Canberra ACT Disability Info: Australian Youth Delegation Daily Report

People with Disability Australia

Australian Youth Delegation Daily Report - Sunday 8 June 2014
Conference of State Parties (COSP) in New York

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Today, the Australian Non-Government Youth Delegation met with our mentors, Ms Therese Sands, People with Disability Australia (PWDA) and Ms Rosemary Kayess, Australian Centre for Disability Law (ACDL). We came together to prepare for the Civil Society Forum and the Conference of States Parties (COSP), and the presentations we will give at our side-event on Thursday 12 June. Our mentors gave us tips on how to speak, our presentations and delivery of our speeches.

A focus of our meeting was the scheduling of side events and other activities when we are at our meetings in the UN. Delegates have been given opportunities to attend different and unique side events based on their professional and personal interests to learn more from other countries and youth leaders on the rights and issues of persons with disability.

IMAGE: Australian young delegates with disability at a pre-COSP meeting

IMAGES: Australian young delegates
with disability at a pre-COSP meeting

IMAGE: Australian young delegates with disability at a pre-COSP meeting For our side-event, the delegation was advised to consider and touch on issues that affect the disability sector on a global level, rather than a local Australian level. For other delegates from around the world, we are focusing in a general and uncomplicated way on the blocks and barriers that people with disability experience in becoming leaders. Our presentations will span about 3-4 minutes each.

A major focus of our meeting was discussion about the issues we will each cover in our presentations. During this discussion, the delegates each spoke of the barriers and opportunities that hinder youth from becoming more involved in the disability rights movement.

Brainstorming ideas covered included:

personal assumptions of young persons with disability,
vulnerability of women with disability,
rural and remote access to support and services,
generational gaps between older and younger people with disability in advocacy roles,
the right to make our own decisions in life and to take risks, and
innovation, inclusion and cultural integration of people with disability.

Each delegate will draft points based on this discussion, and finalise our presentations over the next few days.

Bonnie Millen
Australian NGO Youth Delegation to COSP

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