Disaster and Disability in Bangladesh - Behinderung und Dritte Welt

A RTIKELMaking it WorkFrom Good Practice to Good PolicyMichael GuyThis paper provides an introduction to a new initiative aimed at the effective implementation of the Convention onthe Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Making it Work was launched to an international audience at the Conferenceof States Parties at the United Nations in September 2009.ContextThe Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities (CRPD) came into force in 2008.This major international legislation represents asignificant step towards addressing the povertyand social exclusion experienced by people withdisabilities. In due course, signatory states willbe legally obliged to take affirmative action towardthe inclusion of the rights of people withdisabilities in all legislation, policies and services.To date (March 2010), 144 countries havesigned and 83 have ratified the CRPD.The challenge now is effective implementation.For most countries, there are significantgaps between the standards set by the CRPD -the standards of national policies - and the realityon the ground for people with disabilities.Contextualized information and research aboutthe rights and needs of people with disabilitiesis often largely absent. As a result, it is extremelydifficult for civil society groups and policy-makersto effectively address how inclusivepolicies and services should be shaped andhow they can have a meaningful impact on thelives of people with disabilities.There are many initiatives aimed at CRPDimplementation and disability rights issues ingeneral. A common approach is to report violationsof human rights and to develop politicalcampaigns that challenge governments andhold them to account. Making it Work, however,adopts a different approach.Although there are violations of disabledpeople’s rights in all countries of the world,there are also many innovative projects andgood practices that have significantly advancedthe social, economic and political inclusion ofpeople with disabilities. Making it Work projectsaim to document these examples of goodpractice and use this evidence to advocate forsocial and political change in line with the principlesof the CRPD.The emphasis here is on constructive advocacyand fostering effective dialogue. Making itWork is concerned with making concrete recommendationsabout how to develop, scale-upor replicate inclusive policies and practices,based on what is already working well.MACROCRPDNational PoliciesLocal practices &Grassroods InnovationsPeople‘s livesMICROFig 1.1: Reducing the gaps between CRPD, NationalPolicies, Local Practices and People’s livesBackground to Making it WorkThe concept for Making it Work (MIW) emergedtowards the end of the elaboration process ofthe CRPD. The United Nations Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs (DESA) called ameeting for UN agencies, disability organizationsand NGOs to discuss how to produce andexchange information to support the implementationof the Convention. For this meeting,Handicap International presented the experienceof the Disability Monitor Initiative (DMI) inSouth East Europe:The DMI is a regional research initiativelaunched in 2004 to gather and disseminate informationon key disability issues as well as localpractices underpinning the move towardsfull participation and equal opportunities in theregion. The aim is to support local stakeholdersin gathering and disseminating information thatcan strengthen a regional movement towardsthe full participation of people with disabilitiesin society (www.disabilitymonitor-see.org).Zeitschrift Behinderung und Dritte Welt 1/201023