Promoting the human rights of people with disabilities is about changing attitudes and putting in place laws that remove barriers to inclusion. The Atlas Alliance and our partners promote rights work and organizational development in poor countries.
A core principle of the Atlas Alliance is "nothing about us without us". This means that people with disabilities are part of each step of every process, from planning stages to completion. The Atlas Alliance strengthen disabled people's own organizations in our partner countries to influence change in local and national governments and to build alliances and networks with other civil society organizations and international non-governmental organizations.
The UN Convention for people with disabilities
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was founded in 2006. UN member states committed to this in order to consult closely with, and actively involve, people with disabilities, including children, through their representative organizations. The Convention alone does not guarantee people with disabilities any of their rights, but it is a step in the right direction. The overall goal of this convention - and of the UN Sustainability Goals - is to ensure that we do not leave anyone behind. This is the foundation and guidelines to the Atlas Alliance's work for human rights and organizational development.
The Atlas Alliance's Human Rights Program
The superior goal of our human rights program is to ensure people with disabilities their rights, as well as to ensure their influence on issues that affect their lives. People with disabilities are the foremost experts on the barriers that prevent full and effective participation in society. They often have the solutions to the problems that affect them, and Disabled Persons' Organizations (DPOs) around the world are their legal representatives.
Goals for our human rights program
The Atlas Alliance and our partners have identified the following goals in working with rights and organizational development:
- Disabled people's own organizations influence national and local decision-making processes.
- Girls and boys, women and men with disabilities benefit from national and local services.
Target audiences
We have the following target audiences that are directly involved in our activities in Africa and Asia:
- Disabled people's own organizations and their members.
- Development representatives (voluntary organizations and civil society organizations).
- Local and national authorities.
Questions
Do you have any questions regarding the Atlas Alliance’s human rights work? Contact the head of the program department, Marte Onstad-Svare, via email: marte.onstad-svare@atlas-alliansen.no.