Empowered – Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Regional Cooperation and Development in the Western Balkans
The “Empowered” project aims to enhance the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the Western Balkans. The project is led by the German organization Arbeiter Samariter Bund Deutschland e.V. and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany. It will last from September 1, 2024, to April 30, 2028 (a total of 44 months).
Partners:
- LIR Civil Society (LIR CD)
- PREDA Plus
- Alfa Center
- Community Development Institute (CDI)
- Initiative for Development and Cooperation (IDC)
- Albanian Disability Rights Foundation (ADRF)
The main goal of the project is to promote the inclusion of PwDs through regional cooperation and development in the Western Balkans. Specifically, the project aims to empower PwDs and their organizations through regional dialogue and advocacy, sharing best practices, and jointly developing community support systems. During the project, PwDs and their organizations will use forums for regional dialogue and networking to define needs at the local, national, and regional levels. By sharing best practices related to partnerships between the public, private, and civil sectors, the project will lay the foundation for restructuring social investment funds to better support PwD inclusion.
In this context, it is expected that 500 individuals from the public, private, and civil sectors – especially organizations representing PwDs – will benefit from the experiences gained through partnerships and capacity-building activities. This will lead to improved social, educational, and employment services in 15 target municipalities.
Additionally, the project aims to provide access to community services for 21,500 PwDs, including training programs, inclusion workshops, and psychosocial support, along with new or updated policies. Efforts will also be made to reach at least one million people through social and traditional media to raise awareness of the challenges faced by PwDs in the Western Balkans.
To achieve these goals, several sub-objectives have been identified. First, the capacities of stakeholders in the public, private, and civil sectors, especially PwD organizations, will be strengthened for effective cooperation and advocacy. By the end of the first year of the project, a Regional Working Group will be formed, including 18 representatives from the six participating countries. Two regional ministerial conferences will be held, bringing together 75 participants to promote high-level political support for PwD rights, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of PwDs.
In the target communities, representatives from various sectors will enhance their ability to coordinate and implement joint initiatives that promote social investments in education and employment for over 20,000 PwDs. During implementation, recommendations on effective partnerships between the public, private, and civil sectors will be developed.
Furthermore, 1,500 PwDs will benefit from improved local infrastructure and services, with a particular focus on skill development and employability. Through targeted local inclusion projects, PwDs will improve their skills through vocational education and training programs, alongside psychosocial support and counseling to enhance their labor market competencies.
By the project’s conclusion, local project partners will work to build stronger partnerships for more effective support to vulnerable individuals, especially PwDs. The “Empowered” project represents a significant step towards advancing the rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities in the Western Balkans, fostering an inclusive environment for PwDs to work and live.