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Takoma Park, MD -- Handicap International U.S. (http://www.handicap-international.us/) is an independent nonprofit organization that is an integral part of the Handicap International Federation that includes the French national association, founded in 1982, and the following established national associations: Belgium (1986), Switzerland (1996), Luxembourg (1997), Germany (1998), the United Kingdom (1999), Canada (2003) and the United States (2006).
Handicapped International was founded in Thailand in 1982 by two French doctors as a response to landmine injuries suffered by Cambodian people living in refugee camps. The first orthopedic centers were set up in refugee camps in Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and Laos. Simple, locally available equipment was used, enabling Handicap International to provide immediate, effective and practical aid and to train competent local teams to carry on the work.
Through various events they raise awareness of the Federation’s activities among the public and political leaders. Additionally, they provide operational support and technical expertise, recruit volunteer and professional staff, raise funds and carry out work specific to their mission in countries where they operate. The Swiss association, for example, represents the network before international authorities based in Geneva, such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Handicap Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The U.S. association works closely with United Nations organizations based in New York and the World Bank and other institutions in Washington, D.C.
Handicap International is an independent aid organization operating in areas of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. It works with people with disabilities and vulnerable populations by improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.
“We advocate for the universal recognition of the rights of the disabled through national planning and advocacy,” says John Lancaster, treasurer of the Handicap International Federation board of trustees, and secretary of Handicap International U.S. board of directors.
. Together with local partners, Handicap International develops programs in health and rehabilitation and social and economic integration. It clears landmines and other war debris and through education prevents mine-related accidents. It responds to natural and civil disasters, thus limiting serious and permanent injuries and it assists in survivors' recovery and reintegration.
“We operate more than 310 programs in 63 countries. Our work has benefited several million people in that time.” said Elizabeth MacNairn, executive director of the U.S. office of Handicap International, As of 2010, the Handicap International Federation boasted of 4,300 national and expatriate employees working in the field and 282 employees at its headquarters in Lyon, France, and in the offices of the national associations.
Handicapped International takes a holistic approach to disability issues. In addition to its rehabilitation activities, the organization broadened its scope of work by setting up projects to prevent disabilities, and to facilitate access to education and economic activities at community level. .
Handicap International knows that an artificial limb alone doesn't change the life of an amputee. Its approach to rehabilitation is based on the recognition of individual needs, taking into account a person's individual situation, their environment and the local services available.
“For people injured as a result of war or natural disasters, who suffer from congenital impairments, such as clubfoot, or who are affected by disabling diseases, such as polio, rehabilitation is the first step toward regaining independence,” says Lancaster.
Personal Risks
The organization’s staff faces risks when they go into a foreign country. One of these risks is the threats posed by natural disasters. For example, Handicap International’s s staff in the Philippines experienced three typhoons since last September. And there was a major cyclone pounding against Mozambique, where we have staff and beneficiaries. There were floods in Pakistan, where it provided 400,000 liters of drinking water a day to refugees.
Cluster Bombs
Since 2003, Handicap International has been involved in the fight to ban cluster bombs and is a co-founder of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) that campaigns for the complete eradication of weapons that openly violate international humanitarian law.
Outraged by the horrific effects of landmines, Handicap International created its first mine clearance programs in Cambodia and Kurdistan and played a key role in establishing the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in 1992. A petition was launched and in a very short space of time hundreds of thousands of supporters got involved.
In December 2008, 94 governments signed the convention to ban cluster munitions and since then, more countries have signed and ratified. Under the convention, entered into force in August 2010 - areas contaminated by cluster munitions will be cleared, and victims will receive assistance to rebuild their lives.
Campaigning for the Rights of People with Disabilities
Handicap International supports the drawing up of national laws for people with disabilities to ensure that their rights are respected. As part of that commitment, the organization took part in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was adopted in December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for signature in March 2007. It reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms and sets out a code of implementation for securing those rights.
The large number of crisis situations and natural disasters in the first part of the decade (such as the tsunami and the earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran) led Handicap International to frequently intervene in emergency situations to prevent disabilities from developing and to ensure there is proper care for people with disabilities, who are often forgotten in emergency relief efforts.
Additionally, as a result of experiences with Romanian orphanages and the war in the Balkans, the organization addresses mental health issues.
Handicap International is involved in international public health issues to reduce disabling diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Lymphatic Filariasis, and, and the Buruli Ulcer. Improving prevention and reducing the number of cases of these disabling diseases is a public health challenge.
Additionally, as a result of experiences with Romanian orphanages and the war in the Balkans, the organization addresses mental health issues.
In January 2010, people in Haiti lost everything during a catastrophe earthquake. More than 316,000 are believed to have died and 300,000 people were injured. Handicap International has been working in Haiti since 2008 and responded less than 24 hours after the earthquake. The organization is providing health care and rehabilitation services, and producing orthopedic devices for amputees. Other activities included distributing emergency aid and setting up temporary shelters for the victims of the disaster.
International Recognition
The humanitarian efforts by the association have not gone unnoticed. In 1996, Handicap International received the Nansen Refugee Award for its work with refugees and victims of landmines. This is the most prestigious prize that can be awarded by UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency). The Award is given annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to individuals or groups in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees.
In December 1997, the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty was signed. One week later, Handicap International and its ICBL partners were collectively awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of five years of hard campaigning.
In March 2011, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced that Handicap International was receiving the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. Created in 1996, the Prize helps recognize and advance the efforts of the recipient organizations, and calls attention to the worldwide need for humanitarian aid. The $1.5 million award ceremony took place in Redwood City, Calif., in April 2011.
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