Beat Disability-By Embracing It

April 7, 2010, 3:30 – 8:45 pm

SOCH Building, Harvard University, 59 Shepard St., Cambridge

3:30  Doors Open 

3:30 - 4:00  Booths and Networking  (15+ booths)

4:00 - 4:05  Introduction by Organizers

4:05 – 4:10  Vocal Performance - "If You Listen You Will Hear"

                    Madison Greer, Harvard College Class of 2013 and Member of HCFTS

                   Note: This song was written by Madison's father, Wt Greer III, for Free The Slaves

4:10 - 4:40  Keynote Address - "Trafficking and Slavery in the 21st Century: Illuminated by Eight Global Case Studies"

                   Thomas Burke, MD, FACEP, Chief of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights, MGH

4:40 - 5:00  Booths and Networking

• Session 1: A Collaborative Approach Toward Trafficking Ring Prosecutions and Survivor Support 

  • Carol Gomez, Founding Director of MataHarri: Eye of the Day and a Boston based FBI Agent

MataHari: Eye of the Day (formerly the TVOS Network - Trafficking Victims Outreach and Services Network) and the Boston FBI successfully collaborated on a recent prosecution of a national trafficking ring involving 10+ young women and girls across the US in the last two years. Both agencies will discuss the general work they each do and talk about the collaborative creation of a safety net and support for survivors. We will discuss what it takes to prosecute such cases, the work of supporting teen survivors from the US, understand some of the psychology of kids who get caught up in the sex trade and what it takes to create a practical and grounded safety and support plan for young people in the "life".

• Session 2: Case Studies of Sex Trafficking and the Role of Health Systems in Anti-Trafficking Work

  •  Roy Ahn, MPH, ScD, Associate Director for Policy and Research, MGH Division of Global Health and Human Rights, Department of Emergency Medicine and Instructor, Harvard Medical School

6:00 – 6:25  Booths and Networking - Option 1

This is a short play based on the true life story of a young Cambodian woman who, at age seven, was sold into slavery by her own family.  The play is told from her perspective at different ages:  seven, ten, thirteen, and fifteen.   Her life is never her own.  Through the years, she is forced into increasingly dangerous and abusive situations.  As she endures repeated exploitation, we see her wrestle for meaning and identity. Srey Neang's story is not just her own but is that of the many children whose voices have been silenced by slavery today.  Telling her story is freedom.  It is hope.  And it must issue change. 

 - Written by:  Bernice Liuson Sim
 - Actors:  Bernice Liuson Sim, Wendy Huang, Steve Lee

6:30 - 7:35  Student Presentations

                    6 Presentations, 10 minutes each with group Q+A following 

7:35 - 7:45  Spoken Word Artist - TiElla Grimes

7:45 - 7:55  Closing   

• Karen Mclaughlin, International Consultant on Human Trafficking 

7:55 - 8:15  Booths and Networking

8:00 - 8:45  Partial Screening of "Stolen" with Discussion - Hosted by the American Islamic Congress 

•  Nasser Weddady, Civil Rights Outreach Director, American Islamic Congress  

Hand-cycling event to be held in capital tomorrow

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Myra Imran

Islamabad

Opening a new page in disability sports in Pakistan, a brave heart and certainly a pride for the country, Sarmad Tariq will organise first of its kind hand-cycling event in the capital on Sunday March 28.

Sarmad is a quadriplegic (paralysed shoulder down), on a wheelchair for the past 18 years. His disability never stopped him from spending his life in a way better than majority of normal human beings. His achievements are indeed an inspiration and motivation for those who want to overcome their disability.

On March 26, 2004, he drove a distance of 1,847 kilometre non-stop from Khyber to Karachi in his hand controlled car. He covered the distance in 33 hours and made a world record by being the first ever quadriplegic to cover the distance in such short time.

He is also the first ever Pakistani wheelchair-bound athlete to complete a full marathon distance of 42.192 kilometres in Standard Chartered Lahore Marathon on January 30, 2005. He was the only wheelchair athlete to represent Pakistan and complete the New York City Marathon (US) in November 2005.

Hand-cycling is a relatively new adaptive sport for people with physical challenges. The event on March 28 will be a symbolic event to mainly highlight the challenges brought about due to spinal cord injury.

It will also underpin the positive role of sports in rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities and their integration into mainstream society. It will also contribute in breaking the taboos and cliches about how our society perceives people with physical challenges.

Some supporter on regular cycles will also escort Sarmad as a show of solidarity that will start from E-9 gate of Fatima Jinnah Park (F-9) at 4 p.m.

source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=231120

 Haiti: Strong in Struggle & Survival [at encuentro 5 -
http://www.encuentro5.org ]

A Fundraiser with Live Music, Food, and Discussion
Saturday, February 20, 2010, 7:00 p.m.
encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02111

Join the encuentro 5 community in commemorating Haiti's long &
powerful history of struggle and supporting her recovery from the
recent earthquake.

The evening will present live music from local artists, Haitian food,
& discussion.

Sliding scale suggested donation: $5 - $15. (The money raised will
support grassroots efforts in Haiti and local Haitian communities.)

Contact Alisa at 617-671-6714 for more info or if you would like to
perform, present, or make an absentee donation. Thank you!

massglobalaction.org

Forum held on December 14, 2009

"As the baby boom generation retires and life expectancy increases, steps can and must be taken to help seniors stay healthy, active and socially engaged. National efforts and best practices around the country were described by our keynote speaker, Nancy Whitelaw, senior vice president for Healthy Aging, and director of the Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. Challenges in our state as well as best practices were analyzed in our issue brief and discussed by a panel of top state officials and nonprofit organization leaders implementing innovative and successful programs in our communities.  Speakers included: Secretary of Elder Affairs, Ann Hartstein, Anita Albright from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Robert Schreiber from Hebrew SeniorLife, and Rosa Palacios from Commonwealth Care Alliance."

 Source:

http://masshealthpolicyforum.brandeis.edu/forums/forum-pages/HealthyAgingForum1.html

Thought:

How to take care of elders - Globally...?