with the specific
ageing and disability roundtable which was
an opportunity to share post-2015 aspirations
directly with HLP members. It was because
of these engagements and deliberations
(by Sightsavers and others) that some HLP
members, including President Johnson
Sirleaf of Liberia (HLP co-chair), specifically
mentioned disability as an important issue to
focus on in the post-2015 process.
Prior to the HLP consultations in Liberia,
Sightsavers, together with the National
Commission of Disability (NCD) and NUOD,
organised regional and national pre-
consultation workshops in the country. The
aim was to mobilise the disability fraternity
in Liberia to ensure that their voices are
brought to the HLP and that they are included
in shaping the post-2015 agenda. The pre-
consultation outcomes were collated into a
one pager of aspirations, which were fed into
the Monrovia HLP process by the two disability
representatives involved with the deliberations.7
The pre-consultation workshops provided
a rare opportunity for DPOs and BPOs to
deliberate on the future they want. However,
as workshops such as this occur so seldom,
they came with their own complexities. As
would be expected, DPOs and BPOs are not
homogenous, but diverse organisations with
varying and competing needs. This created
some tensions among the DPOs and BPOs
themselves during the deliberations and
Sightsavers, together with NCD and NUOD,
played an additional role of promoting
dialogue and coherence among the individuals
and organisations. It was clear during the
deliberations that some sort of unity is
important if DPOs are to effectively influence
the process.
Lessons learnt and challenges
Access to processes by the most
excluded
Despite the intention by the UN to open up the
post-2015 consultation process, the reality is
that there is still a high likelihood of exclusion
of the most marginalised and excluded
groups, including people with disabilities. For
instance, the post-2015 process, including the
HLPs, has been very fast paced. Information
about what is happening, and when and how
one can engage, has come out mostly at the
last minute making it very difficult for all to
engage as expected. If the processes have
been difficult to reach by individuals with
connections to international organisations and
offices fitted with unlimited internet access and
phones, what about those individuals coming
from the least developed parts of the world
with no access to modern technology? In other
words, even though efforts have been made to
make the process accessible by all, including
the poorest, the same process has fallen short
of employing mechanisms to ensure that it is
inclusive enough. I would therefore hope that,
going forward, measures will be put in place
to ensure a more inclusive and accessible
process. On our part, we have to be proactive
to ensure that we utilise all influencing
6
If you would like a copy of the Sightsavers advocacy tool, please contact vkamowa@sightsavers.org
7
Sightsavers supported the President of NUOD to participate in the Liberia HLP deliberations including being
represented on the Disability and Ageing roundtable.
13. Page 11
opportunities available and also create spaces
for our partners to engage.
Information
Information about the post-2015 process
is vital if one is to engage with the process
and influence effectively. However, different
DPO/BPO partners, as well as country
teams, are at different levels in terms of their
knowledge about the process. It is for this
reason that Sightsavers at the international
level has provided information about relevant
consultations and processes to its country
teams, who have in turn been instrumental in
ensuring that this is shared with partners. For
example, it was discovered during the pre-HLP
disability consultation workshops in Liberia,
that most partners would have been in the
dark about the process had it not been for the
information provided by Sightsavers. It is very
important, therefore, for Sightsavers, and all
other organisations with easier access to the
post-2015 process, to disseminate information
in accessible formats to as many partners as
possible.
Facilitation and coordination skills
DPOs and BPOs are not homogenous, but
diverse organisations with varying needs.
Therefore, precautions must be taken during
consultation workshops and deliberations to
ensure that diversity does not lead to conflict.
Through our engagements at country level,
we have learnt that good facilitation skills and
allowing enough time for deliberations have
helped to contain conflict and competition
among partners.
Steps forward and steps back
Our experience has taught us that the post-
2015 process has comprised of taking steps
forward and then steps back. The process has
allowed us and our DPO and BPO partners
to articulate our point of view and it has also
been very pleasing that, on many occasions,
individual members of the HLP have
mentioned disability as an issue that requires
specific focus in the post-2015 agenda.
However, these outcomes in themselves are
not enough; our main goal is to see a post-
2015 framework that includes our priorities. It
has therefore been disappointing, for example,
to see the HLP communiques from both
Monrovia and Bali exclude disability, despite
promises made. Going forward, our quest for
a disability inclusive post-2015 framework will
continue and we will proactively question any
lack of inclusion of our priorities at all levels of
the process.
Conclusion
Country engagement with the post-2015
process is very important for us. It is at the
country level where we have links with the
very people whose inclusion in the post-2015
development agenda we so much aspire
to. So far, we have made some positive
strides, but still there is more work to be
done to ensure that disability voices from
the grassroots are included in the post-2015
agenda. Opportunities are still available for
our country teams and partners to continue
influencing the process. At the international
level, the Conference of States Parties (taking
place in July 2013), the UN High Level Meeting
on Disability and Development, the UN MDG
review meeting, and the UN General Assembly
(all taking place in September 2013) are all
post-2015 processes that we are striving to
influence. The UN General Assembly is when
the UN Secretary General will present his
report on the post-2015 development agenda,
with recommendations for what the framework
should look like. Thereafter, inter-governmental
post-2015 processes will start. Our country
level engagement at this stage will be very
significant if we are to ensure explicit inclusion
of the voices of people with disabilities. As an
organisation, we will not rest until the post-
2015 framework includes priorities of people
with disabilities that will be implementable and
measured through disaggregated data.
15. Page 13
are demanding their participation and
ownership as key non-negotiable points in
this process. The UN has launched a number
of strategic initiatives to enable wide reaching
consultations on the post-2015 agenda and
CSOs around the globe are forming networks
and alliances in order to engage with these
processes and campaign for the inclusion of
their respective development priorities.
This article will explore the ‘southern
perspective’ further and look specifically at
how Sightsavers’ India offices have engaged
fully with the post-2015 discourse across its
length and breadth. Working closely with
national and international organisations, civil
society alliances, blind and disabled people’s
organisations (BPOs/DPOs) and partners,
we are seeking to highlight the issues facing
people with disabilities and place them at
the centre of the inequality agenda, which is
recognised not only in India, but throughout
countries in the south.
The rise of the south and its
influence on post-2015
The recent economic fallout in the north and
the simultaneous economic emergence of the
south has created a new global dividend in
terms of power and influence in the southern
world. The southern country groups like
BRICS1
and SAARC2
are expected to play
a major role in the next world development
framework, as these countries are not only
host to large world populations, but represent
areas of significant global poverty and
inequality. For example, of the total number
of people with disabilities in the world, 80
percent live in developing countries. Therefore,
unlike the current MDGs which were mostly
influenced by the global north, the global south
is emerging as a strong force to claim their
potential stake in the development of the post-
MDG framework.
Voices from India; a southern
perspective on inequality
In the southern world, the post-2015 discourse
is quickly gaining momentum and this is
particularly true in India, due to its strong civil
society organisations and networks working
on development issues. India has a population
of more than a billion people, including 70
million people with disabilities (based on
the projections made by many international
agencies like the World Bank3
, the World
Health Organization and the UN4
). It is also
host to one third of the world’s poor people
amidst half of the world’s dollar billionaires.
This growing inequality in the country is
recognised as a major barrier to progress
on the MDGs and has been given special
importance in the post-2015 dialogue in India.
A civil society consultation, held in New
Delhi in December 2012, strongly voiced the
inequalities faced by poor people, including
people with disabilities, older people,
indigenous people, women and girls. It
concluded that inequality is the biggest hurdle
to poverty reduction and recognised poverty
and inequality as top agenda priorities for civil
society engagement in post-2015. There was
demand that the experiences and expectations
of communities themselves should inform
the post-2015 process, so that a pro-poor
development architecture is built, whereby all
vulnerable groups are given due attention and
it becomes a global responsibility to deal with
issues of inequality. This essentially means
the full participation of community groups and
organisations, the inclusion of their voices and
campaigns, and ultimately their total ownership
of their own development agenda.
Sightsavers’ post-2015
engagement in India
To achieve the aims described above,
Sightsavers has adopted a multilateral
engagement in influencing the post-2015
dialogue in India. At the national level,
Sightsavers has been engaged with leading
CSOs, national level coalitions and other
international agencies working on post-
2015. At the same time, we are also working
with partner organisations and with DPOs
and BPOs across the country to bring the
issues facing people with disabilities to the
forefront of the inequality agenda. In this
context, Sightsavers has adopted the following
key strategies to inform the post-MDG
development processes in the country:
1
BRICS- Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa
2
SAARC- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
3
People with Disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes
4
Fact sheet on persons with disabilities. http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/toolaction/pwdfs.pdf
16. www.sightsavers.orgPage 14
Working with partners
Sightsavers works with approximately 100
NGO partners across India, providing a strong
platform to ensure that disability takes centre
stage in the wider post-2015 discussions.
Partner events have been conducted
to orient partners on the processes for
influencing the post-2015 agenda, and on
how disability can be included in the new
development framework. Partners have also
been involved in the design of strategies
to engage communities and people with
disabilities at the grassroots level, and have
been developed as resource agencies for
other smaller organisations in their area. These
engagements with partners have helped to
mobilise both large and small CSOs on the
importance on highlighting disability and
inequality issues in post-2015 dialogues.
Generating community development
agreements
The hopes and aspirations of communities
and affected groups are always critical to
discussions on inequality. With the support
of partner organisations, community-level
awareness programmes are being undertaken
in Sightsavers’ projects to inform people with
disabilities and the wider community about
post-2015. Campaigns are being organised
at village and block level on the issues of
marginalisation and inequality, with DPOs and
BPOs taking the lead at block and district level.
Their leaders are actively participating in post-
2015 meetings and workshops organised by
other groups and coalitions, with the goal of
mobilising civil society consensus on the key
issues.
Creating a platform for the voices of
inequality
A common platform is essential for any social
movement to showcase its potential and its
collective response to an issue. It is in this
light that Sightsavers, through our partners, is
creating different platforms and opportunities
for post-2015 dialogue and engagement.
At state and regional levels, meetings and
workshops have been organised involving
disabled people’s groups and their leaders.
During these meetings, the DPOs and BPOs
discussed and generated their draft post-2015
development framework resolutions, which
will be collated for presentation to decision-
makers at state and national level meetings on
post-2015.
Undertaking relevant research and
evidence gathering
At the project level, research and evidence is
being generated to substantiate the dialogue
on inequality, with situation analysis reports
and case studies on the inequalities faced
by people with disabilities being developed
to critically inform the post-2015 campaigns.
Media campaigns will also be undertaken to
share this evidence and raise awareness of
the exclusion of people with disabilities in the
current MDGs and the need for their visible
representation in the next world development
goals.
Working with the state actors
Sightsavers is also engaged with key
government players to demand adequate
representation of disability in the post-MDG
development framework. In India, Sightsavers
is working closely with the National Disability
Commissioner, State Disability Commissioners,
the Department of Welfare, the Department
of Disability Affairs and other government
agencies to build a common consensus on
this issue.
Working with national level coalitions
Sightsavers has taken a twin track approach to
working with national coalitions on the post-
2015 agenda. On the one hand, Sightsavers
is part of a coalition formed by national
level organisations working on multilateral
development issues, and on the other, we are
forming an alliance with national level DPOs
and disability rights groups to campaign and
engage with post-2015. Through this strategy,
we aim to not only mainstream the voice of
people with disabilities in the dialogue of wider
development organisations, but also to bring
about a unified and harmonious campaign
within disabled people’s groups.
In addition, Sightsavers is also actively
contributing to national and global level
dialogues on post-MDGs. The civil society
consultation held in New Delhi in December
2012 recognised inequality as a major
cross-cutting issue in development, and this
consultation was followed by an international
meeting in the national capital, which involved
all major UN agencies and international
organisations.
18. www.sightsavers.orgPage 16
The post-2015 chapter in India has called
strongly for what it terms ‘disability inclusive
Sustainable Development Goals’ with clear
targets and accountability mechanisms. Some
of the candidate goals, collated through
various consultations with disabled people’s
groups, are as follows:
By the end of the first quarter of the 21st
century, we will:
Goal 1: eradicate extreme poverty among
people with disabilities and reduce relative
poverty through inclusive growth and
employment
Goal 2: ensure universal access to sustainable
food, water and sanitation for all, including
people with disabilities who are most
neglected
Goal 3: end preventable child and maternal
mortality and provide basic health care for all,
including people with disabilities
Goal 4: ensure children with disabilities
everywhere receive quality education and have
good learning outcomes
Goal 5: ensure responsible and sustainable
business that adequately accounts for people
with disabilities and their representation
Goal 6: ensure that governance is more open,
accountable and inclusive to all, including
people with disabilities
Goal 7: establish effective global partnerships
for responsive and inclusive development
Goal 9: ensure a sustainable, healthy and
resilient environment for all
Goal 10: ensure gender equality with special
attention to women with disabilities and other
vulnerable groups
Conclusion
Within India, and especially within Indian CSOs,
there is a growing consensus that inequality
is the biggest hurdle to poverty elimination,
and that poverty and inequality are the priority
agenda for civil society engagement in post-
2015 dialogues. In the case of people with
disabilities, inequality has the most devastating
consequences as it is rooted in their history
and their political and cultural nomenclature,
which has manifested over the years in
economic deprivation, social exclusion and
isolation. The post-2015 agenda represents
an opportunity to address these injustices,
and vulnerable groups, including people
with disabilities and their representative
organisations, have started collating their
voices and campaigns against inequality.
From the southern perspective, the role of the
state is critical in the delivery of development
goals and, in particular, it is essential that the
state looks after the interests of poor people,
small producers, people with disabilities and
the marginalised. State responsibilities must,
therefore, be well accounted for in the post-
MDG framework, ensuring that the next set of
development goals don’t depend too much on
big corporations, charities, wealthy individuals
or aid agencies.
The post-2015 agenda represents a huge
opportunity to reconfigure the current MDGs
to accommodate and prioritise voices from the
south. This simply means that nobody holds
a ‘remote control’ to guide the next world
development framework, but that everybody
and every nation must be provided with
adequate space and responsibilities to shape
the world they want.
20. www.sightsavers.orgPage 18
of 15 years, and in 2015, they will expire. Broad
international consensus is that they should be
replaced with a new development framework
– but the question is, what should that new
framework look like and what issues should it
address? And so the bargaining begins…
The current process
Although the MDGs targeted health,
development and other policies in developing
countries, they were actually formulated in
2000 with surprisingly little consultation with
developing country governments, let alone
civil society, communities and households,
resulting in a framework that didn’t fully reflect
people’s needs. As a consequence, this time
around, the process is all about consultation
and Sightsavers has been engaged in the
range of processes almost from day one. For
eye health and health, this means participation
in global meetings at the WHO and the health
systems symposium in Beijing last November,
contributing to a range of multilateral
processes, including the UN thematic
consultation on health and the development of
an EU common position on post-2015, as well
as numerous contributions and submissions
of papers to civil society consultations (such
as BOND and Action for Global Health in the
UK, Concord at EU level and Beyond-2015,
the global campaign aimed at influencing the
new framework and civil society meetings). At
country level we’ve supported national-level
participatory processes by providing briefings.
But the reality is that we are only at the
beginning. Between now and 2015 the debate
will continue.
So what is Sightsavers calling
for in this new development
agenda?
The inclusion of health and water, no
less!
Firstly, that there is a clear health goal. That
may sound a little too obvious, but it is by
no means certain that health will feature
prominently in the post-2015 agenda. If we
are to safeguard the eye health and health of
children like Jesse, then health and wellbeing
must be at the heart of any new development
framework. Good health is a pre-condition
for sustainable development, the outcome
of sustainable development and an indicator
of what people-centred, rights-based,
inclusive and equitable development seeks
to achieve. This inclusion of health is closely
and inextricably linked to the need for a goal
on access to water and sanitation. In our
view, we cannot have one without the other.
Evidence suggests that progress on WASH
and other social determinants of health has
been hugely uneven. We are calling for a new
framework that integrates water, sanitation and
hygiene (WASH) and other components of the
social determinants of health (people’s living
conditions including employment, housing and
income) into the health agenda.
Secondly, investment in health systems is
critical. If we are to improve people’s eye
health, secure access to essential, sustainable
NTD interventions, and improve the health and
well-being of all people, including people with
disabilities, then we need effective, functioning
health systems that can deliver quality, safe
and responsive eye health and health services.
The truth is that without urgent improvements
in the performance of health systems, the
current, let alone the next MDGs (or whatever
they’re called), will not be met.
Action to address health inequity
through Universal Health Coverage
Thirdly, we need to address inequities. Health
inequities are those unfair and avoidable
differences in health and health service
provision that arise from socioeconomic
factors, such as level of education, occupation,
and household wealth or income; from
geographical location; and from ethnicity,
gender and disability. This is why Sightsavers is
lobbying for the inclusion of Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) in the new framework. UHC
is a “system in which everyone in a society can
get the health care they need without having
to incur financial hardship2
”. It covers the
range of services available to people, which
from Sightsavers’ perspective must include
access at primary health care level to services
which include eye health care and NTDs; the
coverage of those services, specifically aimed
at targeted populations such as the poorest
and most vulnerable; and social protection,
aimed at protecting people from catastrophic
health expenditure. UHC and the strong health
systems needed to deliver it won’t reduce
health inequities overnight; it is a progressive
2
WHO (2010) World Health Report 2010 Health Systems Financing The Path to Universal Coverage
22. www.sightsavers.orgPage 20
Where are we now?
At the end of April the United Nations
published the outcome of its global
consultation on health4
entitled Health in the
Post-2015 Agenda. Specifically on a health
goal, it recommends that the post-2015 health
agenda should: include specific health-related
targets as part of other development sector
goals; take a holistic, life-course approach
to people’s health; accelerate progress
where MDG targets have not been achieved;
and address the growing burden of non-
communicable diseases (NCDs), mental
illness, and other emerging health challenges.
From Sightsavers’ perspective, this potential
inclusion of NCDs in the post-2015 agenda
could offer us important opportunities for
discussing eye health at national level, not to
mention of course, disability. The paper also
supports the inclusion of UHC and the need to
strengthen health systems, which is positive for
Sightsavers.
The High Level Panel report
In May the High Level Panel of Eminent
Persons published its report on the post-2015
development agenda. The HLP proposed
five ‘transformational shifts’ to drive the post-
2015 agenda. The first of these “leave no
one behind” says that “the next development
agenda must ensure that in the future neither
income nor gender, nor ethnicity, nor disability,
nor geography, will determine whether a
mother can give birth safely, or whether a child
has a fair chance in life”.
The report represents a significant step
forward for the inclusion of disability and
extensively cites people with disabilities, for
example by recognising people with disabilities
at all levels of society and implementing laws
and policies protecting human rights. It also
highlights the importance of data in the new
framework and calls for a data revolution. For
Sightsavers, this point is crucial - if we are
to achieve inclusion and the participation of
people with disabilities in the new development
agenda (be it in eye health or health, education
or social inclusion) then we need effective
ways of measuring and monitoring progress.
Good data is key to this.
However, we were disappointed that the HLP
report did not give health systems and UHC
the prominence they deserve. The fundamental
problem is that quite simply health systems are
just not up to the job of delivering the critical
health interventions that people need. So
while the report has rightly focused on areas
such as NTDs (which we warmly welcomed!),
maternal mortality, under-five mortality and
sexual and reproductive health and rights, it has
failed to make recommendations to improve
the underlying structural and health systems
needed to bring about these changes. It
focuses on targeted interventions rather than an
approach underpinned by UHC that contributes
to building stronger health systems which can in
turn address both morbidity and mortality.
On education, the report’s recommendations
for how education could feature in the post-
2015 framework are weak. Sightsavers would
welcome a universal early childhood target that
takes quality into account. At present, quality
at the primary level only relates to literacy
and numeracy in the report. While literacy
and numeracy are hugely important, such an
approach is too narrow. Problem-solving skills
and respect for human rights should also be
measured.
But the broader point is that, although critical,
these reports are just early milestones in the
process. We will be keeping you updated on
our activities, briefings and thinking.
What about Jesse?
So what does all of this mean for Jesse? Well
the fact that this process has been consultative
(although it is fair to say that some processes
have been less effective than others) means
that it is more likely that the needs of Jesse
and his family will be more accurately
represented in the post-2015 framework. It is
impossible to foresee the eventual outcome,
but Sightsavers will use all the mechanisms
and opportunities available to us to secure
an outcome that is more equitable and fair,
promotes and protects good health, eye health
and health systems, and works to promote the
inclusion of people with disabilities and secure
access to water and sanitation. There’s a long
way to go, but it looks like it’s going to be an
exciting time.
4
Health in the post-2015 agenda - report of the global thematic consultation on health (2013)
http://www.worldwewant2015.org/health
24. www.sightsavers.orgPage 22
The Monrovia HLP and CSO
consultations
The work of CSOs across Africa has gained
significant recognition in the aim to unite and
empower citizens all over the world towards
equality, social justice and prosperity. They
have played specific roles in making the voices
of vulnerable and marginalised citizens heard
loud and clear. With the meeting of the HLP
in Monrovia came an opportunity for CSOs
and other stakeholders to speak up and send
a clear message to the HLP, with the aim of
influencing its ultimate recommendations on
what a post-2015 development framework
should include.
The meeting in Monrovia brought together 60
civil society representatives from Africa, Latin
America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and
the Arab regions. Represented amongst the
global CSOs was also the National Union of
Organizations of the Disabled, a Liberian civil
society member organisation. The event posed
a unique opportunity for these organisations
to share evidence with the HLP and discuss
a clear vision for the future. Prior to the HLP
meeting itself, the CSOs held discussions
that focused on addressing the perspectives
of different marginalised groups. Emerging
from these group meetings was a strategic
consensus position paper, which was formally
presented to President Sirleaf for and on
behalf of the HLP.
In response to this CSO position paper, four
face to face round table meetings were held
of the first day of the HLP meeting, focusing
on children and youth, women and gender,
people with disabilities and older people, and
small businesses, farmers, traders and trade
unions. These group meetings between CSO
members and HLP members were interactive
and very beneficial. CSO group members
had the opportunity to put forth their areas of
concern and raise legitimate points that need
to be addressed by world leaders, as well as by
concerned stakeholders. These included:
v
Continuous economic uncertainty and the
financial crisis
v
Persistent and widening inequality
v
Rising unemployment, low wages, insecurity
and unhealthy working conditions
v
Continuing risk and vulnerability from
climate change
v
Persistent and new conflict
The CSOs also put forth a number of
recommendations aimed at improving equity,
including:
v
Inclusive and sustainable growth and human
development.
v
The need to address the specific needs
of children and youth to participate in
economic transformation and policies to
provide more and better education.
v
Gender equality, the protection of
women’s human rights (including sexual
and reproductive rights) and support for
women’s empowerment.
v
Full and equal participation of people with
disabilities and older people.
v
Reformed labour laws and policies to
ensure full and decent employment for all,
including people with disabilities.
HLP members had the opportunity to interact
with CSO members, to listen to their questions
and provide answers; they expressed
equal concern in response to the CSO’s
recommendations. It was an experience of
stating what needs to be done and confirming
the need for action to reverse the world
situation for a better world.
Pre-HLP regional consultations
Given the importance of the opportunity
represented by the HLP meeting and
associated thematic consultations, our
participating partner in Liberia, the National
Union of Organizations of the Disabled
(NUOD), sought prior input from their member
organisations. In order to do this, a number of
regional consultations were held in the three
strategic regions of Liberia; Western, Central
and South Eastern.
The aim of these regional consultations was
to ensure that those people living even in the
most remote towns and villages could play a
part in the decisions that affect their lives. That
people with disabilities and other marginalised
people could have the chance to contribute
to decisions and strategic plans made about
the development of their country. A summary
of discussions and recommendations derived
from each of the regional meetings was
presented by regional representatives at a
national level union organisation meeting.
All three statements recommended that the
post-2015 framework should be inclusive of
people with disabilities and compliant with
the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (UNCRPD). They also all
25. Page 23
recommended that the post-2015 sustainable
development agenda must promote economic
opportunities for people with disabilities
and poorer people, ensuring integration of
marginalised groups and communities in the
production and growth process.
The outcomes of these regional consultations
with disabled people’s organisations (DPOs)
informed NUOD’s representative, Rev Fallah
S. Boima, and his engagement in the round
table discussions with other global CSO
members. The central message coming out
loud and clear from the regions is that we
must ensure that people with disabilities are
not left out of the new post-2015 development
framework. The HLP meeting presented a
unique opportunity that united the DPOs in
their discussions and encouraged them to put
aside their differences and join their voices
in making concrete recommendations on the
post-2015 framework.
What worked well with our
engagement and what results
did we see?
Through the series of engagements described
above we successfully brought together
people with disabilities from three regions in
Liberia and afforded them the opportunity to
speak freely on critical issues. The levels of
attendance and participation were impressive;
the DPOs were determined to make their
voices heard and spoke clearly on the issues
important to them and the need for the new
development framework to fully include people
with disabilities.
Sightsavers’ Advocacy Coordinator, Virginia
Kamowa, reflecting on the Monrovia meeting
in her Sightsavers’ blog1
, commented that it
had been very encouraging to see a good
representation of people with disabilities
from around the globe, including national
representatives, actively participating in the
meeting deliberations. To echo Professor Gita
Sen’s remarks, this just goes to show that
“people with disabilities are not just vulnerable;
given an opportunity they have the potential for
full and meaningful participation for realising
the agenda of the post-2015”.
What challenges did we
face and what might we do
differently next time?
Of particular disappointment, was the fact
that disability was not included in the final
civil society joint communique. Despite
strenuous advocacy to include disability, the
final communique called for ‘data [to be]
disaggregated by age and sex’. While we were
not successful in getting the communique
changed, it seems we succeeded in getting
our messages across in other ways. Amina
Mohammed, the UN Secretary-General’s
Advisor on post-2015, specifically mentioned
at the ageing and disability round table that
she was glad that discussions were continuing
Reflections
from Reverend Fallah S. Boima
As head of the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled in Liberia, I led the
consultations among persons with disabilities across the country. Our main focus prior to the
High Level Panel meeting was to engage persons with disabilities in Liberia to find out which
issues were of high importance to them and then to communicate these issues to the High
Level Panel delegates.
The UNCRPD describes disability as an evolving concept and the issue of disability in Liberia
is also evolving. Most of the engagements in the disability community have been perceived as
“first of its kind”. Never before in Liberia have persons with disabilities ever been considered
as part of the community or allowed to participate in decision-making processes. We are now
hopeful that, as a result of the consultations, among persons with disabilities, the post-2015
global development framework will give a high priority to disability, most especially to those in
developing countries.
1
www.sightsavers.org/blogs/insights
26. www.sightsavers.orgPage 24
on these two areas, and gave her support for
goals that apply across gender, disability and
age.
In addition, despite the extensive participation
of people with disabilities in the various
consultations prior to the HLP, once the
HLP itself began it was felt that the level of
prominence given to disability as a group was
less than that given to other groups. Amongst
other challenges faced was the short lead time
in preparing for the regional and national level
consultations.
Conclusion
Grass roots engagement and information
gathering was important and key to our
successes. We learned during our regional and
national consultations that people speaking
directly about the issues that affect their lives is
more important and more powerful than others
speaking on their behalf without first hearing
from them. The process of consultation that we
used brought more satisfaction and sense of
importance to people with disabilities. If we are
to succeed in our advocacy efforts and make
a difference to the lives of those we represent,
other CSOs should be encouraged to fully
engage our beneficiaries through effective,
grass roots consultation. We need true,
honest and sincere consultation with those we
represent no matter who they are or where
they are.
Virginia Kamowa commented “In my view the
Monrovia post-2015 HLP meeting has been a
success. It was great to hear President Sirleaf
pick out disabled people in her response to
presentations made to her by different groups
of civil society (disability and ageing; women
and gender; children; youth; farmers, traders,
informal, sector, trade unions and small
businesses); she said that the High Level Panel
needs to have a ‘particular emphasis on the
disabled who have been marginalised all these
years’”.
27. Page 25
Voices of the Marginalised: the use
of participatory action research to
influence the post-2015 discussions
Marion Steff, Policy Advisor, Social Inclusion
Nusrat Zerin, Programme Officer, Bangladesh
Jahangir Alam, Project Officer, Bangladesh
Introduction
ADD International, HelpAge International
and Sightsavers are currently working with
the Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
to conduct a research study which will feed
into the post-2015 discussions. The pilot has
just been completed in Bangladesh and we
are hoping to extend the study to another
three countries. Its overall goal is to bring
the perspectives of those who are highly
marginalised, including people with disabilities,
older people and people living with mental
health issues, into post-2015 policy-making.
The originality of the Voices
study
There is a growing recognition of inequalities
arising from marginalisation, where those in
excluded situations rarely have the opportunity
for their voices to be heard. Their invisibility
is exacerbated by a lack of relevant data. The
Voices study aims to:
v
Build new evidence: The Voices of the
Marginalised research study provides a
real opportunity to build a body of data to
ensure the needs and rights of marginalised
populations are included in current and
future development initiatives such as the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and their successor framework. In a time
where governments spend important sums
of money on development programmes,
it is crucial to not only bridge research
and policy, but also to provide concrete
recommendations, based on systematic
research, to improve the quality of life of the
most excluded.
v
Use a creative and inclusive methodology:
This research seeks both to understand
and address the social, economic and
political exclusion of people with disabilities
and older people by using a systemic
approach to answer the research questions.
Sightsavers has been keen to ensure
that people with disabilities play an active
role in the study. As such, the research
methodology used is called ‘Participatory
Action Research’ (PAR) and it aims to break
down the divide between ‘researchers’ and
the ‘researched’; it is research with people,
not on people. In PAR, the researchers can
be individuals affected by issues identified
in the study, who are in pursuit of answers
to the questions and problems that touch
their daily lives.
The researchers
Based on PAR, two types of Bangladeshi
researchers have been trained to conduct
the study. First, staff from national Non-
Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working
on ageing and disability issues have been
involved. They are called peer researchers and
worked to collect stories from peers to draw a
picture of the challenges that national NGOs
working with these groups are dealing with.
Second, older people and people with
disabilities from Bhasantek slum in Dhaka
and villages in the district of Cox’s Bazar were
contacted to see if they wanted to become
community peer researchers. They are
individuals in challenging situations themselves
(poverty, no livelihood, little support from
relatives, lack of access to health services,
etc.) and are also beneficiaries of national
NGOs working in ageing or disability. Upon
acceptance, they have been trained to collect
stories from their peers.
28. www.sightsavers.orgPage 26
Learning from the Voices study
The results of 140 stories are currently being
analysed. While it is too early to reveal them,
preliminary learning can already be shared
on behalf of the researchers, as well as the
staff from Sightsavers involved in the study in
Bangladesh and in the UK.
From the Bangladeshi researchers:
what they enjoyed and gained
All researchers enjoyed being involved in the
whole process, from the design of the study to
the elaboration of the questions, the collection
of the data, and the analysis of the results. The
community peer researchers felt they were, for
the first time, fully included in a context where
they had the opportunity to speak up, make
a difference, and gather the views of other
people in similar poverty situations. While at
first, all researchers were unsure about what
they would gain from the study, they quickly
grasped that the experience could prove to be
stimulating and enriching. Interestingly enough,
they felt that they became more supportive
and positive about disability and ageing; the
community peer researchers realised that their
own situation, as well as that of many other
people, was not something to be ashamed
of, while the peer researchers appreciated
knowing more about the perspectives of
colleagues they interviewed. The community
peer researchers also mentioned that they
learned a new range of soft and technical
skills which they will potentially re-use in their
life, such as identifying positive and negative
stories, how to approach and speak to people,
how to use a voice recorder, etc. Overall,
all researchers felt more empowered to
speak up and get involved in their respective
communities, to not only share the results of
the study and the experience they gained, but
also to make a difference in terms of rights.
From the Bangladeshi researchers:
what they found difficult
The community peer researchers sometimes
faced challenges gathering stories due to
communication and social barriers. For
instance, they often could not obtain stories
directly from people with learning difficulties
or with mental health issues. Relatives often
felt it was their duty to answer on their behalf,
while the researchers would have liked to
talk directly to them. Similarly, interacting
with people with hearing impairment proved
to be tricky because these participants did
not always use a recognised sign language
where an interpreter could have facilitated
the exchange. The researchers relied instead
on relatives. Older people had a tendency to
not want to talk about their own difficulties,
but focused on the challenges of their
community. They did not seem to realise
that they had needs and rights too. Finally,
participants’ understanding of the research
study represented another challenge: some
wondered why they were being asked to share
their personal stories and did not see the point
of the research.
From Sightsavers’ staff: what we
enjoyed and gained
All staff enjoyed being part of the Voices of
the Marginalised study. We were curious to
see how IDS could involve people living in
very poor conditions, who had no background
in research and who were, for the most part,
illiterate. We were pleasantly surprised to see
how well organised training could really open
up new skills and thinking for the community
peer researchers. Having the researchers
involved in each stage of the study proved
to us that, no matter what your background
or level of literacy, what is important is to be
involved and to listen to the voices of everyone.
This experience reinforced the idea that we
need to work with people with disabilities, and
not speak for them. As such, it was great to
witness how the community peer researchers
progressed in their thinking and how their
involvement could make a difference in not
only their life, but also in the lives of other
people with disabilities or older people.
In terms of data collection, having community
peer researchers with similar backgrounds to
the interviewees proved an excellent strategy
for collecting real information. Interviewees
felt more inclined to talk, despite sharing
experiences that were often painful and
difficult. In addition, coordination at the country
level between ADD International, HelpAge
International and Sightsavers worked really well
and brought new perspectives for collaboration
in the future.
From Sightsavers’ staff: what we found
difficult
In terms of data collection, people with mental
health issues were not included as much
as we wanted to. The reason was that the
organisations involved had less experience
of working with people with mental health
29. Page 27
issues, so were not able to properly direct
the researchers. It was the same situation
for people with multiple disabilities; the
organisations were less knowledgeable about
this issue and we therefore did not collect as
many stories as we could have.
Relative to the organisation of the study itself,
staff in Bangladesh felt that they should have
been more involved in decision-making, since
they were the ones implementing the study
on the ground. However, staff in the UK felt
that they did not want to load more work on
the shoulders of their colleagues in country
and therefore tried to disturb them as little
as possible. From this, we learnt the value of
being very clear at the beginning of any project
about the amount of work required, what
timeframes are feasible, and how much each
colleague can contribute.
Staff in Bangladesh also thought the
coordination of the study could have been
improved through better communication
between the three organisations in the UK.
For instance, we all believe it would have been
easier if one organisation had acted as the
lead agency. In addition, various other ideas
have been suggested to improve coordination
if the study were to expand, such as having
a research manager to be the focal point
for communication, and creating a steering
committee to help to take decisions on behalf
of all organisations concerned.
Finally, as this type of research study was a first
for Sightsavers, it resulted in a great deal of
work for all staff involved. Because of our lack
of experience in this field, we may have not
identified the best study locations to capture
the learning and data that we were seeking.
We could also have involved other interviewees
in the study, for example people with learning
difficulties, people with multiple disabilities, etc.
Conclusion and next steps
Overall, the Voices of the Marginalised study
and the use of a PAR methodology provides
Sightsavers with an excellent means to ensure
that the data collected truly reflects the
priorities of people with disabilities. To our
knowledge, this is the first study of this kind in
the field which focuses on both people with
disabilities and older people. The findings
should enable the United Nations, as well as
other policy makers on the international and
Bangladeshi scene, to have access to the
latest data available. We certainly hope that the
results will help pave the way for people with
disabilities to achieve their potential through
the application of an effective and inclusive
post-2015 development framework.
Still to come:
v
The final report ‘We can also make a
difference’ will be ready in June 2013 with all
the results and recommendations. It will be
made available to staff of the organisations
involved and a summary version shared
publically.
v
An event will be launched to promote the
findings of the study and to advocate for the
inclusion of older people and people with
disabilities in the post-2015 discussions and
frameworks. This will most likely take place
in September 2013, as a side event at the
UN General Assembly.
v
Sightsavers and other partners are in the
process of identifying further funding in
order to extend the study to another three
countries.
v
Other articles and events are planned.
Follow Sightsavers’ policy blog1
and our
policy twitter feed2
for more news on the
Voices of the Marginalised research
1
www.sightsavers.org/blogs/insights
2
https://twitter.com/Sightsavers_Pol
31. Page 29
research is important because it is generating
new knowledge about people’s experiences.
There is insufficient research about the
marginalisation and inequality experienced
by people with disabilities, older people and
people with mental health issues and this
research is critical to building our broader
knowledge base. It is our responsibility as a key
partner in this research to ensure its findings
are fed into the post-2015 processes as well as
shared with policy and decision-makers.
Getting the message right
Dom Haslam’s article shines a spotlight
on how the post-2015 processes over the
past 12 months have been both complex
and demanding - and I expect that little will
change from now until 2015! Even for those
of us influencing on a day-to-day basis it’s
very hard to keep track of what’s happening.
In this crowded advocacy space, a key lesson
to be learned is the importance of ’getting
the message right’. If our advocacy messages
are not clear, accessible and relevant then
they will not be taken into account. No matter
how hard we work. The Policy and Advocacy
teams have been working together to outline
our positions in health, education and social
inclusion; my article on health, for example,
sets out our thinking on eye health and NTDs,
health inequities and universal health coverage
and water. Over the next few months we hope
to share this thinking more widely, across
Sightsavers and our partners, and would
welcome your views.
Identifying where opportunities
exist
OK, so once we have our partners, our
clear evidence and our ‘right’ messages,
what’s next? Well, the answer is the right
opportunity. The London, Monrovia and Bali
HLP meetings, the UN thematic consultations
and national level consultations have all been
key opportunities. But it’s not just these high
profile meetings and consultations that present
us with opportunities to influence the agenda;
there’s a whole myriad of country-led and
local processes on-going. Our role here is to
look out for these opportunities and respond
where we can. Virginia writes about the
development of an ‘advocacy toolkit’ that has
been developed to enable both Sightsavers
and partners to: a) fully understand the
complex country consultation processes and
b) to understand how to influence them. If you
wish to learn more about this toolkit and how
to influence, please do not hesitate to contact
either Virginia (vkamowa@sightsavers.org) or
myself (jmilgate@sightsavers.org).
Finally if you have any questions about post-
2015 or are attending a meeting and would like
some information, please do not hesitate to
contact me in the policy team. I look forward to
hearing from you!