Hello all,
Here is information about exciting projects being carried out by the
Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace in Melbourne.
Disability Action is getting behind these projects and hopes you will too.
If an organisation which you are connected with could contribute, please
contact Liz Curran (see below).
David Morrell
Disability Action Inc.
Phone: +61 8 8352 8599
Freecall: 1800 805 495
TTY: +61 8 8352 8022
Fax: +61 8 8354 0049
Web site: www.ozemail.com.au/~disactn
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To Friends of Justice and Peace in Australia...
The Human Rights Register will be launched on May 17. (See separate message
for details)
This message is about another human rights initiative which the Catholic
Commission for Justice, Development and Peace invites all to contribute to.
The Federal Government has submitted its report to the United Nations Human
Rights Committee in Geneva, as required under the International Covenant of
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Non-government organisations may wish
to consider compiling a combined, consistent and responsive alternative
report to the United Nations.
Rather than NGO's sending numerous individual submissions, one combined
submission is more likely to gain the Committee's attention.
We understand Ireland produces a comprehensive and precise report, and are
seeking to secure a copy which could be used as a template.
The UN Committe on Human Rights may be considering the government's report
in October 1999 or March 2000, and if NGO's were to compile a counter
report, it would have to be timely, taking into account the requirements
for translation.
Any NGO's who would consider co-ordinating such a momentous project, please
contact;
Liz Curran
Executive Officer
Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace
P.O. Box 146
East Melbourne Vic 3002
Ph: 03 9226 5710
Fax: 03 9226 5792
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Disability Action has documented over 70 issues in the past 15 months in
which laws, policies, government decisions and the unwritten practices of
organisations cause disadvantage to people with disabilities. Each issue is
already described in a concise, standardised format. We have not 'tagged'
them as to which of the rights in the ICCPR or ICESCR are relevant.
We will forward the list to the CCJDP, who have a person who can relate the
issues to the human rights documents. The information will then be fed into
the proposed report if it goes ahead. It will also be included in the Human
Rights Register (see separate message).
Disability Action will encourage the National Coalition of Disability
Consumer Organisations (a forum including most of the national peak
disability organisations) to run a project to gather and summarise data,
perhaps to write a section. If they were so inclined, Disability Action
might carry out the work on their behalf with guidance from a steering
committee which they would provide.
=A8=20
If it appears that there is a lack of response from SA organisations,
Disability Action may be able to assist in overcoming that by pushing the
idea through our networks. For example, we have a good working relationship
with SACOSS and some peaks in other sectors, and one of our Management
Committee members is a senior figure in the SA branches of both the United
Nations Association of Australia and the Australian Democrats.
=A8=20
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