Wednesday, August 30, 2006

In worldwide news... This is happening in the UN

Annan hails agreement on treaty protecting rights of persons with disabilities


28 August 2006 Secretary-General Kofi Annan today hailed the agreement reached late Friday on the text of a treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, urging all Member States to ratify the convention and implement it quickly.

Mr. Annan's spokesman issued a statement in which the Secretary-General called the agreement “a historic achievement for the 650 million people with disabilities around the world” that have lacked adequate protection until now.

Mr. Annan added that he hoped “this long overdue Convention will mark the beginning of a new era in which they will have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.”

According to New Zealand's Ambassador Don MacKay, who chaired the talks through their final two-week session at Headquarters, the goal of the treaty is to create a “paradigm shift in the way that governments think about disabilities” that will make a “real and concrete difference to the approximately 650 million people with disabilities worldwide.”

He noted that a perception had existed in the past that existing human rights treaties applied to people with disabilities but that those rights were often not respected in practice.

“What we're basically doing in the convention is setting out a code for governments so that they implement these broad rights that people with disabilities already actually are entitled to but are not receiving,” said Mr. MacKay, speaking to reporters in New York today.

While the convention does not create new rights, it specifically prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life, including civil rights, access to justice and the right to education, health services and access to transportation.

The convention will be formally sent to the General Assembly for adoption at its next session, which begins in September. It will then be open for signing and ratification by all countries.

source: UN News Centre (www.un.org)

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Indeed, he is alive!!

Hello to all!! Yes I am back (after sometime in the Buddhist mountains in an attempt to find myself, or something like that...)

Well, I actually don't quite have an explanation for the disappearance, things were just getting old, same stuff to write so I decided not to write.

But lets see, what can we save from the past almost 8 months I have been gone:

At work things are just the same. First semester things were just getting too frustrating for me, too out of purpose. Since we work as a team, all tasks are interlinked. The things I did had many times no use because everyone was in their chaotic, disorganized, unproductive world. I would see people chatting on msn, people looking at social networking sites, even my bosses. Meetings and meetings being done without me, actions taken only to be forgotten again. All I could do was look though, my area in the company has to do with instruction and not administrative. Even when I had ideas to improve the company, someone in the adm dept used her influence to make sure things would not change and stay at the same chaotic place. My bosses are the owners of the company and they run the place only because they own the place. In a family business, competency does not count for much or else we would see owners actually getting business degrees or doing something to actually deserve being Directors, President, CEO, what not. I honestly one day would like to ask my boss if he really would hire himself to run his business.

That was in the first semester. In the middle of the year, around May I was just not caring much about my job. At that same time was in the selection process to work in Shanghai, China (same company, same job title). No one in my company new. Ended up I didn't get the job although I was their best candidate. They told me the city is not very wheelchair accessible, so I could not do my job well. I just didn't understand that, but... It was their choice. The position is now still open, they don't have anyone and I am still their best candidate. The recruiter in charge of my selection told me.

Going back to the situation in Brazil... In may my bosses went to talk to me, I was visibly loosing productivity. Spoke to both of my bosses, they said things were going to be much better organized from now on and that had to include me. Fine by me! I'm now working a bit more up to par, but I don't know until when... Things are back just like they were, bosses traveling or "working" for 3 hours a day, other manager thinks her way is the only way to do things and may no one argue or she will shout & scream & cry (literally). That place has become a mess and because we are now in a more visible space, demand has grown and our bosses think hurray! They are doing an excellent job!!

Personal news... Yup, I am still dating. Even after continually thinking about breaking up, we are still together. Everyone has their bad days right... In February we had our Carnaval. I went with my gfriend and her cousins to my father's beach house, where he lives. We spent there a week, had a few fights, but normal. After that we spent a week together at the end of July. It was just me and her because my father was traveling. So, we are doing well so far. In Brazil, we have this tradition of commitment ring. Its to show that relationship is serious, kind of a step (way, way, way, way) before engagement. I gave this ring to her during our 6 months anniversary. We are gradually growing closer and learning how to live with each other. Our 1 year anniversay was this month, so far everything is a-okay.

Life is good, moving along as it should, not only dreams, not only sunshine, just a normal life.
I guess I am back for good, but lets wait to see when I post again.

artwork: The Window Forget Me Knots - Henri Matisse