Wbu human rights survey

The WBU survey for Human rights` intervention and advocacy support:

Some previous efforts of the WBU and its subcommittees to advocate and support blind or partially sighted persons have not been completely successful. Advocating efforts to the UN and government offices have left us without any form of response or feedback to our specific concerns. On one occasion, specifically with respect to the killings of people with albinism in Tanzania the WBU wrote a letter to the UN high commissioner for human rights but it took four years before the Commissioner wrote a report to the UN general assembly. Since the report from the Commissioner to the general assembly did not specify any one contributor but rather “NGOs” we will never know if our advocacy efforts succeeded. Regardless, four years is far too long a time from knowledge to action.

Based on our experiences, we need to rethink how we advocate for change in situations of serious human rights abuse where blind or partially sighted persons are particularly vulnerable. In that process, your experience, advocacy efforts and conclusions will be very valuable and much appreciated as we improve our strategy to respond to human rights abuse and violations affecting blind or partially sighted persons at the global level. Please take the time to review this survey and help us by answering as many of the six questions you can. Please send your answers to [e-mail] by August 31^st.

Name of your organization:

Your organization`s region (ABU, AFUB, EBU, NA/CARRIBBEAN, ULAC, WBU-AP):

1. 
   The UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD) is the first treaty to globally respect and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. It reaffirms several unique contributions to the human rights community and articulates fundamental principles. Some examples are: Article 12 – Equal recognition before the law, Article 13 – Access to justice, Article 15 – Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Article 16 – Freedom from exploitation, violence or abuse and Article 18 – Liberty of movement and nationality. With regard to the UN CRPD, please give examples of and describe what human rights abuses/violations blind or partially sighted persons have faced within your country.
   

2. 
   What actions did your organization take to address their situation and were they successful? (Example: press release, legal counsel, organized protests, advocating government offices)
   

3. 
   Did your organization request assistance from the WBU or the regional presidents in response to the situation? If so, which assistance did you receive?
   

4. 
   Has your organization collaborated with any local or national disability organizations, civil society actors, non-for-profit organizations, human rights organizations, schools or universities in advocating against - or addressing - human rights abuses/violations of blind or partially sighted persons? (If so, please specify the organization(s) and describe the outcome.
   

5. 
   Does your organization have a strategy for assisting blind or partially sighted persons in situations of human rights abuses/violations? (If so, please describe the strategy, when and how it has been implemented).
   

6. 
   Some situations of human rights abuse may call for actions on multiple levels. The WBU could - although it’s very limited resources for individual situations – develop and provide your organization with instruments such as toolkit, advocacy support or co/signed letters. How do you think the WBU could or should support your organization in future situations where blind or partially sighted citizens` human rights are abused or violated in your country?
   

Thank you very much for your time and commitment. When you have completed the survey, please send it to Anders Arnor, Intern at the WBU office at [e-mail].