The second meeting of the
ICEVI Executive Committee during the current quadrennium was held at Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from 6 to 7 February 2004. ICEVI wishes to share the
following key points that were discussed at this meeting for the benefit
of the readers of The Educator.
1. Lee Projects - Region Specific Strategies for 2004
The experience of implementing projects
in 2003 has helped identify the strategies that work best in each region
and in close consultation with the regional chairs, the next phase of
projects are currently being finalised. Mazars Worldwide, a Hong Kong
based accountancy firm, has generously offered to audit the accounts of
the Lee Foundation free of charge. At the meeting of the Executive Committee
the regional chairs discussed how the preparation of accounts could be
managed to meet national as well as international requirements, and agreement
was reached on procedures that would allow each region to fulfil its obligations.
The ExCo agreed for a vote of thanks to Mazars Worldwide for its invaluable
support.
2. Memorandum of Understanding with IBSA
In order to formalise collaboration between
ICEVI and the International Blind Sports
Federation (IBSA), a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between
the president of ICEVI and the President of IBSA, Mr Enrique Perez. In
his address Enrique emphasised the importance of developing opportunities
for people with a visual impairment to participate in sport and confirmed
that IBSA would be working closely with the regions of ICEVI to promote
this aim.
3. ICEVI-WBU Policy Paper on Education
ICEVI-WBU Joint Educational Policy Statement
was adopted by the ExCo with only minor modifications in phrasing.
4. Position Paper on Education for All Children
The members of the ExCo were divided
into three groups to work on the background paper on "Achieving Education
for All Children with Visual Impairment" prepared by ICEVI. While
appreciating the efforts taken in preparing the paper, members suggested
that it could be improved further by incorporating the following key suggestions.
1. an introductory statement that identified the
intended audience and the scope of the
paper
2. a clearer distinction between the analysis
and the recommendations
3. an increased emphasis on the Human Rights dimension
4. a strengthening of the situation analysis
5. a clearer definition of the resource implications
of the proposals for the
expansion of services
6. A need to recognise and capitalise upon legislative
and policy commitments made
by Governments towards
disability issues and EFA
7. The development of a section providing
an overview of the international documents
and agreements and relating to EFA
8. support for the representation of parents on
the EFA Task Force
The paper is being revised now and will be ready by the end of 2004.
5. Recruiting institutional members of ICEVI
The ExCo endorsed a proposal
to invite organizations to become subscribing members. The recommended
subscription rates were determined in relation to the turnover of the
donor organisation i.e.,
Less than 1 million US dollars
: US $ 100 per annum
1 to 5 million US dollars :
US $ 500 per annum
More than 5 million US dollars
: US $ 750 per annum
The President will send
a cover letter with an appeal to the potential organisations inviting
them to become subscribing members. The regional chairs and other members
of ExCo were requested to provide details of potential subscribers in
their region to the Secretariat in order to update the database prepared
by the ICEVI Secretariat.
6. Charges for The Educator
The ExCo endorsed a proposal
put forth by the Principal Officers to make a charge of US $ 50 per quadrennium
to individual members for subscription to The Educator. The current issue
is the last that individual members will receive free of charge.
7. Development of Concept Papers
Members also discussed
at length the need to develop ICEVI concept papers that would not only
layout the position of ICEVI on key issues but would provide guidelines
to those involved in planning and providing services for people with a
visual impairment. Members drew up priorities for themes to be addressed
by the concept papers:
1. Braille versus Print
2. Low Vision
3. Minimum competencies for regular classroom
teachers
4. Role of Residential Schools
5. Guidelines for Living Conditions in Special
Schools
6. Early Childhood Intervention
7. MDVI
8. Technology
9. Sports and Co-Curricular Activities
10. Formulating Guidelines for Developing Minimum Standards
11. Personal Autonomy
ICEVI will soon begin work on the first of these position
papers and that the three that seem to be most needed by our regions are
: 1) Minimum competencies for regular classroom teachers, 2) Early Childhood
Intervention, 3) MDVI.
8. Selection of delegates for the world conference
The members of the ExCo
discussed and unanimously endorsed a plan for delegate selection for the
General Assembly that will immediately follow the World Conference and
will make decisions on a number of matters related to future ICEVI policy
and strategies. The delegates for the World Assembly of ICEVI will be
constituted as follows:
All ExCo Members .. 22
Deputy Regional Chairs (2 per region)
.. 14
Delegates (10 each selected by the
Regional Committee) .. 70
TOTAL .. 106
The Regional Chairs were requested to explain this
procedure to the members of their regional committees and country representatives
so that the delegates for the World Assembly may be decided well in advance.
