As part of International Women’s Week, CGDS, with generous support from the EU, hosted a colloquium about disability, diversity, and inclusion. Local and international disabled and nondisabled participants explored issues of full participation in the Global South. In the first of two meetings (March 3), we formed working groups, which prepared presentations to be presented at the following meeting (March 10). Portions of presentations will be offered at the World Disability and Rehabilitation Professionals Conference in November 2021. The facilitators were Dr. Lynn Rose, Deputy Director of CGDS and Mr. Shakir (Muhammad Usman), Jan Warner Visiting Scholar, CGDS. Mr. Jamil Ali provided English and Kurdish translation, and Mr. Paiwand Shakhawan provided sign language interpretation. Workshop participants included AUIS student-facilitators Ms. Raz Mohammed Abdulla, Ms. Naivan Sartip Abdalrahman, Ms. Sawen Gelas, and Mr. Zheera J Hassan; Ms. Shanya Mohammed, of CGDS, also facilitated. Representing the disability advocacy organizations in Sulaimani were Ms. Andrya Peshraw, 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 represented the Halabja Disability Organization. Ms. Hanne Tjersland, from Norway, and Mr. Mujahid Khan, from Pakistan, were also present via Zoom. A summary report of the colloquium is available upon request. We hope to repeat this event in March 2022 with an expanded agenda.
Image description: Sixteen people stand in two rows. In the front row, we see five men and one woman; the woman sits in a wheelchair; three men are seated, and one is kneeling. In the back row, we see five women and five men. Two of the women wear hijab.