News

Contributed by Chris Deal, Program Associate for Asia-Pacfiic, International Foundation for Electoral Systems   On June 9th at 4:35 p.m., Chanthy Hoy landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, collected her bags and set out for New York City. As her ride to the hotel pulled into traffic, she began ...

Details about the event are available below:  Leadership for policy change: Government, INGO, and DPO strategies for political inclusion Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 3.00 - 4.30 PM, Conference Room C ASL interpretation and CART will be provided. Do you want to learn about how data collection can inform policy at ...

Participants in IFES’ AGENDA training on strategic communication and advocacy in November 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia, pose for a group photo.   On November 15, 2018, the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was signed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heads of ...

Freyja Haraldsdóttir has had a leading role in Iceland’s political life as an activist, political party member and temporary member of parliament. As a woman with a disability, Freyja has advocated for solutions to the intersectional barriers faced by persons with multiple social identities in Iceland. The interview with Freyja ...

In 2016, Rooted in Rights, a network of digital storytellers that produces videos and social media campaigns on disability rights issues, partnered with the organizers of #CripTheVote, a nonpartisan campaign to engage voters and politicians in discussion about disability issues in the United States, to create a series of short ...

Details about the event are available below:  Making Elections Around the World Inclusive of Deaf Communities Want to know how the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports making elections accessible and inclusive through access to sign language?   Join IFES experts and Gallaudet faculty for an interactive discussion on ...

Smitha Sadasivan is a member of Disability Rights Alliance India. She has worked to advocate for the adoption of disability-inclusive electoral practices in India, including the implementation of the Colombo Declaration, a document signed by members of the Forum for Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) in 2015. The ...

On Monday, October 1, 2018, United States Congresswoman Dina Titus read a statement recognizing the work of Finnish Member of Parliament Kalle Könkkölä. Könkkölä was a lifelong disability rights advocate who was instrumental in the adoption of the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in ...

In 2018, Disability Alliance for Our Rights (ADIDE) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), with the National Iberoamerican University of Santo Domingo (UNIBE) and the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are calling for applications to the Building Leadership and Citizenship Participation for Youth ...

Mr. Om Prakash Rawat is the Chief Election Commisioner for the Election Commission of India (ECI). He joined ECI as a commisioner in 2015 and has served in his current role since January 2018. His full biography can be found at the end of this interview. The interview with the ...

The Coalition for Independent Living (CIL) conducted disability rights awareness raising activities with youth at local universities. CIL conducted seminars and an advocacy campaign in recognition of National Disability Rights Day in June 2018 with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the United States Agency for ...

In 2015, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community achieved an important milestone: the tenth and final Member State ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Disability rights thus emerged as an unexpected area of human rights consensus in the region. This agreement presented an ...

On June 13, 2018, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) co-hosted a side event panel discussion at the Conference of States Parties for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) with Disabled People's International (DPI), Special Talent and Exchange Program (STEP), National Assembly of Persons with ...

On June 14, Down Syndrome International President Patrick Clarke provided an official statement to the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on political participation of persons with intellectual disabilities. The statement is available in full below.   Thank you chair. ...

With support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a media contest for persons with disabilities was held in Kyrgyzstan to increase awareness and inclusion of youth with disabilities into social life and decision-making. The contest fostered enhancement of communication and presentation skills among the participants through the usage ...

On June 13, 2018, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) will co-host a side event panel discussion at the Conference of States Parties for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) with Disabled People's International (DPI), Special Talent and Exchange Program (STEP), National Assembly of ...

As part of a miniature series, IFES staff interviewed elected Political Leaders with disabilities throughout Nepal. The fourth and final Q&A, highlighting Prakash Pantha, which has been lightly edited for clarity, is available below.  What inspired you to become involved in political life?   In my student life I was very ...

Written by Luke Arnold, Director of the Law and Justice Section at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade   Over the past decade or so, Australia’s efforts to support disability-inclusive development have begun to move from a charity approach to a rights-based approach. We now recognise that positive changes ...