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Dear Colleagues:
As I write
this letter for the July issue of The Educator I am half a world away
from my Overbrook office at the end of a long trip through Southeast Asia.
Everywhere I have traveled there has been enthusiasm regarding ICEVI and
the many new initiatives that have been launched since our 11th World
Conference last summer. Let me give you and update with just a sample
of some of these activities.
In late March ICEVI held the
first Executive Committee meeting of this quadrennium in Stellenbosch,
South Africa. It was, in my judgment, one of our most productive Executive
Committee meetings ever. Space does not permit me to go into the details
of the meeting here but you will find many of the issues discussed in
the "Strategic Up-date Column" that follows this letter. The
Executive Committee is most grateful to Wilfred Maina, Africa Regional
Chair, and his Southern Africa sub-regional committee for their splendid
hospitality.
The new ICEVI-Hadley distance
education program "Globe-All" is being talked about everywhere
I have traveled. This is a unique opportunity for you to enhance and update
your skill and knowledge and to do so at home and at a pace that suits
your needs since courses can be taken by e-mail or via regular mail. This
program has something to offer everyone, so I hope you will look at the
details of the Globe-All Program elsewhere in this issue of The Educator
and take advantage by signing up as a student in the Globe-All Program.
All courses are being offered free of charge.
As those of you who have taken
the time to read the ICEVI Strategic Plan will know, collaboration is
a key element of that plan. However, a plan is nothing if it does not
begin to show results in concrete ways. Over the past six months we can
see that collaboration has become more than just a ìpolitically
correctî word but is expressing itself in concrete actions.
The newly released ICEVI-WBU
position paper on inclusive education is one example of how ICEVI is working
closely with other organizations. You will find the position paper on
our website and in this issue of The Educator. A big thank you to Bill
Brohier and the team that put so much effort into this document. ICEVI
and WBU are now working on revising and updating an education policy document
developed several years ago by a team from both organizations. This document
will be of particular interest to those of you who are trying to influence
policy in your own country and should be available before the next issue
of The Educator goes to press.
ICEVI is also working closely
with International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). An ICEVI
team will conduct a symposium on education at the upcoming General Assembly
of IAPB.
Sports and recreation are an
important element to any comprehensive education program. I am happy to
report that in August I will meet with Enrique Perez, President of the
International Blind Sports Association (IAPB) at the IBSA World Games
in Quebec City, Canada. At that time we will explore ways that our respective
organizations can work together more closely. I am hoping that in future
issues of The Educator you will receive regular updates from IBSA and
that at the regional and national level we will launch some collaborative
programs. In the near future you will find more on the IBSA-ICEVI collaboration
on our website www.icevi.org and the next issue of The Educator.
For those of you who are struggling
with the challenges posed in teaching secondary level mathematics to children
who are blind; a seemingly universal challenge, help is on the way. In
May, ICEVI and the Overbrook-Nippon Network on Educational Technology
(ON-NET) have launched a regional initiative in Southeast Asia aimed at
improving teaching methods and materials in this curriculum area. It will
take approximately one year to develop and field test the teachers handbook
and training materials but once they are developed they will be available
to everyone through the ICEVI <www.icevi.org> and ON-NET <www.on-net.org>
websites. In the meantime you can follow the progress of the project on
these websites and in future issues of our publications, The Educator
and ICEVI Newsline.
We were recently saddened to
learn that UNICEF is closing the Focal Point on Disability office and
subsuming it under the "Children at Risk" program. I immediately
wrote to Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF to express our concern.
Ms. Bellamy has responded to our letter and the full text of my letter
and her response is included in this issue of The Educator. As you will
see, Ms. Bellamy states that UNICEFís commitment to children with
disabilities will not be diminished and will, in fact, be enhanced by
this action. While we hope this is the case, we ask for your cooperation
in monitoring the situation in your own country. Please provide feedback
to the ICEVI Secretary-General on this matter in the months ahead and
do work actively to see that the needs of children with visual impairment
are fully addressed within appropriate UNICEF programs.
ICEVI has been working closely
with the World Bank as they develop a "toolkit" on visual impairment
for all World Bank offices. This "toolkit" is a document that
will help guide the Bank in its efforts to incorporate the needs of persons
with visual impairment in its programs. Again, if we are to strengthen
and expand educational services for children with visual impairment, particularly
those in developing countries, we all need to make a special effort to
work with the World Bank to see that this policy is reflected in programs
launched by the World Bank with national governments.
Start planning now! I have just
met with the Malaysian Association for the Blind Host Committee who will
host the 12th World Conference in 2006. MAB and other partners in Malaysia
are determined to make this the best conference ever and I believe they
are on their way to keeping that promise. Kuala Lumpur will be a spectacular
venue for our World Conference, so I hope you will plan to join us in
"Malaysia, truly Asia"! A Program Committee will be appointed
shortly and we hope to include the first announcement and the "call
for papers" with the next issue of The Educator.
On the funding front I would
like to take this opportunity on your behalf to publicly express thanks
to the Asian Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness and Organizacion
de Ciegos, Espanoles (ONCE) who have joined the growing list of international
supporters by making an annual pledge of at least $20,000 to our global
effort to equalize educational opportunity for children and youth with
visual impairment.
There are many more things I
would like to share with you, but I know if the Editor were sitting here
looking over my shoulder I think he would be saying..."finish up...finish
up"! So, I will do that and in closing thank all of you for your
active involvement that is helping ICEVI to become a stronger and more
effective organization.
Sincerely,
Larry Campbell
President
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