Den 21 mars 2012, på World Down Syndrome Day, arrangeras konferensen ‘Building our future’ om Downs syndrom i FN.
Press releasen på engelska: 

World Down Syndrome Day at the UN – 3/21:  ”Building our Future” 
Conference to be held at United Nations on 21 March 2012 

The first United Nations observed World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) will be celebrated at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, on 21 March 2012 (3/21), with the Conference “Building Our Future”.

Inclusive education, human rights, political participation, changing society attitudes, independent living, how to work with the media and research are some of the topics that will be discussed.

See below the current programme:

World Down Syndrome Day at the UN – 3/21 – “Building Our Future”
Conference Room 2 – United Nations Headquarters – New York, USA – 10.00 to 14:30

10.00 to 10:30 – Opening

• Welcome and Introductions Penny Robertson OAM, Chair of Board, Down Syndrome International (DSi)
• UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon – Message on WDSD (to be confirmed)
• Head of Brazilian and Polish Missions
• Co-sponsor Organisations

10:30 to 11.00 – UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Inclusion – The Importance of Global Coordination Effort to Socialize the Convention

• Rosangela Berman-Bieler – Senior Adviser on Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
• Penny Robertson – Promoting inclusion in schools in Indonesia
• Shona Robertson – Australia – Self-advocate – on her education experience
• Beatriz Paiva – Brazil – Self-advocate – Carpe Diem Association – Co-author of book on communication accessibility

11.00 to 11:30 – Human Rights and Political Participation of Self-Advocates

• Daniela Bas – Director of Division for Social Policy and Development (DESA), UN
• Maria Alejandra Villanueva Contreras- Peru – Self-advocate – Fighting for her right to vote
• David Egan – USA – Self-advocate – Lobbying for his rights at the US Congress
• Ester Nadal Tarrago – Spain – Self-advocate who participated on book on the Convention

11:30 to 12:30 – Changing Society Attitudes – From Neglect and Institutionalization to Protagonist and Living in the Community

• Rose Mordi – Nigeria – President of Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria
• K.S. Sripathi – India – State Chief Information Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Government, Down Syndrome Association of Tamil Nadu
• Jason Kingsley – USA – Self-advocate, Co-author of book “Count Us In: Growing Up With Down Syndrome”
• Emily Perl Kingsley – USA – Mother, writer, activist, author of “Welcome to Holland”
• Tom Forester – USA – Director of Residential Services – Association for Children with Down Syndrome (ACDS), Long Island, NY
• Michael Brennan – USA – ACDS Group Home Resident

12:30 to 13:00 – The Power of Media – A Guide to Work with the Media to Promote Inclusion

• Michelle Whitten – USA – Global Down Syndrome Foundation – How to get media’s attention in a positive, constructive way
• Patricia Almeida – Brazil – MetaSocial Institute – Brazil’s experience with WDSD and inclusive actions in collaboration with the Media
• Tatiana Heiderich – Brazil/Holland – Self-advocate on her experience as a TV reporter

13:00 to 14:00 – Care, Treatment and Research – What’s new on the DS front

• Dr. Jose Florez – Director, Mass General Hospital Down Syndrome Clinic; Director, NDSC; Clinical Advisory Board, NDSS
• Dr. Brian Chicoine – Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center, Lutheran General Hospital; Scientific Advisory Research Group, DSi
• Dr. Dennis McGuire – Director of Psychosocial Services, Adult Down Syndrome Center, Lutheran General Hospital; Scientific Advisory Research Group, DSi
• Dr. Edward McCabe – Executive Director, Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome
• Margie Doyle – Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF) – Latest on research and how to help studies move faster

14:00h to 14.30 – Launch:

1. DSi 2012 WDSD Global Video Event
2. New WDSD Website 
3. DSi UN Convention Global Outreach Programme
4. Book “Change the way you speak and I will change my way of understanding”- By Carolina Yuki Fijihira, Ana Beatriz Pierre Paiva, Beatriz Ananias Giordano, Carolina de Vecchio Maia, Carolina Reis Costa Golebski, Claudio Aleoni Arruda, Thiago Rodrigues, from Carpe Diem Association, Brazil
5. Book “The United Nations International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commented by its Protagonists” – By Down España

14:30 – Closing

The event is sponsored by the Missions of Brazil and Poland to the UN and organised by Down Syndrome International with the collaboration of the Brazilian Federation of Associations of Down Syndrome (FBASD), Down España, Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF), National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Special Olympics and the UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Registration

Participants from all around the world are welcome, especially those with Down syndrome.

There is no cost for registration. Confirmation to attend the event can be made by the email to undsconference@gmail.com .

Please inform name, email, age, nationality, relation to Down syndrome (self, parent, relative, professional, teacher, student, friend or other-specify), document number (passport, driver’s license, student´s ID), whether you have a disability and what kind and if you need a disability-related accommodation or service.

Only participants with their names on the list and an ID will be allowed in the building. Space is limited.