ZAEV Inclusive Solidarity Program 26-27

Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, declared by the United Nations General Assembly as a day of raising awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and a commitment to realizing the rights of persons with disabilities not only as a matter of justice but as an investment in a common future at all levels of society. This program will actualize the perceptions of these people, who, regardless of a certain mental or physical disability, can be included with fair and dignified treatment in ordinary life. One of the activities that will be realized in this program will be the joint preparation and packaging of meals during the visit to the Public Institute for Protection and Rehabilitation “Banja Bansko”, an institution that cares for, nurtures, educates and rehabilitates people with disabilities. These meals will be distributed to a vulnerable group of citizens who need a meal. Another activity, among others, will be the organization of an art auction in cooperation with the Public Institute for Protection and Rehabilitation “Banja Bansko”. At this art auction, handmade works by people with disabilities will be exhibited for sale, and the collected funds will be equally distributed among the participants themselves. The purpose of this activity is to emphasize that these people can earn using their creativity, as well as to raise general awareness of the situation of people with disabilities in all aspects of social, economic and cultural life. By enabling people with disabilities to actively participate in social processes by their capabilities, we bring to the surface their potential and set an example that with a sincere desire, obstacles can result in a successful outcome.

International Human Rights Day on 10 December, declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the day on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), was adopted as a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being.

Celebrating Zero Discrimination Day on 1 March, declared by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight the right of everyone to live a life with dignity regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, profession, education and beliefs. Given that the symbol for the Zero Discrimination Day is the ‘butterfly’ (widely used by people to share their stories and photos as a way to end discrimination and work towards positive transformation), will be announced a public call for a photography competition using this symbol, on the theme “Life stories in the fight against discrimination”.

Marking World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March and marking World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April, declared by the United Nations General Assembly, by mapping the families on the territory of the municipality of Strumica who has a member in their family with Down syndrome or autism. The mapping should result in the realization of specific activities that will contribute to increasing awareness and significance of these days, agreed-upon consultation with the before-mentioned families. These activities will aim to break down prejudices against people with Down syndrome or autism, by enabling their integration into society as a whole.