As part of International Women’s Week, CGDS, with generous support from the EU, hosted a two-part colloquium about disability, diversity, and inclusion. On March 10, 2021, four groups made presentations on ableism, epistemic violence, inclusivity, and the medical/social models. Workshop participants and presenters included AUIS student-facilitators Ms. Raz Mohammed Abdulla, Ms. Naivan Sartip Abdalrahman, Ms. Sawen Gelas, and Mr. Zheera J Hassan; Representing the disability advocacy organizations in Sulaimani were Ms. Andrya Peshraw, Ms. Gulala Tahir, Ms. Heshu Tahir Mohammed, Mr. Kocher Kareem, Mr. Karzan Mohammed Gharib, Mr. Mohammed Mustafa Marif, Mr. Dler Fariq, and Mr. Faraidun Sherzad Wahbi; Mr. Mariwan Wahbi Rashid and Ms. Nyan Aziz S. Mohamad represented the Halabja Disability Organization. Ms. Hanne Tjersland, from Norway, and Mr. Mujahid Khan, from Pakistan, were also present via Zoom. The facilitators were Dr. Lynn Rose, Deputy Director of CGDS and Mr. Shakir (Muhammad Usman), Jan Warner Visiting Scholar, CGDS. We thank Mr. Jamil Ali for providing English and Kurdish translation, and we thank Mr. Paiwand Shakhawan for providing sign language interpretation. Ms. Shanya Mohammed, of CGDS, also facilitated. Portions of the presentations will be offered at the World Disability and Rehabilitation Professionals Conference in November 2021. We hope to repeat this event in March 2022 with an expanded agenda.
Image description: Four photos show configurations of three to six people seated at a draped table. The people are men and women, disabled and nondisabled; some of the women wear hijab. The large slides behind them show the titles “Medical model”; “Cultural Ableism/Societal Bullying”; “Epistemic Violence”; and “The Images.”