The Palestinian Red Crescent Society marked on December 4, 2013 International Day of Persons with Disability which was on November 3, and International Volunteer Day which was on November 5, in a mass rally organized at the PRCS Headquarters in al-Bireh. Activities on these two occasions were also organized in Khan Yunis in Gaza Strip, and in the Refugee Camp in Homs- Syria Branch.
The celebration in al-Bireh was attended by Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Kamal al-Sharafi, President of PRCS Dr. Younes al-Khatib, General Director of PRCS Dr. Khaled Joudeh, along with a group of directors of programs and branches including hundreds of volunteers and people with disabilities and their families from various cities and villages in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
In his speech, Minister al-Sharafi praised the efforts exerted in the field of rehabilitating and developing the capacities of people with disabilities through integrating them in the Palestinian society and giving them the chance to assume their effective role in the national process.
He talked about the importance of this effective sector of the Palestinian people, reviewing several accomplishments achieved by persons with disabilities, and stressing on the role of the Israeli occupation in causing many of these disabilities of members of the Palestinian people.
Al-Sharafi called for exerting more work and efforts to offer various human services to this sector of our people and provide them with a decent life and seek to apply relevant laws and legislations on the ground.
On his part, Dr. al-Khatib pointed that rehabilitating people with disabilities and voluntarism are the basic principles of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and marking these two occasions requires serious work to confront the challenges facing this dear and beloved sector of our people.
The President of PRCS presented a set of data and statistics on ratio of handicap in Palestine and said that a large part of them cannot reach schools and cannot use public transportation because of reasons pertaining to the surrounding infrastructure and environment.
He stressed that the findings pushed the PRCS to exert more efforts and work to provide a decent life to people with disabilities and develop their capacities and rehabilitate them, and support the principle of partnership between all stakeholders in order to apply the laws and legislations that serve them.
Al-Khatib greeted the volunteers working with PRCS and blessed the souls of martyrs of PRCS, headed by the first volunteer martyr President Yasser Arafat, and the founder of PRCS Dr. Fathi Arafat and the dozens of martyrs from the PRCS throughout its process which will be completing 45 years of work by the end of December, and the martyrs of the Palestinian people.
Following the words and interventions, one of the students with disability read in a singing tone a poem which talked about the challenges facing people with disabilities and praised the efforts of PRCS in this respect. Volunteer Ahmad Abu Nimreh presented his voluntary journey with PRCS.
The festival started with screening a film about a success story achieved by PRCS with a girl with a disability in the city of Hebron; the festival also included several arts and dance performances presented by Dabkeh Folklore Dance group of PRCS Youth and a group from Total Communication School and the PRCS centers in Nablus and Hebron.
The PRCS marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on November 28, 2013 in Khan Yunis; the event was attended by PRCS President Dr. Younes al-Khatib in addition to the Director General Dr. Khaled Joudeh, the General Secretary of Danish Red Cross Anders Laidekarl, and a group of volunteers working with PRCS in Gaza Strip and hundreds of children with disabilities and their families and people supporting their rights.
Dr. Al-Khatib stressed on that occasion that the PRCS insists to move forward in offering and developing services to people with disabilities through the PRCS branches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the need to implement the Law for People with Disabilities no. 4 of 1999.
He pointed out that the Palestine Red Crescent Society contributed towards the implementation of this law in an effective manner through its centers and branches; he praised the PRCS Rehabilitation Center in Khan Yunis as it offers awareness services to people with disabilities.
On the margin of the event, Dr. Al-Khatib and the Danish guest inaugurated an exhibition of drawings by children with disabilities and their friends, including several artistic pieces.
In the Refugee Camp near the Syrian city of Homs, a celebration was organized to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the slogan: “Together to Integrate People with Disabilities in the Society”. The event included several speeches; the event also included a play and videos screening and cultural contests and folklore group songs.
At the end of the event, token gifts were awarded to around 68 people with disabilities.
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