Conferences
Linking Globally : Acting Locally
Working with the disabled community towards a more inclusive
society
From the 23 - 27 September, 2003, this conference,
the largest in disability studies ever to be held in Romania attracted
130 participants from 26 countries. Mostly NGO’s from Eastern
and South-East European countries were represented but also representatives
from Belgium, Finland, Germany and Great Britain were included.
The major problem for the organizers was to find contacts in these
countries, as there was no regional network yet in place.
The British Council, Romania and the Open Society
Foundation sponsored the conference and it is thanks to them that
so many countries were able to attend. The principal organizer
was the Lamont Centre and Sports Club for Physically Disabled
Adults in Cluj.
The four workshops, plenary sessions and the
nine parallel sessions will be reproduced in the Cluj Conference
Proceedings sponsored by the British Embassy, Romania and will
be published at the end of this year. It also resulted in the
Cluj Resolution (see below), a regional network, the formation
of discussion groups, an intention to hold a follow-up conference
in 2 years time, and above all deep friendships.
Following
the highly successful inaugural meeting of members of NGO’s
and disability activists from Central and Eastern Europe, organized
by the British Council, Romania and the Lamont Centre Cluj, the
following general resolution was agreed.
The
Cluj Resolution
Disability
is a human rights issue. People with disabilities have equal
rights but do not have equal opportunities. The personal,
social, educational and economic rights of people with disabilities
must therefore be guaranteed, upheld and enforced at every
level of society throughout this region.
The
conference delegates call upon NGO’s to unite in order
to campaign for the realization of such rights and upon
every government, at every level, to recognize and to honour
their responsibilities towards people with disabilities
under national, international and humanitarian law. Governments
must ensure that the rights of their citizens with disabilities
are recognized and upheld.
The
conference further resolves to establish and develop a regional
network committed to working together to achieve this outcome.
We wish to share this resolution with disability activists
across the globe.
26
September 2003
Cluj-Napoca |
For
more detailed information, and information about current activities,
visit the Enable Romania web site: www.enableromania.ro
Integrated Dance Workshop
with Adam Benjamin
June
9 - 13, 2003
June
16 - 20, 2003
In celebration
of the European Year of People with Disabilities, The British
Council with the Lamont Centre offered two one-week Integrated
Dance workshops in the newly renovated sports hall of the School
for the Visually Impaired in Cluj. The workshops were led by the
renowned Adam Benjamin, one of the founders of integrated dance.
Over the
two-week period, 14 disabled and 22 non-disabled people from various
towns in Romania, and 2 participants from Greece, participated
in the workshops. The participants ranged in occupation from students
to professional dancers but what brought them all together was
their love for the program and the opportunity to study the theory
and practice of integrated dance with one of the pioneers of the
movement, an artist who remains one of the most influential voices
in the field today, as an author, choreographer and teacher.
From the
first day, the participants were ecstatic. Adam is a true professional
who commands and obtains complete respect from the first moment.
Every day the organizers were greeted with renewed enthusiasm
about how the whole experience was allowing them attain greater
goals than they had ever set for themselves: goals of expression,
movement and togetherness. The result was an integrated group,
who each day achieved a higher level of communication and understanding.
 |
Adam Benjamin is a graduate of Middlesex University
where he studied dance and fine art. He was joint founder
and Artistic Director of CandoCo Dance Company (1990-98) which
astounded a theatre audience in Cluj in 2000.
He has choreographed for The Besht Tellers, A and BC Theatre
Company,Tardis Dance Company and The Stare Cases Project (UK),
for Vertigo Dance Company, (Israel), HandiCapace Tanz Kompanie
(Germany) and for Tshwaragano Dance Company and Remix Dance
Theatre Company in South Africa. He has written extensively
on integration in dance and his book 'Making an Entrance'
is published by Routledge Taylor.
He is currently an associate artist at The Place, London. |
| What the participants
had to say about the workshop: |
"I
was amazed that the exercises that I learnt there helped to dissipate
my tiredness and I felt completely rejuvenated. I shall be continuing
to do them."
"This
is the first time that I have been able to reach a disabled person
in a wheelchair not only from the outside but able to reach inside
too. An unforgettable lesson in life skills."
"I
have found out that people, and maybe even the world, can be changed
through dance."
"I
had forgotten how important touch was: it is the gift of life."
From Getting to Giving
|
In
March, 2002, members of the Lamont Centre prepared and carried
out a seminar entitled “From Getting to Giving”.
The purpose of this was to encourage members and staff to
thoughtfully consider the development of the original vision
of the Lamont Centre in the light of the experience of its
two year in existence. In particular, those who are responsible
for leading the growth of the Centre, wish to ensure that
what has been learned there will continue to enable members
to develop into fully active members of the disabled minority
in Cluj and beyond.
Most
of the present members contributed to the one-day seminar
by presenting their own “take” on the theme.
Many used Power-Point. The main facilitator of the seminar
was Ileana Aciu, who teaches computer skills at the Centre
twice a week. |
Disability / Ability:
Towards Self-Defined Needs
In keeping
with its policy to raise public consciousness on the issues which
surround Disability, the Lamont Centre organized and hosted an
international conference in February, 2001 which was fully sponsored
by the British Council, Romania.
The
participants included members of the Lamont Centre, along with
representatives from some of the major institutions which serve
the needs of the disabled minority in the Cluj district.
 |
Facilitators
included Maryam Zonouzi, from England, who spoke about the
importance of the fact that the needs of the disabled minority
should be expressed by advocates who come from within the
group itself rather than being imposed from outside by “experts”.
Maryam, who has used a wheelchair since she was twelve, referred
to her own experience to illustrate her ideas and she also
taught an introductory class in relaxation methods. |
The second
speaker was Jo Kenny, currently training in England to be a barrister.
Jo spoke about disability and international law, emphasizing the
fact that Romania’s hopes for full membership of the European
Community will depend, not only upon the existence of laws and
statutes, but upon their implementation.
The third speaker was Celia Kenny, a Church of Scotland minister
and co-founder of the Lamont Centre. Using some of the insights
gained in her own doctoral study of Body Theology and Disability
Studies, Celia spoke about the fact that the present (social)
model of disability poses new challenges to the churches to find
ways in which they can incorporate the insights of persons with
disabilities into theology, church practice and pastoral work.
 |
Members
of the Lamont Centre made Power-Point presentations in which
they highlighted the problem of physical exclusion which they
suffer in the face of inaccessible conditions and social barriers.
Showing photographs of churches, schools, universities, and
key public buildings, they demonstrated the extent to which
persons with disabilities are denied the enjoyment of full
citizenship. |
One of the
successful aspects of the conference was that it reached representatives
from Canada, Scotland, England and Ireland, who have since maintained
live links and offered support (including financial support) to
the Lamont Centre.
