Raising the Voices Asia Cycle

Author/Origin: Becky Jordan beckySPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandminesurvivors.org

(Thursday 07 November 2002 Washington DC) Raising the Voices is a leadership and advocacy training program for landmine survivors, coordinated by Landmine Survivors Network on behalf of the ICBL's Working Group on Victim Assistance. It is time to begin recruiting applicants for the next cycle of Raising the Voices.

Survivors participating in the program come to Geneva for about ten days in either February or May to participate in the Intersessional Programme and training sessions, and then they attend the Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty in September. This year the MSP will be held in Bangkok. Participants also plan and implement projects in their home countries using what they have learned in the training.

Each cycle of Raising the Voices focuses on a different region of the world. In the first cycle, participants came from Latin America. In the second cycle, from Africa, and now, we are looking for candidates from Asia. In particular, we hope to find appropriate candidates from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam for the February session.

Below are two forms: the application form and the form to be filled out by the supporting organization. Following is an explanation of the criteria for selection.

Please help us identify good candidates for this program.

Applications

for 2003 Raising the Voices Survivor Advocate Training Program can be requested from:

Becky Jordan, Program Coordinator
Landmine Survivors Network
1420 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Tel: + 202-464-0007; Fax: + 202-464-0011
Email: SPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandminesurvivors.org"> beckySPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandminesurvivors.org

DEADLINE for receipt of application is DECEMBER 5, 2002

Criteria for Candidacy

2003 Raising the Voices Survivor Advocate Training Program

The goal of the Raising the Voices Survivor Advocate Training Program is to build the capacity of landmine survivors to represent, organize and advocate on behalf of themselves, other landmine/UXO survivors and other persons with disabilities.

Participants will attend two 10-day trainings during the year. The first training will take place during an Intersessional meeting of the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva, Switzerland. Participants from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma will attend the February, 2003 Intersessional meeting. Participants from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan will attend the May, 2003 meeting. All participants from Asia will attend the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September, 2003 to be held in Bangkok, Thailand.

In addition, participants will design and implement projects related to the training in their home countries. These projects may be an extension of their current work, or may be new and outside the scope of their current work.

1. Candidates should be a landmine/UXO survivor from a mine-affected country in Asia.
2. Candidates should be over 18 years of age.
3. Candidates should be able to read and write in at least one language.
4. Candidates should have access to email at least one time per week or at a minimum access to fax.
5. Candidates must be willing to devote an average of 5 hours per week to the Survivor Leadership Training Project for a period of one year.
6. Candidates must have the support of an organization in their country whose mandate includes at least one of the following themes: helping landmine/UXO survivors and other people with disabilities reclaim their lives, raising awareness about disability, promoting any aspect of the Mine Ban Treaty, or promoting human rights.
7. Candidates must submit the Raising the Voices Survivor Advocate Training Application. This application has three parts: 1) information about the candidate and his or her organization 2) a written history of the candidate's landmine/UXO accident, the impact it has had on the person's life, his or her interest in the program and 3) a letter of recommendation to be submitted by the supporting local organization.
8. Preference will be given to persons with demonstrated experience and interest in community development, landmine ban/victim assistance advocacy, or disability issues.
9. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

DEADLINE for receipt of application is DECEMBER 5, 2002

For more information, please contact:

Becky Jordan, Program Coordinator
Landmine Survivors Network
1420 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Tel: + 202 464-0007; Fax: + 202 464-0011
Email: SPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandminesurvivors.org"> beckySPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERlandminesurvivors.org