Special Event on Disaster and Disability:
Lessons from Japan

18:00-21:00 on Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Lang Recital Hall, Hunter College, City University of New York

Free admission

Organized by Japan Disability Forum (JDF)
in cooperation with the Nippon Foundation
Under the auspices of Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Supported by International Disability Alliance (IDA)

Sign language and caption services will be available

Japan experienced serious damages due to the Great East Japan Earthquake which took place on March 11th, 2011. We express our sincere gratitude for the kind support from various countries.
Among nearly 20,000 victims, the mortality rate of persons with disabilities was double that of general population, according to the government reports. We believe from our experiences that disability-inclusive approaches are essential for the building of disaster-resilient communities.
In this special event, we would like to share our experiences, including the efforts of Rikuzentakata City, which was devastated by the tsunami, under the motto "building communities where there is no need for the word Normalization," and talk about our future activities towards Post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and Development Agenda.

PROGRAM

Opening Remarks
Mr. Shuichi Ohno, Executive Director, the Nippon Foundation
Mr. Katsunori Fujii, Chairperson, Executive Board, Japan Disability Forum (JDF)
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Mr. Yannis Vardakastanis, Chair, International Disability Alliance (IDA)
Ms. Venus Ilagan, Secretary General, Rehabilitation International (RI)

Special Addresses
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (being requested)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Ms. Marcie Roth, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), United States DHS

Keynote Speech Mr. Katsunori Fujii, Chairperson, Executive Board, JDF

Documentary Film Show: "Messages of Life -Twice as Many Persons with Disabilities Passed Away on March Eleventh-"

Mr. Takashi Kubota, Vice Mayor, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture

Discussion

Closing

The program is subject to change

For participants:

Please come in front of the Permanent Mission of the republic of Mali on 111 East 69th Street, New York (between Lexington and Park). You will be guided to the Lang Hall opposite the street every 10 minutes from 17:30 to 18:45.
Or you may go directly to the Lang Hall, located on the 4th floor of the North Building on 68th Street Main Campus of Hunter College (695 Park Avenue, New York).

To attend please send an email to:

jdf_info@dinf.ne.jp

For more info: http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~jdf/en/