NEWSLETTERS

May 13 & 14, 2006

Following the Regional Conference on Poverty and Disability, a MENA regional meeting of organizations dealing with intellectual disability was held in Lebanon, at I’dad Center for Educational and Vocational training in Mechref. The meeting and its main purpose was to establish an official regional bureau for MENA Region, organized by The National Union for Parents and Institutional Associations for Intellectually Disability in Lebanon (UNAPIEI).

Invitation to attend the meeting were sent to all Inclusion International Member Association in the MENA Region, including National, Affiliate, and Associate members.

The national members are:
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia (North Africa), Lebanon, Kuwait and Qatar (Middle East).

Affiliate and Associate members are:
Egypt and Sudan (North Africa), Jordan, Bahrain, and UAE (Middle East).

The meeting was held at the Walid Ben Talal Auditorium (I’dad School, Friends of the Disabled Association) from May 12 to May 14, 2006, and participants were fully accommodated at the Residential Quarters of I’dad School.

The target audience for the meeting was the parents’ Organizations in the member states and in other countries.

All Inclusion International documents were translated in Arabic – Other official documents like templates were used for discussions.

The following countries and Organizations were present:

• From Tunis: UTAIM
• From Libya: Attahady
• From Egypt: Right to Live Caritas
• From Iraq: Hibatullah Down Syndrome Association
• From Palestine: Right to Live Association
• From Iran: the Iranian Institute of social Reaserch
•  From Kuwait: Kuwait Association for Handicapped
• From UAE: Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services
•  From Qatar: Al-Nour Institute for Handicapped

The opening session of the gathering was started at 8:30 am on Saturday May 13, 2006 with a welcome speech from Mrs. Rita Merhej, Director of the Friends of the Disabled Association, followed by a speech from Dr. Moussa Charafeddine, Vice President of Inclusion International, and a speech by HE Shaikha Jameela Alqassemi, President of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services in Sharjah.

The second session, experiences were exchanged, whereby each participant presented the objectives and achievements of his/her Center or Organization.

The third session acquainted the participants with Inclusion International history, the development of its service provision namely in the advocacy of human rights. It’s Mission and Principles were explained and were fully adopted and ratified, and a new organization in the region with the name “Inclusion International MENA Region” (abbreviated as Inclusion MENA) was established, to be licensed from Lebanese authorities, at the following address:

The Board of Directors was elected based on the principle that board members must be formed from at least 50% of parents. These were

• Honorary President: Shaikha Jameela Alqassemi (UAE)
• President: Moussa Charafeddine (Lebanon)
• Vice President North Africa: Dr Naguib Khzam (Egypt)
• Vice President Middle East : Dr Hashem Taqi (Kuwait)
• Secretary: Dr Hisham Ben Nasr (Tunis)
• Treasurer: Mr. Roland Tamraz (Lebanon)
• Council Members:
  Mr. Bassam Aysha (Libya)
  Mrs. Sahera Mustafa Abdullatif (Iraq)
  Mr. Adala Abu Setta Bumiddien (Palestine)
  Dr. Sayf Elhajri (Qatar)
  Dr. Maryam Sharifyan (Iran)
  Mrs. Reham Fandi Omaish (Jordan)

The Regional body was proclaimed officially and the Council members met and put an agenda for the coming year. A website will soon be created as well as an electronic newsletter in Arabic and English. Moreover, a regional scientific conference is scheduled at least once a year, in a rotating manner.