European Social Forum - CYPRUS

 

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SOCIAL

Active Citizens and persons with disabilities

ESFC, in its fight for culture and a democratic and human society, inside the big European Family is putting into action the following program. The subject of the program is Active Citizens and persons with disabilities





The basic aims are:

  • The active involvement of persons with disabilities as Active citizens who know and who can protect their wrights.
  • To press the state and local self governments for accessibility to all buildings and a human approach in helping persons with disabilities by public and municipal employees.

To implement the above aims the following actions are being implemented.

  1. To form a group of Cypriots with disabilities for programmed visits to various public services and municipalities of the Limassol area and to various places of entertainment. During these visits the group of persons with disabilities will be accompanied by the mass media and will give some special questionnaires to the people.
  2. A similar program of a visit to Cyprus from a guest group of persons with disabilities. They visited Cyprus from 25/1 to the 1/2/2008, from countries of the EEU and members of the European network FIMITIC.
  3. On 29/2 a conference, with 100 participants (30 persons from EU countries) took place, and the following subjects were discussed.
    • Accessibilities of European cities.
    • The possibility of persons with disabilities to become active citizens.
    • Problems that we face.
  4. The findings will be sent to all ministries of the republic of Cyprus who are related to our problems and to inform, through FIMITIC, the various European organizations i.e. EDF, FRA and all member states of EU.

It is clear that this program targets to involve persons with disabilities. This is a group of persons with many problems, who, due to their disabilities, their economical problems, their subtle health and our inhospitable cities.

These people are gettoed and they live at the margin of life. These conditions are unacceptable by the EU, which, through the European Community Fund, and through many programs is fighting against this fact. It fights against the malfunctions of the national governments and state mechanisms of its member states.

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EUROPE FOR CITIZENS and Esfc, as an information center in Cyprus.

The European Program “EUROPE FOR CITIZENS 2007- 2013” which after a European Parliament decision (no. 1904/2006EK) aims at the implementation of the Active Citizens Program. This is the active partnership of all the European Citizens in the process of decision making of every local state and European carrier of power. This is on the basis of Human Rights as they are safeguarded in the European Instructions and in international conventions.

A second basic aim of this program is the inter-cultural acceptance, through inter-personal meetings and co-operation of all European citizens, on the programmed actions of the European Parliament and the council of Europe .

ACTIVE CITIZENS FOR EUROPE comprising:

  1. Fraternization of European Cities
  2. Citizens plans and support measures.

ACTIVE SOCIETY FOR CITIZENS comprising:

  1. The structural support of research organizations
  2. The structural support of organizations of the Citizen Society on a European level.
  3. The support for plans proposed by the society for citizens organizations.

TOGETHER FOR EUROPE comprising:

  1. Functions of public promotion, in the European Union.
  2. Studies, researches and gallops.
  3. Information tools and propagation of information.

ACTIVE EUROPEAN MEMORY, which is the safeguarding of names for places and locations, as they relay to the displacement and the memory of victims.

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In conclusion with the program: “EUROPE – ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (PWD)” , where people from ten different countries took part, we hereby announce the results of this program, which will also forwarded to all the services of the Cypriot Government that are involved and to the NGO that took part from other countries as well:

  • Public buildings i.e. Municipality buildings, Administration buildings etc, that do not have enough parking places for Disabled peoples' cars, ramps, elevators, and proper bathrooms.
  • There are not enough hotels with the correct foundations to accommodate people with disabilities, and proper Taxis and buses for their transfers.
  • The main streets are very dangerous for the circulation of wheel chairs, due to narrow sidewalks and without access to them and with a lot of other different obstacles.
  • Most of the stores and recreation centers do not carry the appropriate foundation.