Pacific Disability Forum

A heartfelt thank you to our donors, partners, stakeholders, and members for your unwavering support this 2024 🙏🏾 We are indelibly grateful for your contributions to advancing disability inclusion across the Pacific. This year has seen significant growth for the PDF, with an expanded team and increased capacity. We have faced challenges head-on and emerged stronger, always striving to make a positive impact. We also bid farewell to our long-serving Chief Executive Officer, Mr Setareki Macanawai and welcomed new leadership, Ms Sainimili Tawake. We wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday season 🎄🎁✨ Kindly be advised that the Pacific Disability Forum Secretariat will be closed from the 23rd of December and will reopen on the 6th of January, 2025. For any urgent queries, please contact Manager Finance and Corporate, Mr Aporosa Ranuku on 899 0138. #DisabilityRights #Pacific #Inclusion #Teamwork #HappyHolidays

ᴛᴄɪ ɢʟᴏʙᴀʟ ʜᴏꜱᴛꜱ ᴘʟᴇɴᴀʀʏ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ɪɴᴄʟᴜꜱɪᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘꜱʏᴄʜᴏꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴅɪꜱᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇꜱ TCI hosted its in-person Plenary Conference in Bangkok (Nov 16-20, 2024), bringing together advocates, organizations, and stakeholders to push for community inclusion and deinstitutionalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities. With a global network of over 50 countries, TCI advocates for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities to live independently, access justice, and fully participate in society. The conference, dedicated to the late Dr. Bhargavi Davar, explores key themes like “deinstitutionalization intersectional discrimination” and “access to justice”. Conference Objectives: - Build capacity for community inclusion and deinstitutionalization. - Share grassroots practices and resources for inclusion. - Strengthen global partnerships and advocacy strategies. Featuring plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions, the event also included a special Community of Practice on Deinstitutionalization meeting to exchange insights and build networks. TCI continues its advocacy, including the #WhatWENeed campaign, fighting for the rights and dignity of persons with psychosocial disabilities worldwide. The Pacific was represented by Miss Sera Osborne of Psychiatric Survivors Association (PSA) of Fiji and Chief Executive Officer Sainimili Tawake of Pacific Disability Forum at this Global Convening. #CommunityInclusion #Deinstitutionalization #PsychosocialDisabilities #HumanRights #SDGs #WhatWENeed #TCI #DisabilityRights

Partnerships are paramount in our work as we recognize the diverse roles and expertise that each organization brings to the table. To effectively advance our shared goals, fostering strong partnerships and maintaining collaborative relationships is imperative. Last Tuesday, October 8th, the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) and the Australia Pacific Training Coalition - RTO 0275 (APTC) joined forces to present their collaborative efforts during the virtual Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility - PRIF week, themed "Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure in the Pacific: Partnerships, Private Sector, and Inclusiveness." This provided an opportunity for both organizations to showcase their individual work and highlight the expanded partnership that has welcomed new potential partners including the Christian Mission Fellowship Institute (CMFI) and the Ministry of Education Fiji (MoE) TVET sector. The two organizations wanted to reiterate the importance of valuing and building strong partnerships 🤝🏾 The presenters, Tarusila Bradburgh - APTC’s Partnership and Coalition Facilitator and Telesia Kobiti - PDF’s Programme Officer, shared how their collaborative work in 2022 on access auditing of ATPC locations led to a significant outcome: the retrofitting of one of ATPC's workshops to accommodate a student with a physical disability and enable his participation. The Pacific Disability Forum would like to express its gratitude to the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) for once again providing the opportunity for APTC and PDF to present at this important event. Photo credit: APTC

The Pacific Disability Forum is indeed grateful for the partnership with UNCDF Pacific and other UN Agencies for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Parametric Insurance Project as well. #disabilityinclusion #PDFSec

Happening today, you still have time to register!

The Pacific Disability Forum would like to congratulate one of the founding members of the Forum, a Disability champion and a mentor, Mr. Setareki Macanawai. Mr. Setareki had been at the helm of the Secretariat and PDF for 17 years. #disabilityinclusion #PDFSec

Final post on Secretariat Team: In our last post, we were not able to show the remaining members of our Admin team. This post will introduce you to the final three namely our Projects Finance and Admin assistant Lagesh Lal, our Office Assistant Neori Drole and our Human Resource Officer Arieta Dumaru. These three bring the total number of Secretariat Staff up to 23 in total looking after the over 20 Pacific island countries and State. #TeamPDF #disabilityinclusion #PDFSec

The Pacific Disability Forum works across the Pacific and this is reflected in our Board and staff. The Secretariat is based in Fiji and works closely with over 20 Pacific Island countries and territories spanning over 70 Organisations of persons with disabilities in these areas. This work is made possible through the work of the Secretariat Team. This post sheds light on the Secretariat staff behind the work being undertaken on the ground. Presently under the guidance of outgoing Chief Executive, Mr. Setrakei Macanawai, the Secretariat is being guided by our director Operations Laisa Vereti and her Senior management Team of Katabwena Tawaka, Sainimili Tawake and Aporosa Ranuku. We then have a Programmes Team comprising of Programme Officers Telesia Kobiti, Sisi Coalala, Leslie Tikotikoca and Maria Miller. The next team is the Humanitarian Resilience Development Unit which consists of Regional Cordinators Tepola Rabuli, Savaira Tinai, Progrject officer Ilisapeci Marau and Finance Assistant Lagesh Lal. Enablement Team is next which led by DO Laisa, consists of a small team namely of MEAL officer Violet Savu, PR & Comms officer Paradise Tabucala, Research officer Soropepeli Seru, Cordinator Organisational Development Beretita Ofati and Progam Assistant Emele Kikau. The final Team is the Finance & Corporate which consists of our HR Officer Arieta Dumaru, Finance officer Vilisoni Ake, Finance Assistant Sweta Chand along with Executive Assistant Nancy Queen and Office Assistant Neori Lagi. They make up the Secretariat which works closely with our memebers and stakeholders to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities through out the Pacific. #PDFsec #TeamPDF #disabilityinclusion P.S: more pictures will be loaded in a follow up post due to restriction in teh number of pictures we are able to post.

PRESS RELEASE: Joint Collaboration on ten-year Disability Inclusive Strategy Date 8th July, 2024 Lautoka, Fiji- A three-day regional convening to review and finalise the Ten-Year Disability-Inclusive Resilient Development Strategy is currently underway in Lautoka from (8th – 10th July, 2024). The Strategy is aimed at formulating a gender-responsive as well as disability-inclusive, equitable and resilient development strategy. The Convening brings together Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and stakeholders in the disabilities and climate and disaster resilience sector from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Australia and New Zealand, who will over the three-days provide their inputs on the review of the draft Strategy at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel, in Lautoka, Fiji. The Ten-Year draft strategy, spearheaded by the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) with support from UN Women Fiji Multi Country Office, outlines strategic actions and change areas for achieving disability inclusion and equity within climate and disaster resilience in the Pacific. In her addres, Ms. Naheed Ahmed, the Regional Programme Manager for UN Women stated that “Our core support ensures that the implementation of regional commitments is gender-responsive and disability inclusive, recognising the role of women as agents of change and leaders, whose voices and agency shape resilience-building efforts." Speaking on the regional Convening, the outgoing Chief Executive of PDF Mr. Setareki Macanawai, reiterated the call for a concerted effort in ensuring equitable participation of persons with disabilities from inception right through to implementation and evaluation of the Strategy. “Exclusion is costly, and disasters do not discriminate. The Pacific Disability Forum needs genuine, meaningful, and continued partnerships with stakeholders to ensure that no one is left behind during times of natural disasters, especially persons with disabilities who are more often than not the furthest left behind in society. The vision of a truly disability-inclusive Pacific cannot be achieved without the help of partners, considering that the Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world.” “This strategy is a stepping stone in ensuring disability inclusion and equity within climate and disaster resilience. It is my hope that this strategy will ensure a point of no return for the inclusion of persons with disabilities so that gains made are irreversible. The focus on gender equality, especially for young girls and women with disabilities, inclusive disaster risk reduction, climate change, and humanitarian response, reiterates the call for the full, effective, and equitable participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life,” Mr Macanawai reiterated. #disabilityinclusion #PDFSec

📢 Call for applications for the #BridgeCRPD_SDGs Pacific Region Module 1 ✨ Hosted by the Pacific Disability Forum, the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and the International Disability and Development Consortium, the training will he held from 12-18 September 2024 in Fiji 🇫🇯. 🗓️ Deadline: 20 July, 2024. 👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gz6_vfe4