The Global South to North Disability Research Network E-Newsletter: 1st Edition (May, 2010) Welcome to the 1st edition of the Global South to North Disability Research Network E-newsletter (in association with the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University, Breakthrough UK Ltd, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies, Stellenbosch University [South Africa]) and Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin. This e-newsletter builds on the previous 20 editions of the original newsletter but has now been reconvened to connect more closely with Global North and Global South perspectives. There has been so much talk about the Global North dominating the disability studies agenda. This e-newsletter serves as a bridge narrowing the gap between the two spaces through sharing of information and creating genuine partnerships. The aims of our e-newsletter are to provide informal, off the press and informative monthly details of global south and global north disability research activities, which might be of interest to audiences including disability activists, organisations of disabled people, students, researchers, policy makers, families, practitioners and local authorities. This sharing and networking links into the aims of the Disability Studies Association (http://www.disabilitystudies.net/). We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to this edition, and we look forward to your 2nd Edition (June) contributions by latest 26th May 2010 so that we have time to put together the e-newsletter. When contributing, please include the following: *  Funding priorities' which readers might be able to link into for funding bids. The details of your institution and one contact person and their email address * Monthly commitment to provide us with BRIEF information (including related web links) about disability research activities you and your colleagues are involved with. This could be no more than a few lines. Please ensure that you do not send attachments as we want to keep it workable, informal and relatively easy to read. * To provide details on such things as news on forthcoming publications; conferences/seminars you are attending or hosting; funding opportunities of interest to disability researchers; news from local and national government; international disability issues; stories from research; ideas for research that you would like to explore with interested others; disability studies teaching materials and resources; links to new policy and user consultation, etc? * To provide in your email information categorised in terms of your institution e.g. News from the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University or Activities of the Disability Studies team at University of Cape Town, etc. * To make the email simple text without loads of formatting for ease of putting together the online e-newsletter. * To posit other ideas for developing the e-newsletter. When submitting, please remember to use simple text version for easy accessibility. Once again, thank you for your support. Please submit your contributions to Tsitsi at: tchataika@sun.ac.za   Very best wishes Editors: Tsitsi Chataika (Stellenbosch University, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies & Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin); Dan Goodley (Manchester Metropolitan University) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. News from Critical and Community Disability Studies Research Group Research Institute for Health & Social Change (RIHSC), Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Contact: Dan Goodley: d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk (a) Forthcoming conferences (i) MMU is hosting free international conference: Theorizing Normalcy and the Mundane on the 12th and 13th May 2010 at MMU, RIHSC. The conference will be starting from 10am till 4pm on each day. It is being co-hosted by the Research Institute of Health and Social Change (MMU), University of Chester, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Iceland. For more information, please go to: http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/event_news/news.php?id=80 (ii) MMU is also hosting its free RIHSC's sixth annual conference on the 1st and 2nd July 2010. Participants are invited from researchers, research students and practitioners in the fields of health and social change conference. Abstracts must be submitted no later than 30th May 2010. For more information on call for papers, submission of abstracts and registration, please go to: http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/ or send an email to rihsc@mmu.ac.uk. (b) 'Disability and Economy: Creating a Society for All' The conference was hosted by the Research Institute of Economic and Development, Tokyo University (READ), the University of Tokyo (Todai), in association with MMU. To download conference papers, please visit http://www.read-tu.jp/english/Forum2009/program.html (d) Current ESRC Funded Projects (i) Please see recent project updates for ‘ Does every child matter, post Blair? The interconnections of disabled childhoods’. http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/postblairproject/ (ii) We are also involved in a British Council/PMI2 Funded Project on the following link: http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/malaysiaukdisability/ 2. News from Centre for Rehabilitation Studies, Stellenbosch University & Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin Contact: Tsitsi Chataika: tchataika@sun.ac.za (a) African Policy on Disability and Development (A-PODD) - Enable Africa: Evidence-to action Pathways to Realising the Rights and Potential of Persons with Disabilities in Africa through Influencing Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) A-PODD (www.a-podd.org) is a three year project (2009 – 2011) funded by a research grant from the Health Research Board (Irish Aid), bringing together three partners namely (i) Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, (ii) The Secretariat of the African Decade for persons with Disabilities and (iii) the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies, Stellenbosch University, where the project is primarily based. A-PODD project investigates the need for disability to be included on the agenda of national and international development initiatives. It aims to document and analyse the factors that contribute to realising the rights of disabled people, promote their health and well-being and unlock their economic potential, with government strategies aimed at poverty alleviation. It focuses on how research evidence can be utilised to inform the policy environment (such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and Sector Wide Approaches), and development institutions (such as the IMF, World Bank and WHO). The research also focuses on less formal local, community and grass-roots decision-making and inclusion efforts. The project also seeks to explore pathways of involving disabled people as part of the economic solution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly poverty reduction. Key to this is their access to healthcare, education, housing, and employment. The project is taking place in the following four countries: * Sierra Leone - a country emerging from conflict that resulted in many people being disabled; * Malawi and Uganda - the only two African countries that have Ministries for people with disabilities; * Ethiopia - the second most populous country in Africa, with significant geographical barriers and a highly dispersed population, presenting significant challenges to the inclusion of people with disability. We are using the following data collection methods: * Key informant interviews * Focus group discussions * Critical incident technique * Nominal group technique * Force field analysis We are drawing informants from civil society organisations (i.e. DPOs, CBOs, and NGOs), international development partners, professional organisations, government sectors, institutes of higher learning and individuals. In terms of data analysis, we are employing a thematic content analysis. In 2009, data were gathered in Uganda and Malawi, and feedback workshops where conducted in the respective countries. The research team is now finalising on the two country reports. Work started in January 2010 in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia and we hope to complete the data collection in early 2011, and reports will also be produced. We will then produce a final report informed by the evidence from the four countries, which will be discussed at a concluding workshop in 2011 to which governments, civil society, donors, researchers and others will be invited. This comparative analysis will inform the disability mainstreaming within the region. Factors which restrict or facilitate mainstreaming will be identified along with implementation pathways, as well as local means and mechanisms of addressing them. A code of best practice will be drawn up for moving evidence to action in national development programmes, particularly those focusing on poverty reduction. Research Team 1. Principal Investigator (PI): Prof Mac MacLachlan (Trinity College Dublin) 2. Co-PIs: Ms Gubela Mji & Ms Siphokazi Qcaza (Stellenbosch University) Mr Kudakwashe Dube (The Secretariat of the African Decade) 3. Postdoc Research Fellows: Dr Tsitsi Chataika & Dr Margaret Wazakili (Stellenbosch University & Trinity College Dublin) 4. Research Assistants: Mr Moses Mulumba – Uganda; Mr Boniface Massah – Malawi; Mr Dagnachew Wakene, Ethiopia & Mr Frank Kallon – Sierra Leone 5. Project Administrators: Mrs Marcella Maughan & Mrs Debbie Harrison (b) Forthcoming A-PODD Publication Wazakili, M, Chataika, T., Mji, G., Dube, A.K. & MacLachlan, M. (2010) The Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Poverty Reduction Policies and Instruments:  Initial Impressions from Malawi and Uganda. In (eds.) B. Ingstad, B. & A. H. Eide, Disability and poverty: a global challenge. Bristol: Policy Press. (c) Future Conference The 3rd Symposium of the African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD) will be held in Zimbabwe in 2011. Provisional dates are set for the 26th November to 2nd December 2011, and these will be confirmed soon. AfriNead 2011 Symposium organisers invite you to participate and dialogue on how to translate research into evidence-based advocacy, practice and policy, particularly in the African context. Please visit www.afrinead.org to access information about the last two symposiums held in Cape Town (South Africa) in 2007 and 2009, and other topical issues. We also invite you on our website and register for free in order to participate on the online discussion forums. For any further comments or enquiries, please email Natalie Melling-Williams on info@afrinead.org 3. News from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Faculty of Social Sciences Contact: Assistant Prof. How Kee Ling (lhkee@fss.unimas.my) (a) Forthcoming International Conference: The Faculty of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in collaboration with Research Institute of Health & Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) are hosting an international conference: Perspectives on Inclusive Development: Embracing Diversity and Creating Disability-Sensitive Communities Date: 28 - 29 July 2010 Venue: Hilton Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak (Malaysia) Purpose MMU and UNIMAS have just concluded working on a two-year collaborative research project entitled: ‘Towards a culturally sensitive disability studies: Interconnections of disability studies in and across Malaysia and the UK’, funded by the British PMI2 initiave. The main objective of project was to understand the barriers facing disabled people in and across the UK and Malaysia and developing international perspectives through the sharing of theory, research findings, practice and policy in relation to the promotion of disabled people in mainstream society. This end-of-project conference aims not only to disseminate research findings, but also to facilitate the establishment of effective and sustainable partnerships among disabled people, civil society, NGOs, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and educators within and across countries. Conference Objectives * To provide a forum for disabled people, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and educators to share experiences and perspectives on inclusion of disabled people and other marginalised groups into the development agenda. * To develop international perspectives through the sharing of theory, research findings, practice and policy in relation to disability and development. * To provide a springboard for participants to establish partnership and collaboration in forging practice, research and policy which contribute towards inclusive development and creation of disability-sensitive communities. Conference Participants We invite participants from the disability community, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and educators, government sector, NGOs, INGOs and civil society. Conference Speakers We have drawn the following speakers with international experience: (I) Plenary: Disability and Development i) Prof. Dan Goodley, Leader of the Disability Research Project, MMU (UK) ii) Prof. NAGASE Osamu, READ (Research Institute of Economic and Development, Tokyo University), Japan iii) Dr. Tsitsi Chataika, Research Team member (MMU); Stellenbosch University, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies (South Africa); and Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland (II) Session 1: Inclusive Development i) Assoc. Prof. Dr. LING How Kee, Project Leader, UNIMAS (Malaysia) ii) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rebecca Lawthom, Project co-leader, MMU (UK) iii) Dr. Kenji Kuno, JICA, Malaysia/Team member, UNIMAS (III) Session 2: Social Policy and Accessibility i) Director General, Social Welfare Department, Malaysia ii) Mr. Francis Johen, Assistant State Attorney General, Sarawak/Sarawak Society for the Disabled (Malaysia) iii) Mr. Maniam Sinasamy, UNDP, Project on Accessibility and Universal Design (IV) Session 3: Promoting Disability-Sensitive communities: Lessons learned from the research i) Mr. Dolly Paul Carlo (Project co-leader), UNIMAS (Malaysia) ii) Ms Ng Kui Choo (Project Team Member), UNIMAS (Malaysia) iii) Ms Yeo Swee Lan, ‘Self Advocacy: An essential component in school curriculum’ (Malaysia) iv) Ms Chan Kim Geok, UNIMAS (Malaysia) (V) Session 4: Inclusion or Special Education: International Experiences i) Dr. Katherine Runswick-cole, ‘Mainstream, segregated or separate? Dilemmas in inclusive education in England’, Research Institute for Health and Social Change, MMU (UK). ii) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angeline Cheah, Universiti Sains (Malaysia) iii) Prof. Michael Churton, University of South Florida, Professor and Director International Development and Research (USA) (VI) Concurrent Sessions There will also be the following co-current sessions (a) Self-Advocacy & Disability Rights (i) Representative from United Voice, a self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities in Selangor (ii) Dr Naziaty Md Yaacob, Disability Rights Group/Head, Department of Architecture, University of Malaysia. iii) Rebecca Mallett, Sheffield Hallam University (UK), ‘Beyond the classroom walls: Using popular culture to promote disability equality’ (b) Disability and Ageing (i) Dr. Sidiah Siop, Department of Nursing, UNIMAS (Malaysia) (c) ICT and Assistive Technology i) Dato Dr Zaliha Omar, Project Leader, Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities (MIND) (d) Additional Information Poster sessions will also be organised to allow Disabled People’s Organisations and other interest groups to display their works. The papers and discussions will be compiled into a publication for wider circulation and consideration. 4. News from Chan Kim Keog from Malaysia Contact: Chan Kim Geok: kimgeokchan@gmail.com Chan Kim Keog is undertaking a PhD study using qualitative approach and in-depth interviews to explore experience of 27 parents (mostly mothers) of children with down syndrome (whose age < 18 years old) from among the different ethnic groups, both in the rural and urban settings, focusing mainly in the south-western region of Sarawak, Malaysia. Findings are indicating that besides the socio-emotionally related experiences, and increased care giving difficulties related to child’s conditions, parents experience more challenges in relation to limitation in financial resources and transportation, though they regularly receive a very small disability grant meant to financially assist them in the care giving process. In the research process, some mothers expressed the gratitude that “at least there is someone who is interested to find out about how our lives are like, having a child with down syndrome”; there was also a suggestion from some parents for further research to establish society's attitudes towards children with down syndrome. This ongoing study is part of the postgraduate study with the Medical Faculty (Nursing Department), with the research grant funding from the University of Malaya's postgraduate unit offered in 2008. 5. News from Disabled Women in Africa, Zimbabwe Contact: Monika Scheffler (Coordinator): diwa@diwa.ws a) Urgent Call for Gender-Sensitive Disability Studies There are volumes of studies about the situation of women. Furthermore, more and more studies have been carried about the living conditions of disabled people. But to find data about women and girls with disabilities is like searching a needle in the haystack. Today, it is not sufficient just to say what is obvious: that women and girls with disabilities face a number of unique challenges as compared to men and boys with disabilities. You have to prove it. Governments, development agencies, and donors want to see valid data before decision making. There is lack of reliable data because most data on women does not explicitly mention the situation of disabled women. Likewise, most research on disabled people does not provide data on disabled women. If we had more differentiated data, it would be easier for us to lobby governments, international development organizations, and not at last donors. Lately, funders like DFID are responding to the demands of disabled people to be included in disability research. This approach is overdue since only disabled people themselves have full expertise about their lives, challenges, problems and possible solutions for the latter. But the question is: Are disabled women included in a way that gender-disaggregated data is produced now? There is no evidence of it up to now. But there is urgent need! As we all work on human rights issues, trying to smash the vicious circle of poverty, dependency, and abuse, it is key that we also highlight that disabled persons are not a monolithic group and that an understanding of discrimination against disabled women is integrated into the analysis. It is essential in our mutual approach to integrate a more nuanced understanding of disabled person’s situation, including diverse impacts it can have on groups experiencing multiple discriminations, such as women with disabilities. Although comprehensive disability-related data and statistics are difficult to find, it is estimated that: * Literacy rates for women with disabilities globally may be as low as 1% (UNDP); * Mortality rates amongst girls with disabilities are much higher than for boys with disabilities due to neglect, poor access to medical care and reduced access to food and other resources (USAID, UNICEF); * Only 25% of women with disabilities are in the global workforce (UN); * Girls with disabilities are more likely to be institutionalized than boys (WHO); * Because of the high risk of gender-based violence and lack of access to reproductive health care services, women with disabilities face unique challenges in preventing HIV infection (WB); * Women and girls with disabilities living in institutions experience higher rates of physical and sexual abuse, and in some cases face abuse rates double those of women and girls with disabilities living in the community (HRW). Are these or other estimates not worth to be thoroughly researched? Are research programmes not obliged to assess their contribution towards gender equality? How can the power imbalance between men and women with disabilities be reduced if research is not even providing gender-disaggregated data? 6. News from The Zimbabwe Deaf Media Trust Contact: Lovemore Chidemo: chidemol@gmail.com The Zimbabwe Deaf Media Trust is a registered media for development and advocacy trust. The trust was recently registered and its main objective to promote and advance the Deaf Culture and Language, and rights of the Deaf community in Zimbabwe. Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Rights is the only one makes direct reference to language. However it can be argued that language affects the enjoyment of all the other rights enshrined in the Declaration of Rights. Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) compels States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to, among others, information and communications including ICT. Further, Article 8 compels States Parties to take measures to raise awareness on matters regarding disability. Zimbabwe, however, is not yet a signatory to the UNCRPD, and as such disabled people in the country are not able to fully enjoy the rights as enshrined in this very important international statute. It is against this sad background that a team of deaf individuals came together to form the Zimbabwe Deaf Media Trust to address issues of access to information for deaf people who use sign language. Another than issues pertaining to the deaf community, the Trust also aims to raise awareness about disability issues in general in Zimbabwe. The major activity of the Trust will be to produce regular TV programmes for public broadcast in Zimbabwe Sign Language. Literacy for Deaf people in Zimbabwe (and in most countries the world over) is very low, and their comprehension of the English Language (and other written and spoken languages) is very limited. Because of this, Deaf people in Zimbabwe have very little information to enable them to advance their status. Informal research shows that there is very little information available to the deaf people on issues like HIV and AIDS as awareness programmes are mainly through the print and oral media (both radio and television). The deaf community is therefore left out, resulting in many of its constituency dying because of lack of information and/or misinformation on HIV and AIDS. The objective of the Trust is to address this issue and also raising awareness about deafness among the hearing people and those in positions of authority by highlighting problems that deaf people face in the country. We are now looking for funding so as to start programs for the deaf community in sign language. Previous programmes shown on our national television only ran for one season at a time and had to be shelved due to funding challenges despite positive feedback from the deaf community in the country. The aim of the trust is to make television programmes in Zimbabwe Sign Language a permanent feature of Zimbabwe television viewing. Unfortunately, the only public television broadcaster in the country has no funding to commission independent producers for Sign Language programmes. Neither does the government provide funding for programs in Sign Language despite setting minimums for content in Sign Language on national television. Consequently, independent producers must seek their own funding. We are therefore looking for funding partners so that we can commence production. Our target is to have the programme in Sign Language ready for the third season for public broadcasting, commencing in September 2010. If you can or know of any organisations that could fund our initiative, you or they can contact Lovemore Chidemo at chidemol@gmail.com or +263912463725 (sms only); or Agness Chindimba at chindimba.agness1@gmail.com or +263913392327 (sms only).  As Zimbabwe rebuilds, we kindly request your assistance for the deaf community to be part of the development agenda.   7. Launch of Dedicated Website for Civil society and the MDG Summit Contact: Frank Mulcahy: fmulcahy@iol.ie 2010 will be a critical year in determining which development pathways our world will pursue.  In 2000, UN Member States agreed to the Millennium Declaration and committed themselves to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Only five years remain to achieve the MDGs, and despite some progress, collectively we are falling short. The consequence of our collective failure is that improvements in the lives of the poorest are slow to be realized – or not at all – and are now being further eroded by the onset of the onset of global crises, including economic, food and climate. However, the MDGs are achievable. UN Member States will again come together this September in New York for an ‘MDG summit’ (High-level Plenary Meeting), with the primary objective of accelerating progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, taking into account the progress made towards the internationally agreed development goals. As a part of the process leading to the summit, the General Assembly will also convene ‘Hearings’ with representatives of civil society and the private sector from 14-15 June. The outcomes of these hearings will be integrated into discussions at the summit and the outcome document. With an aim of keeping interested civil society stakeholders informed on the latest developments related to the summit process, the UN Millennium Campaign and the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) have launched a dedicated website: www.un-ngls.org/mdg2010. This website will report on all the latest developments related to the summit, give voice to perspectives from civil society and provide information on how to be engaged in the summit process. 189 world leaders made an historic promise at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 when they signed onto the Millennium Declaration and agreed to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  This summit offers an opportunity for citizens to let their leaders know that they expect them to deliver on these promises and that they expect them to come to this meeting ready to clearly spell out exactly how they plan to do this. The Millennium Campaign exists to inspire and support citizens to take action and hold their governments to account for the accelerated achievement of the MDGs. The goal of the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is to strengthen the relations between the United Nations and civil society. It was established on the belief that meaningful civil society engagement in UN processes and deliberations is essential for the realization of the goals of the Organization and the pursuit of global democratic governance. 8. News from Uganda Contact: Aloyius Kiribaki, Development Manager (Sense International, Uganda) - aloysiusk@senseint-ea.org (a) National Development Plan – Your Contribution. Dear Colleagues, Friends and Partners I am very pleased to write to you all especially at this time when I am just settling into my new assignment with Sense International (Uganda). I must say, I have been very much overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages most of you sent me when Mr. Joseph Walugembe let the cat out of the bag. There has been no better congratulatory message to me and the disability fraternity in Uganda than what His Excellency President Y.K Museveni unveiled on 20/4/2010. This is a great message to all of us that we must wake up and begin working tirelessly to ensure that disabled people get a significant share of the UGX 50 trillion’s National Development plan (get details from file attached). I am very sure most of you have read from the newspapers about the new National Development Plan (NDP) that replaced the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). We have been fighting for full inclusion in the national development agenda but we still have several miles to go. Most of you will recall that in the PEAP 2004/5 - 2007/8, little was achieved by the disabled people. I kept wondering why??? Could it be that disability is mentioned few times in the document that many times implementers do not see it as a crosscutting issue worth giving attention? It forced me to count the various words in the NDP and PEAP to see if this is true and whether if the number of times an aspect is repeated, the more it is given weight. The table below shows the number of times each word was mentioned in the NDP document: No PEAP 2004/5 – 2007/8 NDP 2010/11 -2014/15 1.       PWDs  - 7 PWDs/PWD – 6 2.       Disability  - 11 Disability  - 14 3.       UNCRPD  - 0 UNCRPD  - 1 4.       Special needs -  5 Special needs -  17 5.       Women  -  113 Women  -  133 6.       Youth  -  7 Youth  -  26 7.       Children  -  148 Children  -  66 8.       Poverty  -  300 Poverty  -  95 9.       Water   -  241 Water -  425 10.              Education – 308 Education  -  332 However, I have not lost hope. Actually the NDP has given me momentum even to think harder and ask all you to do something. While the present NDP has four parts with a total of 11 chapters, only a few have mainstreamed disability issues. Under the Primary growth sectors and complementary sectors (which to me I thought disability would have been conspicuous there) no mention of disability was made save for chapter 7 and 8. For some of you who are good at M&E, this is where you would expected to find issues that will help us to assess the achievement made by the NDP, still disability was left out. My humble request to you all is: 1. We need to come up with a position paper as a response to what government has produced as well thanking government for taking trouble this time round 2. To consider disability much more compared to the previous PEAP and above pledging to implement the UNCRPD. By the way, the NDP asserts itself vehemently on the issue of the CRPD. Target different ministries to ensure that their annual plans reflect disability 3. Work round the clock to ensure the government Monitoring and Evaluation framework captures disability as one of the key indicators of success. Finally, I would like to thank the team I worked with at the last minute (14th - 19th Oct 2009) to submit our (disability fraternity) key strategic issues for in inclusion in the draft NDP. Those last few days where we spent sleepless nights reading, analysing and making concrete suggestions for adoption meant a lot. No wonder we have a cause to pat ourselves for the success so far made. Dr. Tsitsi Chataika (South Africa), Mr. Alex Kagona (NUDIPU), Dr. Alice Nganwa, Beatrice Guzu, Paul Senteza, Joseph Walugembe, Christine Ssempebwa - Ka Tutandike Uganda, I am very proud of you and for the sacrifice you made to ensure disability is not left out. The struggle continues and I call upon all of you to team up and we get a real share befitting disabled people in Uganda. This 50 trillion’s NDP [budget] should really make a big percentage of disabled people transformed from peasantry to a modern and prosperous economic sector in Uganda. On a selfish note, join me to ensure that Deafblind people heavily participate and get a significant share of this national cake. I thank you all and I look forward to more commitments, collaboration and networking to enable people whose reality counts but is never counted to be in the limelight of the NDP. 9. Conferences and funding opportunities from the Editors’ Desk (a) Disability Studies Conference The 5th international disability studies conference to be held at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom is scheduled for Tuesday 7th - Thursday 9th September 2010. Online booking is now open. For more information visit the booking section of the website at: www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/events/disabilityconference/. For more information regarding this conference, please contact Hannah Morgan at h.morgan@lancaster.ac.uk or Bob Sapey at b.sapey@lancaster.ac.uk (b) Essay Competition for Emerging Voices in Global Public Health: Towards Universal Health Coverage in developing countries It is a not to be missed opportunity for researchers from Developing Countries to express their viewpoint on universal coverage and potentially to benefit from an original coaching process leading to presentations at ITM Antwerp's colloquium and attendance to the First Global Symposium on Health Systems research, in Montreux. Antwerp Colloquium : 8 to 10 November 2010 http://www.itg.be/colloq2010 Montreux Symposium : 16 to 19 November 2010 http://www.hsr-symposium.org/ More info here: http://www.itg.be/internet/colloq2010/essay%20competition%20rules.html See also the call online in English here: http://internationalhealthpolicies.blogspot.com/2010/04/calleng.html and in French there : http://internationalhealthpolicies.blogspot.com/2010/04/callfr.html For any further information, regarding this golden opportunity, please David Hercot; Responsible for the Emerging Voices competition, and all replies and enquiries should be sent to: emergingvoices2010@itg.be   (c) For an exciting research funding opportunity between British and African researchers, please follow the link below: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Calls/AfricanResearchLeader/index.htm   For any further contributions and information, please contact: Dr Tsitsi Chataika - Postdoctoral Research Fellow Stellenbosch University, Centre for Rehabilitation Studies; Research Associate – Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin; Honorary Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University, RIHSC Tel: +27 219 389 816 Fax: +27 219 146 875 Email: tchataika@sun.ac.za NB: A copy of this Newsletter is available at: http://www.breakthrough-uk.com/DRN.shtml End of Newsletter ?? ?? ?? ?? Page 1 of 18