"WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE EQUAL MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY"
International Society for Human Rights
May 26 2009
The ISHR Armenian working group started a long term project for
disabled people
"Our Right of Leisure"
Bela Shikaryan, President of the ISHR Armenian working group
ISHR charity concert: the blind Armenian singer Sasha Isaev
Illios Yannikakis (ISHR France) introduced the audience about the
ISHR activity
ISHR Armenian working group arranged a great three-hour-charity-concert
in the large hall of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Yerevan
on March 31, 2009.
More than 20 Armenian stars singers and dances, some of them disabled
themselves like the blind singer Sasha Isaev were on the stage. The
concert hall with 1500 places was full, disabled people from all
over Armenia – mostly disabled children and young people – as well
as representatives of state and international organizations came to
the concert and were a grateful audience. According to the statement
of the Armenian Ministry for Culture this concert was in the scope
of its destination and quality the best in the last half a year.
We are thankful for the participation of Illios Yannikakis,
representative of the ISHR France, who came to Armenia to work out
our Armenian-French project "Free Journalist status". He introduced
the audience about the ISHR activity and welcomed our program.
The concert was the start of our project "Our Right of Leisure".
Short about our project:
There are a lot of leisure places in Armenia which are not available
for disabled people, not suited for them and are too expensive. About
85% of disabled people are unemployed; the benefit of disabled is
very small, they are the fringe group of the society. Therefore they
feel very uncomfortable in such public places.
In the scope of this our long lasting program we envisage buying a
space (building) for establishing a kind of a club which will be free
for disabled people. It will have a training room, a small concert
hall, a café etc. This kind of leisure centre for disabled will be
a pioneer in Armenia.
We have already opened an account for sponsors and foresee in future
to take measures to organize a marathon to gather financial means.
The next event will be a trade exhibition show. It will take place
in June 2009 and will show and sell handworks made by disabled
young people.
A lot of state and nongovernmental organizations approved our program
as well as the Armenian Diaspora too.
We are also expecting the participation and support of ISHR sections
in our program.