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Objectives set at 9th World Conference of ICEVI, Thailand 1992
Delegates at this conference resolved that all ICEVI activities for the next Quinquennium would be directed to supporting the Pacific Island Council (PIC). The PIC is a representative membership organization of the smaller island nations: Kiribati, Cook Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. Member agencies include 14 government and non government agencies serving children and adults with disabilities. Australia and New Zealand agreed to promote the needs of PIC in their own countries at both government and non government levels to obtain financial, technological, human resource and in- kind support for service projects submitted by PIC. PIC members at this conference defined access to literacy and training of personnel as their two major needs.
Objectives Achieved:
Supportive structures established to support PIC:
Both Australia and New Zealand established their own effective support structures. New Zealand focused on individual networking within their own country to obtain scholarships, training opportunities, and provision of human resources, as well as cooperating with PIC (Australia) on specific projects. Australia focused on fundraising at both government and non government levels. This necessitated the formal establishment of a company, PIC (Australia), to meet the stringent legal requirements set by the Australian Securities Commission for sending money off- shore and achieving tax exemption status for contributions. I held the dual roles of ICEVI Pacific and PIC (Australia). A small Executive Committee comprised representatives of: 1. government and non government organizations 2. national and international bodies serving the visually impaired and 3. influential philanthropists. Sight Savers International generously funded a staff member to assist with the arduous administration required to deal with government bureaucracy.
Projects:
1. Access to Literacy Projects:
Two projects were undertaken
at a regional level and a number at country level.
Regional Projects:
1.1 Regional Computer Braille Production Unit:
In partnership with the World Blind Union (WBU), Royal New Zealand Foundation for Blind (RNZFB), Ulverscroft Foundation UK, and the Association for Blind (Victoria), a regional Braille Production Unit was established in Fiji. Equipment valued at AUD$15,000 donated by WBU, the funding for training of Braille operators from Fiji by RNZFB, and $2,500 from Ulverscroft Foundation for Braille Paper (supplied at a greatly reduced cost by the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind) illustrates the key role ICEVI can play in negotiating successful partnerships to establish projects.
1.2 Regional
Spectacle Production Unit:
In partnership with
Rotary Club Albury, we succeeded in upgrading equipment valued at AUD$25,000
for The Mt Sion Optical Workshop, Papua New Guinea, for the production
of low cost spectacles to be available throughout the region. The
project also included technical training on site.
A number of in country
projects were also undertaken to facilitate access to literacy. These
included:
1.3 Braille
Paper:
Braille paper was made available on demand to the programmes in Western Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. A group of Australian volunteers was formed to acquire and cut the paper to the appropriate size for Braillers.
1.4 Perkins Braillers:
Braillers donated by St Paul's School for Blind (Victoria) were forwarded to Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
1.5 Eye simulators and Low vision aids:
Materials donated by the Association for Blind (Victoria) were forwarded to Mt Sion Centre for the Blind, Papua New Guinea. A large number of low vision aids collected from various special schools throughout Australia were forwarded to the Fiji School for the blind.
1.6 An Image Enhancing Machine for Braille:
Equipment valued at AUD$2,000
was donated by St Paul's School for the Blind and forwarded to the St John's
Association for the Blind, Papua New Guinea.
1.7 Grinding Machine:
A grinding machine donated by Victorian Optometrists (value AUD$1,800) was forwarded to Mt Sion Optical Workshop, Papua New Guinea.
1.8 20 crates of large print books:
These were air freighted free by Qantas (air freight value AUD$1,500) to Fiji.
2.0 Resource Training
2.1 As there was no full-time tertiary training in disability in the Pacific Islands and only limited short term in-service sessions available, we designed, implemented and funded a twelve month full-time course in a tertiary institution for a two-year period. This involved the PIC staff member (Anna Kiousis) and myself in complex negotiations over the past two years with the University of the South Pacific, AusAid, Ministers of Education and Health in the various countries, international non government agencies and other interested organisations. Success was beyond our expectation. Written endorsements for the course were obtained from Ministers of Education in five countries. A pledge of $30,000 from AusAid to expand our feasibility study was made. Approval from the Senate and Council of the University of the South Pacific for such a course was obtained. A request from the Department of Education and Psychology for assistance with staffing and the acceptance of our design of co-teaching for two years while an indigenous lecturer was trained to take over the course was approved. Expressions of interest were received from Christoffel-Blindenmission and AusAid to fund two lecturers. The University of Melbourne also gave a commitment to assist in stocking a regional teachers resource centre for the course. The Australia and New Zealand teachers of the visually impaired gave $2,000 to the resource centre. We await, with interest, the course implementation; as we believe this is the only effective way of providing a continuous flow of trained professionals capable of designing and implementing appropriate programs for their own island countries.
2.2 A number of short-term in-service programs were also undertaken including courses in Integrated Education and Low Vision in Kiribati and Fiji during 1993 and 1994, and a Basic Optometry Course scheduled for Fiji in October 1997.
3.0 Promotion of the needs of the developing Pacific Island nations in Australia and New Zealand
Apart from individual networking, a series of newsletters were distributed widely throughout the entire region. These were funded by Sight Savers International and ICEVI. A brochure providing information on services needed for visually impaired persons was designed by graphic arts students at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and distributed widely. A professional photographer donated his time to take a series of excellent slides. Air Nuigini donated the flights and Kodak the film. These photographs were made available for exhibition and illustrative talks. We also acted as consultants on the training needs of the Pacific and identified appropriate personnel who may be able to fill these needs for a number of organisations including AusAid and ACROD.
4.0 Prevention and Treatment:
4.1 Having achieved our objectives as set out at the 9th World Conference, we formed new ones associated with Prevention and Treatment of Visual Impairment. We submitted a project for Childhood Blindness Prevention Program to International Eye Foundation and succeeded in obtaining a US$25,000 grant for the program which is being conducted out of Goroka in Papua New Guinea. Positive negotiations have taken place with AusAid Health Department for a matching $25,000 grant. The program includes training in basic refraction identification and initial treatment of common eye disorders.
Other related projects have included:
4.2 A constant supply of medication from Alcon Laboratories to Tonga, Solomon Islands, Fiji, PNG and Western Samoa.
4.3 Provision on demand of OKP charts to measure glaucoma from Merke Sharpe, Dohme Pty Ltd (Australia).
Challenge for Future
1. To establish an effective
body in the Pacific islands (be it PIC or some other body) which is a representative
of all the island nations and which includes influential government and
non government persons with power of decision making to devise culturally
appropriate projects for their region, prioritise them, and submit them
to Australia and New Zealand for resource assistance.
2. To obtain consensus that
all projects submitted must have built into them measures for both accountability
and sustainability if they require large funding grants.
3. To have a funded position
to assist the Regional Chair with the enormous amount of administration
necessary to work through government and non government bureaucracy if
the region is to continue its success over the last quinquennial in obtaining
large funding grants.