Page 68 - voice-international-oct2022

IFES

Building the capacities of future leaders with

disabilities in Sri Lanka

espite Sri
Lanka’s
D ratification of
the UN Convention on
the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities in
2016 in order to
improve the rights
of its citizens with
disabilities, Sri Lankans
with disabilities
confronts significant
impediments to
equitable political and civic involvement. These disability rights, and the legal frameworks governing
obstacles include the lack of accessible technology elections. Young Sri Lankans were also inspired to
in classrooms, inaccessible infrastructure in public take up leadership roles and include community
buildings, and stakeholders and
social and cultural decision-makers by
norms that promote This training was very useful for me. This is the first ENGAGE’s interactive
stigmatization interactive and engaging training program. I learned so much education technique.
and unfavorable on how to be a leader, how to build self-confidence, public Participants built
preconceptions. The speaking and also the session on the electoral cycle was very relationships with
Center for Disability interesting. The training also was very accommodating for civil society groups
Research, Education all the students who had various disabilities. We thank the (CSOs) during the
and Practice (CEDREP) organizers for giving us this incredible opportunity. programme, visited the
and IFES at the - Ashane Dilranga, Young Leader, IFES Election Commission
University of Colombo of Sri Lanka (ECSL),
and IFES implemented and participated in
Engaging a New a simulated election
Generation for Accessible Governance and Elections to learn more about Sri Lanka’s electoral system.
(ENGAGE) political leadership course in the first Some participants even continued their education
week of July, 2022 for 18 young Sri Lankans with after the training was over by taking on internships
disabilities from the university to address these at the ECSL, with CSOs they had made connections
barriers and empower them as leaders in their with during the programme, and IFES. In order to
communities. advance the equal political and civic involvement
Participants in the ENGAGE course improved of young people with disabilities in Sri Lanka, IFES
their public speaking, teamwork, and problem- will also enlist fresh ENGAGE cohorts for upcoming
solving abilities while learning about human rights, semesters.

Credit: IFES
Link to original article: https://www.ifes.org/news/developing-skills-young-leaders-disabilities-sri-lanka

68 | VoICE International | October 2022