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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><img width="155" height="158" style="width:1.6145in;height:1.6458in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D6723A.25C0F2C0"></span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Press Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">World Indigenous Peoples Day<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">9<sup>th</sup> August, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">As the donor agencies and regional bodies work together in a concerted effort in assisting in the awareness and mitigation of COVID-19, the resilience of the Indigenous
people has been applauded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">This past week on the 9<sup>th</sup> of August, 2020, the globe celebrated International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with the theme COVID-19 and indigenous peoples'
resilience. This theme aptly throws light on the current pandemic gripping the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">As we fight against the spread of the pandemic, it is more important
than ever to safeguard indigenous peoples and their knowledge. Their territories are home to 80% of the world’s biodiversity and they can teach us much about how to rebalance our relationship with nature and reduce the risk of future pandemics. Indigenous
peoples are seeking their own solutions to this pandemic. They are taking action and using traditional knowledge and practices as well as preventive measures. In some cases, villages have implemented a ban on social gatherings which shows the proactive stance
of indigenous people in our Pacific Island countries.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">The Covid-19 pandemic presents serious threats to the lives of persons with disabilities in particular, indigenous persons with disabilities. As COVID-19 spreads across
different areas of the world including our beloved Pacific, the pandemic also brought with it challenges in which many indigenous persons with disabilities already found themselves in. Persons with disabilities are three times more likely to be living in extreme
poverty, making it harder for them to buy and store food, or to sustain themselves whilst they are unable to work during this pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#5E5A55;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Multiple intersecting identities may overlap intensifying existing issues which also leads to exclusion of indigenous persons with disabilities from Covid-19 response
strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Impacts brought about by Covid-19 on indigenous persons with disabilities include but are not limited to the lack of accessible communication and information in accessible
formats using the various mother tongues, access to personal assistance and medical care, economic impacts, racial discrimination and the ever increase in domestic violence amongst many other contributing factors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">To this end, the Pacific Disability Forum urges all Pacific government stakeholders undertake a partnership with civil society organizations and agencies in ensuring that:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:0cm;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">All Covid-19 communication needs to be available in accessible formats using indigenous languages with the inclusion of sign language.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0cm;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">The translations of complex words such as social distancing and quarantine need to be culturally defined so that indigenous peoples including indigenous persons with disabilities in the Pacific are able
to comprehend. Indigenous peoples of the Pacific are culturally oriented and socializing is part of the everyday living in the community.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:0cm;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Communication aiming at persons with disabilities should be consulted with and developed by organizations of persons with disabilities
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">As the famous Chief Oren Lyon once said, “Although we travel in different boats, you in your boat and we in our canoe, we share the same river of life!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Soloveni Vitoso<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Interim Information Technology (IT) Officer<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Pacific Disability Forum<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Ground Floor | Kadavu House<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Victoria Parade | Suva<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Fiji<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Phone: (+679) 773 0200 | (+679) 331 2008</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Mobile: (+679) 772 0132</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Fax: (+679) 3310469</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Skype: soloveni.vitoso</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Email:
<a href="mailto:Soloveni.Vitoso@pacificdisability.org">Soloveni.Vitoso@pacificdisability.org</a>
</span><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Website: <a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pacificdisability.org%2f&c=E,1,If0z8o95mb94uk4KDWU-Tr-TH_UiiV5O4Pz9J4TSREnERXcgdWH50W6mPnFuImIn8Qz_RAcGKmvccr0uiZ2ldgpjjWJ92jJPxU2DmShnGwI2-64RfMBtIfpnDFI,&typo=1" target="_blank">www.pacificdisability.org</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PacificDisabilityForum/" target="_blank">Pacific Disability Forum</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Twitter: @pdfsec</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><img border="0" width="205" height="69" style="width:2.1354in;height:.7187in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D6723A.4F2B3670" alt="cid:image002.jpg@01D53E41.DC458E80"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Organisation in special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Commission since 2012.</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee(s). If you <b>are</b> not the intended recipient, you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it, including any attachments. If you receive this email in error please notify the sender immediately</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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