National Executive Officer Kia Ora I hope that you have had a wonderful start to 2018. I have had the privilege of working with so many inspiring people this quarter as well as working on a number of different events and projects. In January the key calendar events Ride for the Kids 2018 held in the Manawatū, and a trip to New Plymouth to meet with Dr Surekha Ramachandran, President of the Down Syndrome Federation of India. February was another busy month with STRIVE and Self-Advocacy Workshops hosted in Auckland, the filming and editing of "Dear Health Professionals" and the NZDSA National Committee Meeting in Christchurch. The primary focus in March of course was preparing and celebrating World Down Syndrome Day and an NZDSA team meeting in Christchurch. The month of February included the news that our long-standing editor, Jessica Harkins, had made the very difficult decision that it was time to resign from her role so that she can pursue other interests. I am sure that you will join me in thanking Jess for all her contributions to CHAT 21 and the NZDSA and we wish her every success in the future. We know that whatever she does she will continue to be a strong advocate for people with Down Syndrome. Thanks again Jess for all your contributions to the Down syndrome community. I am sure that you noted that this edition of CHAT 21 was produced by guest editor Coen Lammers. Thank you Coen for creating this edition of CHAT 21 which includes a number of contributions about World Down Syndrome Day celebrations. In keeping with this theme, I have selected a few related events to report on below.
International Visit
The NZDSA is a member of the Asia Pacific Down syndrome Federation (APDSF) and while it isn’t always possible to attend all the APDSF meetings we do contribute and engage with countries in this region. This year my first work commitment was a meeting in New Plymouth with Dr Surekha Ramachandran, President of the Down Syndrome Federation of India and valued member of APDSF.
National Executive Officer
This meeting was an opportunity for us to collaborate and learn from each other as we shared ideas on what we do, how we support people with Down syndrome and their families, our aspirations, our challenges, our advocacy role and how we can work together in this region to empower people with Down syndrome to realise their potential and aspirations. Dr Surekha Ramachandran spoke at the General Assembly of the United Nations on March 19 and included the following statements and said that “many countries today are looking towards genetic culling to terminate pregnancies which show any genetic anomalies.” and “This devaluation of life to cleanse the world of anyone who may have a disability is something the human rights-respecting world should not approve and should therefore condemn in the most appropriate manner possible”. She urged the United Nations Human Rights Commission to “step in to support and respect the lives of people with Down syndrome and help spread awareness towards promoting the human rights of people with Down syndrome”.
5
