PRESS RELEASES
Remarks by
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey D. Feltman
The U.S. Department of State Presents $14,500 to the
National Association for the Rights of the Disabled in Lebanon
Thursday, March 3, 2005
Beirut - Lebanon
3 March 2005
Thank you so much for welcoming me to your offices, today. I'm
pleased to have the opportunity to meet you, the officers of the
National Association for the Rights of the Disabled in Lebanon,
and to sign an agreement to fund the very innovative proposal you
submitted to us.
Through its Human Rights and Democracy Fund, the U.S. Department
of State supports programs that uphold democratic principles, support
and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and
build civil society. Your project to establish a human rights watch
group to advocate for persons with disabilities in Lebanon is consistent
with the aims of this Department of State program. I am impressed
with your use of information technology-through the website you
hope to establish-to advocate on behalf of those with disabilities.
Your proposal is a model for raising awareness of human rights issues,
and I hope it will lead to the adoption of legislation promoting
inclusion of all Lebanese into the social, political and economic
life of the country.
While I know that the energy, commitment and passion you bring
to your cause and work is one hundred percent Lebanese, I hope you
will also find inspiration and ideas in America's own disability
rights movement. This movement is quite recent, however, and Congress
did not adopt the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
until 1990-and only after organized and persistent lobbying by members
of the disability community. Modeled after the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, this landmark U.S. Government anti-discrimination law ensures
equal access to employment opportunities and public accommodations
for people with disabilities. The ADA guarantees that no person
with a disability can be excluded, segregated or otherwise treated
differently than individuals without disabilities. With this act,
the U.S. Congress identified the full participation, inclusion and
integration of people with disabilities into society as a national
goal.
Our support for your organization-and its goals-underscores the
importance that the United States accords to human rights and democracy.
Fundamental to this commitment is belief in the intrinsic worth
of every individual and his or her right to participate as a productive
and accepted member of society. Your work advocating for Lebanese
citizens with disabilities is consistent with our commitment to
human rights, and is why I am so pleased to be able to make funds
available to assist you in your efforts to speak for and to strengthen
your community.
The signing, today, of an agreement to fund your project to promote
the rights of persons with disabilities recognizes the compassion
and commitment, the spirit and energy you bring to your work. At
the U.S. Embassy, we applaud your efforts and are proud to support
you.
|
