Invitation Brown Bag Lunch leave no one behind!

In September 2015 the United Nations (UN) endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a plan of action to shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path. At the start of this collective journey, the UN pledged that no one will be left behind. In addition, they expressed the ambition to take further effective measures and actions to remove obstacles and strengthen, support and meet the special needs of people living in areas affected by complex humanitarian emergencies.

People with disabilities (of whom more than eighty per cent live in poverty) are explicitly mentioned in the SDGs as people who should not be left behind. In the meantime, the number of people affected by disasters, terrorist attacks and wars is increasing. How can we address the special needs of people with disabilities in dangerous humanitarian situations that need immediate action?

On Friday 18 March 2016, Vice Versa, Ipso Facto and the Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD) are organizing a Brown Bag Lunch covering this theme.

The program, which will be facilitated by dr. Ellen Mangnus (Advisor Sustainable Economic Development at Royal Tropical Institute), will start with an introduction by Sasja Kamil (Advisor Inclusive Humanitarian Aid at Liliane Fonds), followed by a conversation with three special guests with extensive experience in humanitarian aid. They were in the front line of recent humanitarian crises in the Philippines, Nepal and Bangladesh. What are their stories?

• Deepak Raj Sapkota (Country Director of Karuna Foundation Nepal): after the earthquake of April 2015, Mr Sapkota led Karuna Foundation Nepal to successfully reach out to 100,000 people with relief materials of which 5,000 were children with disabilities.
• Maria Theresa dela Cruz (Program Manager of NORFIL Foundation): Ms Dela Cruz has extensive experience providing support to communities and parents of children with disabilities in the Philippines. As a woman with visual impairment she has experience being bullied and discriminated against, which opened her mind to be an advocate in this sector.
• Nazmul Bari (Director of Centre for Disability in Development): Mr Bari is working on enhancing capacity of development actors to mainstream disability into development in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is frequently affected by floodings. Mr Bari was also involved in humanitarian action after the Rana Plaza factory collapse.

Free lunch is included!

This meeting is co-organized by Liliane Fonds, Light for the World and Karuna Foundation.