REC and the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia signed a Protocol on Cooperation

The inclusion of persons with disabilities in the work of electoral bodies is one of the measures that REC will undertake in order to improve the electoral process, by signing the Protocol on Cooperation with the Center for Independent Living.
President of the REC Mr. Vladimir Dimitrijevic recommends that political parties include persons with disabilities in the work of electoral bodies and announces that special attention will be paid to persons with disabilities in the training of persons in charge of conducting elections, organized by REC. The Protocol attaches great importance to ensuring easier access to polling stations.
CIL President Mrs. Milena Stojanovic and Mrs. Gordana Rajkov announced the project Walk the talk with Persons with Disability, dealing with electoral rights of persons with disability.
The REC president stressed that the signing of the Protocol made a significant step to improve the quality of the electoral process.

Training for PA

Center for local services in Kraljevo engaged CIL Serbia to train a group of new personal assistants for their licencing process. Training was realised from 20 till 22 November by Ivana Gvozdenovic and Milena Stojanovic, CIL Serbia trainers.

 

PA training in Kraljevo

CIL Serbia realised PA training in Kraljevo, at the initiative of the Local Services Center, which is in the process of licensing.

The training was realised from November 20-22. by CIL trainers Ivana Gvozdenovic and Milena Stojanovic .

International Day fighting violence against women

CIL Serbia organised tribune discussed the problem of violence against women, heading November 25, the International Day fighting violence against women.
Our host was Center for children, elderly and PWDs care in New Belgrade and facilitator was 
Kosana Beker from organisation FemPlatz that is well known working on women’s rights and femicide.

Workshop on licencing

A workshop on licensing social services was held in Sabac on 8 November. The Association of Paraplegics of the Macvan region is implementing the UNDP ReLOaD program in partnership with the Center for Independent Living of the PWD of Serbia and the Inter-Municipal Organization of the Blind.
Vladan Jovanovic spoke about licensing social services, with special reference to the personal assistance service, which is the final result of this project.

New Public call for PA service

A meeting with potential beneficiaries and personal assistants, representatives of the Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia and the Director of the Center for Social Work of Bor, was held in Bor in 4th of September.

City of Bor and approved the funding for this service.

New training for PA

 Cil Serbia provided three new training for personal assistance in period May/July 2019.

Training in Bor was May 8-10, training in Novi Sad was June 24-26 and training in Belgrade July 24-26 2019. 

New phase of project

After completing the first phase of the project promoting personal assistance service in Sabac, the new phase of the project was approved by UNDP.

New phase will enable previous five users of PA service to continue the service, involvement two more users and work on licencing of Association of Paraplegics from Macva Region, that is project holder this time with close cooperation with Center for Independent Living Serbia 

Closing Press Conference

CIL Serbia with Association of Paplegics from Macva region and Local municipality Sabac organised on May 28th final press conference related to successfull finalisation of the project Promotion of Independent Living of persons with disability- introducing personal assistance as social service.

All project stakeholders – local municipality, Sabac institutions, persons with disability and their personal assistants expressed their great satisfaction being involved in this project.

Plans would be to get licenced service provider in Sabac, to continue second round of ReLOaD program to widen number of users of PS service and to enter 2020 with this service included in Sabac Budget.

 

Independent Living Day

ENIL published a guiding Manifesto with 4 key principles to realise Independent Living in Europe:
 
1. Ensure freedom of movement for all. It is unacceptable that disabled people cannot choose where they will live, study or travel within the EU. The right to Free Movement should be backed up by a strong European social framework to make EU rights accessible for all.
 
2. End institutional care. Disabled children and adults are still segregated in large and small institutions across Europe. Independent Living in the community is a right for all disabled people, set out in Article 19 of the CRPD, and further explained in
 General Comment 5.
 
3. Involve citizens in making EU Funds more transparent and effective. Disabled people are largely excluded from decisions on how EU Funds are used, even when spent on projects meant to improve their lives. This process should be based on co-production, with full involvement of disabled people.
 
4. Mainstream disability rights. Independent living is about more than being able to get out of bed. To live independently means having access to education, employment, public transport, housing, culture, sports, and other areas. Coordination is needed at all levels of government to ensure that disabled people can participate in society as active citizens.
 
Disabled people and allies from all over Europe will mark the 6th Independent Living Day with a variety actions including conferences, protests, publications and videos. 

Independent Living Day in Serbia

 CIL Srbija marked Independent Living Day talking about Political participation and free access to election process of persons with disability, promoting the small toolkit on Article 29 of CRPD. 
The City of Kragujevac introduced the Personal Assistance Service within the Municipal Decision on Social Protection.
Local CIL in Cacak marked the International Independent Living Day is just preparing for the panel “Participation in political and public life and the right to vote for all”.

Meeting in Sabac

On April 18, there was a meeting organised in municipal premises with the President of Sabac City Assembly, Head of social department in SAbac, Head of Mayor’s Cabinet.
Representatives of CIL Serbia, Association of paraplegics from Macva County and Inter-municipal association of blind presented the results and personal experience of the pilot project of personal assistance service in Sabac.
They also submitted an initiative to Municipality to bring the Decision on financing this service within the City Budget so that PA service would be sustainable after the completion of the project.
Very constructive meeting, we expect good results.