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Nay Lin Soe Remarks: 2016 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Awards Ceremony
Nay Lin Soe, a disability rights advocate and Founder and CEO of the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative, received the 2016 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award for his work advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities in Myanmar and Southeast Asia. Read his remarks accepting the Democracy Award.
News & Updates
Feature
Post-Election Advocacy Advances Disability Inclusion in Myanmar
During Myanmar’s historic general elections in November 2015, the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI), a disability rights organization based in Yangon, worked to ensure that the elections were the country’s most accessible and inclusive elections to date for persons with disabilities.
News & Updates
Press Release
IFES Announces International Recipient of 2016 Democracy Awards
IFES will honor Nay Lin Soe, a disability rights advocate and founder and CEO of the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative, with its 2016 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award. This is the first time that IFES has honored both a disability rights advocate and an Asian citizen with the Democracy Award.
News & Updates
Feature
Myanmar’s Election Commission Takes Steps to Achieve Gender Equality and Include Voters with Disabilities
After five decades of military rule, Myanmar has initiated an ongoing process of democratic reform, opening new and significant political space. However, persons with disabilities in Myanmar still face numerous obstacles in accessing their right to vote, and, at only 6.8 percent, Myanmar has one of the lowest percentages of women in parliament in the region.
News & Updates
Feature
Democracy Camps in the Kyrgyz Republic benefit Students with Disabilities
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) recently completed its annual Democracy Camp program in the Kyrgyz Republic, which brought together 120 secondary school students from across the country, including – for the first time – seven students with disabilities.
News & Updates
Feature
Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held on December 3, commemorates the human rights of persons with disabilities. The theme for this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” In 2018, IFES partnered with disabled people’s organizations in every region of the world to develop new tools and approaches to empower people with disabilities to participate in political life.
News & Updates
Feature
Democracy Camp Alumnus’ Journey of Self-Discovery and Empowerment
Ilyas Alymbek Uulu, who is 16 and uses a wheelchair, is one of an estimated 30,000 youth with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan. He performed the leading role in an IFES-supported public service announcement and later participated in one of IFES’ annual democracy camps, experiences which profoundly changed his life.
News & Updates
Feature
Breaking Barriers, Building Access: Creating a Culture of Inclusion in Kyrgyzstan
In an effort to increase civic participation among marginalized groups in Kyrgyzstan, in February 2018, IFES organized a contest for persons with disabilities, which provided them with an opportunity to design a project or activity that will increase access to decision-making processes. Aiperi, a participant from disabled people’s organization Nazik Kyz (“Tender Girl”), was awarded a small grant to make her project a reality.
News & Updates
Feature
Empowering Persons with Intellectual Disabilities to Become Leaders in Myanmar
Last month, IFES and Future Stars, a self-advocacy organization, trained four new trainers with intellectual disabilities on how to build self-confidence to effectively and meaningfully participate in political life.
News & Updates
Feature
Training Election Commissions in Kyrgyzstan on Electoral Rights of Persons with Disabilities
In honor of Global Elections Day, IFES and local partner organizations conducted a two-day training on ensuring the electoral rights of persons with disabilities for representatives of Kyrgyzstan's Territorial Election Commissions.