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Activities Marking International Day of Dignity and Respect
Posted on 11 March 2010 by
Founded in 1999, today is the 12th International Day of Dignity and Respect. On this day, people come together to share their own challenges and victories to overcome the stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy.
“Dignity is not something that others can give to you. It is something inherent in each of
us. Recognizing the dignity inherent in every human being is the beginning of human
rights.”
-- Bernard K. Punikai‘a, IDEA’s President for Advocacy, 1997-2007
“We will no longer bow our heads. We will hold them high . . . We will no longer have
the fear of rejection. Most important, we will not be denied our human rights. We will
maintain our esteem and dignity.”
-- Francisco A.V. Nunes, “Bacurau,” IDEA’s First President for Advocacy, 1995-1997
“We used to say that if society changes, we will be able to change. We should discard this
attitude and adopt the belief that society will change because We Ourselves Change. Let
us believe this and make our lives rich and rewarding.”
-- Miyoji Morimoto, IDEA Japan
“To get rid of the stigma, we have to have self-confidence first.”
-- Wang Cheng Li, Handa/IDEA China, 1996
“The only way to fight against stigma and prejudice is within yourself. You have to first
get over it within yourself. It is something that is very personal.”
-- Cristiano Torres, Brazil, MORHAN; Founding Member, IDEA
“We believe that a person who feels dignity will not allow anyone to negate their rights.”
-- IDEA’s First Latin American Women’s Workshop, 2006
“We will call each one by our own name with respect and dignity.”
-- Excerpt, IDEA Mozambique Declaration, 2005
“At last, we all came to a conclusion that we, as women affected by leprosy, should not give
up our dignity in any aspect. Rather, we should support and encourage one another . . .”
-- Nevis Mary, IDEA India
Activities for the 2010 International Day of Dignity and Respect include:
NIGERIA: Shehu S. Fada, IDEA Representative Nigeria
IDEA Nigeria will conduct sensitization visits to three states in southeastern Nigeria -- Anambra, Rivers and Bayelsa States. On March 11 there will be a forum in Rivers State on how to realize our own dignity so others see the dignity in us. The following day in Bayelsa State we will talk about the habit of street begging, and how to eliminate it among our members, specifically along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
NEPAL: Parwati Oli, IDEA Representative Nepal
This year the International Day of Dignity and Respect will be held in Butwal in partnership with WATCH (Women Acting Together for Change.) It will also be celebrated in Kathmandu and Pokhara. This is our festival day -- it is very important for gathering and sharing experiences with each other.
CHINA: Michael Chen, IDEA Representative China
To commemorate March 11, different education and advocacy activities will be held in public areas in Guangzhou and Nanning City, while in Yunnan, activities will be held in a leprosy rehabilitation village.
As Guangzhou is also the host for the 16th Asian Games, we are going to hold activities in cooperation with the Asian Games Organizing Committee. These will include public education, a stage show, and a contest with questions on both leprosy and the Asian Games.
In Guangxi we are planning a speech contest, tree planting, and party in cooperation with the government, university and local businesses.
With the changes in the Shan Shiping leprosy rehabilitation village in Yunnan, villagers are longing to hold an activity to show people outside the village that they are living with independence and dignity. Based on this, people from neighboring communities will be invited to the village to enhance their understanding of the village and build communication. At the same time, awareness on environmental protection will be raised, to encourage people to join together to care for the place where they live.
For more information about the International Association for Dignity and Economic Advancement: http://www.idealeprosydignity.org/
Categories: China, International Collaboration, Nepal, News and Notes, Nigeria