What is resilience? It's keeping "your eye on the prize" for a goal - fueled by passionate thoughts and actions - to achieve justice and equality.
Resilience permeates this newsletter, with:
Disabled activists convening in Sri Lanka, Armenia and Vietnam, working on laws and policies that will change the everyday lives of people with disabilities;
Organizations like MADRE taking bold steps to accelerate inclusion throughout their work;
Disabled people taking their rightful place as citizen diplomats through their participation in international exchange.
Resilience. It's an important ingredient for making change.
“I feel really proud to be a WILD alumni…more confident, powerful and excited to go ahead in my community.†- WILD delegate from Nepal
In this new video, discover the impact of our first-ever Regional Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) – Asia. Held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in May of 2018, the program convened 15 women with disabilities from China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for eight days, building a pipeline of leaders and a critical mass for social change. Play the captioned video.
WILD 2019 is coming soon to Eugene, Oregon! Save the dates: July 13 - August 3, 2019. More details to follow!
"I’m immersed in a high-energy, laser-focused learning environment among a group of incredible change makers. Some are Deaf, some are hearing. Some are disabled, some are non-disabled. Some are signing, some are speaking. Some are interpreting, some are transcribing. All are working. All are learning. I take a moment to take it all in. And I’m impressed."
MIUSA leads a consortium of organizations for a ground-breaking project called RightsNow! Its training of trainers (TOT) in Vietnam brought together a diverse group of disability leaders who enhanced their skills and knowledge in order to return to their communities and educate others on their rights under the law. Learn more about the TOT, and read a personal reflection from MIUSA staff on the pre-TOT training for Deaf leaders.
MADRE, an international women’s human rights organization, recently made a commitment to ensure disability inclusion is at the core of their values and principles. To help them reach their goal, MADRE invited MIUSA to engage with them through a nine-month partnership and initiative toward inclusive excellence.
In September, staff from MIUSA, Gallaudet University, and International Disability Alliance delivered a two-day disability inclusion training for all MADRE staff. Over the next several months, MIUSA will continue to work with MADRE to turn their new ideas, strategies and commitments into concrete action. MIUSA looks forward to sharing successes and is proud to support MADRE on this exciting journey! Read more about the training and a statement from MADRE's Executive Director.
Studying or volunteering abroad may be easier than you think. You have something important to offer these programs just as they have something important to offer you.
That is the message of the new season of our Ripple Effects podcast as we talk to a variety of guests about themes such as disability, diversity, identity, and employability. Listen to the first episode (transcript available).
At the end of 2017, MIUSA and Armenian NGO AGATE Rights Defense Center for Women with Disabilities launched an initiative working in collaboration with U.S. and Armenian strategists and disability leaders to establish the Coalition for Inclusive Legal Reform. Over the course of 8 months in 2018, the Coalition mobilized individuals to advocate for their rights, engaged legal experts and disability leaders to advocate with government officials and provided analysis and recommendations for inclusion of rights-based technical language in the Disability Law. Learn more about the coalition’s significant accomplishments.
MIUSA was honored to host Alli Strong, a graduate student from the University of Minnesota who joined the RightsNow! and MIUSA exchange teams to put theory into practice. Read Alli's reflection on how her MIUSA experience provided both personal empowerment and professional growth. Find MIUSA internship postings here.
Available to tour national and international galleries and cultural spaces, the Brilliant & Resilient exhibition is a unique exhibition featuring a collection of photographs and personal stories of women with different types of disabilities, all alumni of Mobility International USA’s Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD). Their powerful portraits and vignettes illustrate the issues that significantly impact their lives, including access to education, employment, political power, reproductive health services, and HIV/AIDS and violence prevention. See more: http://www.miusa.org/resource/booksjournalspodcasts/host-photo-exhibit Available to tour national and international galleries, cultural spaces and offices, Brilliant & Resilient is a powerful collection of portraits and personal vignettes of disabled women leaders advocating for disability rights in their communities. Host the exhibit in honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, 2018.
Please donate to MIUSA to support more of this vital work. We can't do it without you!
The below opportunities are NOT administered by MIUSA, but we believe they may be of interest to our readers. Please contact the organization directly for more information!
Shamsudeen, a Deaf student from Nigeria, has a message for other Deaf and disabled teens: "Apply for the YES Program!" This scholarship is open to secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend one academic year in the United States. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Learn more about YES to find out if students in your country are eligible!
MIUSA would like to challenge those living in eligible countries to send the video link to five youth with disabilities who should consider applying. Then tell us about it so we can thank you. Ready? Go!
Career Opportunities with International NGOs
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the United States. What better time to browse job and internship opportunities with members of MIUSA's Excellence in Development and Disability Inclusion (EDDI) initiative? Some recent U.S.-based positions include:
