KOSOVO TASH Conference 2011 PRESENTERS: DR. JAMES CONROY AND DONNA BOUCLIER

1. KOSOVO TASH Conference 2011 PRESENTERS: DR. JAMES CONROY AND DONNA BOUCLIER

2. OVERVIEW 2000 Organization of Security and Exchange (OSCE) invites DRI to Kosovo 2002 Not on the Agenda: Human Rights of People with Mental Disabilities in Kosovo. FINDINGS: 230 children and adults with ID and psychiatric disabilities were warehoused at Shtime 165 people with mental disabilities as young as 17 Estimated 40,000 lived with their families

3. 2003 DRI opened an office in Prishtina, Kosovo 2005 DRI presence in Kosovo established. USAID funds project 2007 USAID approved a second two-year DRI project titled Initiative for Inclusion of Citizens with Mental Disabilities and their Families in Kosovo, which helped to support an innovative and cost effective self-advocacy effort, Ne per Ne. 2008 Work begins on self advocacy

4. Sound Familiar? Ne per Ne (We for Ourselves) was born in the DRI office in Prishtina, with a handful of young adults (ages 20-35) – and parents who hovered in a café next door. Most had rarely left their homes, and if they did, they were always accompanied by a family member

5. Word Got Around From a peer support group to a self advocacy group. With the support of the DRI Kosovo staff and the grant from USAID, they elected officers and registered as their own Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). They worked at expanding Ne per Ne throughout the province. By 2010, there were five groups spread across Kosovo which made up the organization. They met weekly in Kosovo’s major cities to strategize on ways to reduce stigma and promote economic and social inclusion of people with disabilities.

6. MAIN GOAL: Strengthen the capacity of people with mental disabilities Capacity Building Training Training for community of people with mental disabilities on Human Rights of People with Mental Disabilities Training for the importance and the role of Equal Opportunities Coalition and Kosovo National Counsel on Disability Training on Monitoring and Documentation Publish book on Success Stories of participants in self advocacy.

7. MAIN GOAL: Raise public awareness about human rights of people with mental disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Panel Discussions. Monthly meetings with students from University of Prishtina; teachers, middle and high school students; and Internship Program Media presentations and publishing in the daily newspapers Stigma Presentation to Volunteers of Sports Sans Frontieres (SSF)

8. MAIN GOAL: Promote Social Inclusion of People with Mental Disabilities Peer Support/Self Advocates Group Meetings: Outreach for expanding of peer support/advocacy groups by and for people with mental disabilities. Learning through experience. A day with a Successful Leader Finding Job Opportunities A week of Fund Raising: Development of fundraising abilities for people with mental disabilities. Networking with other active NGO’s How to get an identification card?

9. Results 2: Quantitative Evaluation of Training Well over 500 people took part in the trainings and seminars provided via the DRI Strengthening Participation process. Quantitative evaluation ratings were collected from 521.