Disabled Peoples' International
DPI United
A VOICE OF OUR OWN
Speech ofVenus Ilagan, the new World Chairperson of DPI,
I think it is honored for me to be the first female Chairperson of DPI. At the same time, I am recognizing that we have to address many tasks. We must overcome barriers with realizing inclusion, diversity in society, and social justice. It is possible to get over various obstacles by cooperating together. While displaying leadership, I will respect the importance of "team play".
I would like to express my gratitude to our leaders, who have brought me up until now. According to their teaching, I want to succeed to current DPI.
Yukiko Nakanishi, Shoji Nakanishi, Akiyoshi Yamada, Ron Chandran-Dudley, Kalle Konnkolla, Joshua Malinga, Eita Yashiro, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for your support. Thank you very much for your empowerment for people with disabilities, Judy Heumann, who empowers other women with disabilities. Japanese government, Prefectural Government of Hokkaido, Sapporo City Government, Satoru Misawa and Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples International, Sapporo Organizing Committee for the 6th DPI World Assembly in 2002, People work at NGO, and many of thousand of volunteers,thank you very much for your work for making the Assembly successful. United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disabilities, Canadian International of Development Agency, Abilis Foundation, Grovel Fund for Women, Moira Horgan-Jones, Organizing Committee for the International Forum on Disabilities to Mark the End Year of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, Translators, Media, and more people who contribute their time to the Assembly, thank you very much for your contributions for the Congress. I profoundly appreciate all of you. God bless us all!
Thank you very much.
4 sept. 2016