International Day of Disabled People

Eight children of the Garage School were invited to celebrate the International day of Disabled People organized by the Childrens’ Museum for Peace and Human Rights on the 3^rd of December, 2007. It was a campaign where the children had earlier participated by collecting signatures on a petition for the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

This is a very important theme as nearly 10% of the population of Pakistan lives with some form of disability, yet we do not provide any special facilities for them. We hope through these activities students will become sensitive to the needs and problems of the disabled persons around them and participate in making our societies better equipped for disabled persons.

Their slogan was “We have the power” to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities.

The convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 2006 at the United Nations and was opened for signature on March 30, 2007. So far 118 countries have signed the convention, including Bangladesh. But, unfortunately, Pakistan is not one of them. They are encouraging all students to collect as many signatures as they can on a petition addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, urging the government to sign the convention.

On the 3^rd of December all the petitions will be handed over to Barrister Mrs. Nasreen Jamil.