RI Global: Office of Communications
Contact: Adrian Brune, +1 347-759-9501
New York, 25 October 2017 — Rehabilitation International (RI), a global network of experts, persons with disabilities, service providers and other multi-disability and multi-disciplinary stakeholders, is in the final stage of preparations for its various meetings to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 11 to 14 November 2017. The venue of all meetings is the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference Center in Addis Ababa.
Before all meetings begin on November 11, RI Global’s member in Ethiopia, Vision Community Based Rehabilitation Association, will showcase various programmes, facilities and projects in disability and rehabilitation through a one-day field visit for the RI Global Executive Committee and other members scheduled for 10 November. The aim is to expose them to initiatives in disability and rehabilitation in Ethiopia.
This will be followed by a meeting of RI Global’s Executive Committee, RI Global’s Commissions or thematic workings groups, the RI Global Foundation Board and RI Global’s 2018 Annual General Assembly from the 11-13 November, respectively.
One of the highlights of the four-day activities of RI Global in Addis, is the RI Regional Conference for Africa scheduled for 14 November 2017 at the ECA Conference Center. With the theme: Addressing Challenges in Disability & Inclusion in Africa – Rehabilitation International’s Call to Action, the conference’s goals are to make RI Global more visible in Africa, to attract membership both old and new, ensure that RI Global’s work is well understood, and for the organization to also understand the issues of the region, and allow various stakeholders to contribute to the discussion on addressing the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Africa. An Action Plan for the region is expected to be produced from this one-day conference.
“RI under the leadership of its President, Zhang Haidi, appreciates the fact that Africa is a very important region of RI, and she worked hard to mobilize required resources to ensure that RI can do more pro-active work in the region during her presidency,” said Venus Ilagan, the RI Global Secretary-General. “Thanks to the generous support of the Government of China and the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF), RI is finally embarking in its mission to have higher visibility and do more concrete work in Africa in collaboration with other partners in the region, including the African Union, the Africa Disability Forum and other local and international organizations working in the region.”
RI Regional Vice President Mark Webber and Deputy Vice President Demelash Bekele, said they are optimistic on the success of RI’s initiatives for Africa and conveyed their appreciation for the renewed commitment of RI to make a difference in the region under Zhang Haidi’s leadership.
RI Global: Founded in 1922, Rehabilitation International (RI Global) is a worldwide network promoting the rights and inclusions of persons with disabilities (PwDs) through advocacy, habilitation and rehabilitation to achieve an inclusive world in which all people can enjoy full human rights.
