International advocacy

We’re taking action to advance and protect disability rights around the world.

PWDA undertakes two broad areas of responsibility in our international work.:

• We represent Australian people with disability in Pacific and international forums.
• We work with DPOs in developing countries to build their capacity to self-govern, expand, network with other organisations and governments and sustain effective advocacy.

Since 2002, PWDA has engaged in international development projects which aim to consolidate the development and growth of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and build the disability rights movement in the Asia Pacific and internationally.

PWDA is a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct and is committed to ethical practice and public accountability in all its international development work. PWDA also has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

We hold associate membership of Disabled People’s International (DPI) and have been involved since its inception in 1980.

We have also worked closely with the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) since its inception in 2002.

PWDA draws on our history and organisational experience to share with other DPOs strategies to further their capacity for leadership, organisational development, networking, advocacy, lobbying and policy formulation. We have a strong focus on building partnerships through a DPO-to-DPO approach to disability inclusive development.

Our DPO-to-DPO approach

Our DPO-to-DPO approach puts into application the Disabled People’s International (DPI) slogan ‘Nothing about us without us’.  It provides a unique DPO-to-DPO partnership model to undertake disability inclusive development where both sides of the partnership are enhanced.

Many of our Asia-Pacific colleagues experience levels of disadvantage compounded by an inability to get even basic needs met, like having enough to eat each day. Simple human rights violations of social engagement, sexism or gender persecution, illiteracy, or living in war-torn environments restrict our Asia-Pacific colleagues’ capacity to develop effective advocacy skills, engage in dialogue to understand and advance their own human rights.

Our multi-faceted DPO-to-DPO approach:

• Builds individual capacity by providing practical assistance to people with disability which aims to meet their basic needs and establish a platform where capacity building initiatives are effective and empowering.
• Enhances DPO organisational capacity by fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between DPOs, with the aim to achieve sustainable outcomes and comprehensive change locally, regionally and globally.
• Continues to build the global disability rights movement by enhancing the individual and organisational capacity of people with disability to have a voice of their own.

These are some of the ways in which we strive to assist other DPOs internationally, particularly in the Pacific:

Advocacy and support

• Responsive support for assistance
• Disability inclusive development
• Research
• Campaigns
• Mentoring

Building partnerships and linkages

• Pacific Disability Forum
• Asia Pacific DPOs
• Disabled People’s International (DPI)
• Donor & Development Organisations

Knowledge development

• Governance training
• Strategic planning
• Constitution development
• Effective advocacy techniques
• Understanding Human Rights Frameworks
• Proposal writing and fund seeking

Links to other Disabled People’s Organisations

• First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) – www.fpdn.org.au
• Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) – www.pacificdisability.org
• Women with Disability Australia (WWDA) – https://wwda.org.au/
• National Ethnic Disability Alliance: NEDA (Australia) – https://www.neda.org.au/

Links to other organisations

• Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) – www.acfid.asn.au
• CBM (formally Christian Blind Mission International) – www.cbm.org.au
• Caritas – www.caritas.org.au

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