"The disableds must be treated alike as the general athletes"
The 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics allowed to change my
usual perspective so far about the disableds in a nutshell.
The number of the disableds in the world amounts to about
15% of the entire population all over the world, acccording
to WHO. While I see many Paralympics Games by the
disableds who were attending from foreign countries
following the successful 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic
Games last February, I feel that the disableds also can do
their excellent Olympic Games like the general players without
any inferiority even though their playing strength or
spectators fever are a little weak.
For Koreans among others, such scenes that Para cross-country skier Sin Eui Hyun celebrates after winning the
men's 7.5 km sitting biathlon race at the PyeongChang
Biathlon Centre in on March 17 or after scoring a goal in
the bronze medal ice hockey match at the PyeongChang
Paralympics on March 17, Jang Dong Shin shares the joy
with Jung Seung Hwan who had the assist, will remain as
deep emotion as well as memory. Above all, such scenes
that all including Paralympic hockey players & spectators
sing national anthem after last minute goal or Para cross-country skier Sin roars to celebrate after winning his gold
medal for the first time in history of Korean Paralympic
sports, were sufficient to give deep emotions.
At the beginning of March this year, The European Union
Delegation Seoul hosted a press coverage seminar in order
to spark the general interest about their human rights either
both at their gymnasium of PyeongChang or at their daily
life so that the disabled can be treated alike as the general atheletes.
I firmly believe that such purpose of the EU Delegation
Seoul to elevate the perception about the disableds while
the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics comes to an end, is
very appropriate and right. In his welcoming remarks
for the participating journalists, EU Amb. Michael Reiterer
pointed out at the outset of the seminar: "In order for the
disableds to overcome their disability, they need many
training", adding the Paralympics Games athletes also are
expected to do so much as to general sports.
In this seminar to elevate the perception about the
Paralympic Games, roughly 30 journalists attended
including representatives from NGOs and Paralympic
Olympic-related officials from abroad.
Through Session 1, Mr. Guillaume Gobert, Marketing &
Media Manager, Belgian Paralympic Committee explained
that the image publicity effect of the Paralympic Games is
two times greater than the general Olympics by his
presentation entitled as "Paralympic Games: History an
values of the greatest showcase of social inclusion on earth".
Gobert's remarks that Paralympics changed his perspective
of the disableds gave many resonances while at the same
time allowing to change the attitude of many participants
including me about the disableds.
In her presentation regarding UN convention on Rights
of Person with Disabiliites, Ms. Signe Poulsen-Head of the OHCHR office in Seoul advocated
the human rights of the disableds, saying that this UN
convention supports the disabled persons have same
rights like other all general persons. If there are anythings
which prevent for the disableds to be included socially as
one components of the society, this must be abolished, she said.
Addressing discrimination, social exclusion and negative
stereotyping in the European Union, Dr. Joelle Hivonnet,
EU Delegation, Head of the Political, Press & Information
Section commented: "Social inclusion for the disableds is
the problem of value in the case of EU, pointing out the
fact that one fourth among EU population 500 millions
are suffering their disabilities, can not be disregarded.
Europe Disableds' Day or Europe Access City Award whose
awards are bestowed among cities over 50,000 populations
for their contribution to boost accessibility, can be named
as EU's efforts to check challenge tasks for the disableds
and further to improve their life, according to Hivonnet. In
that regard, EU's efforts to improve human rights of their
daily accessibility life for the disableds deserve credit in
comparison with another regional blocs such as ASEAN
or African Union etc.
Last but not least, UNESCO's Committment to Inclusive
Education and Paralympic Games presented by Dr. Utak
Chung, Director of Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for
International raised education
problem for all as Global citizens.
Reporting on Disability: Guidelines for the Media and Its
Implementation in Session 2, Mr. Haibin ZHOU-Consultant to the ILO Global Business and Disability Network
advised for journalists to approach based on human rights,
recommending not to treat the disableds as being too lionized.
Mr. Hiabin ZHOU's such remarks garnered many sympathies
from Ms. Mi Yeon Kim as well, CEO of Women with
Disabilities Arts and cultural Network who pointed out
Korean press's distorted coverage about the disableds by
her presentation entiteld "The Other perspective, the
image of woman and disability through the media".
Ms. Kim pointed out that Korean press has been describing
the disabled persons as the existence of maladjustment,
committing herself to do her utmost for corresponding to
such negative & distorted coverage about the disabled more
aggressively from the standpoint of her organization Women
with Disabilities Arts and cultural Network.
Lastly in Session 3-Concrete experiences at local level, Mr. Kim Kwang-Hwan also, Chairman, KAPP(Korea Association of Persons
with Physical Disabilities)
committed himself that the Association will do its best to
become Paralympic Games which can ingrain self confidence
for all disableds, touching upon History, role and future on
Media for the Disabled.
In its final wrap-up discussion session to sum up, to treat and to describe
the disabled like the general atheletes generate more positive
results, said Mr. Guillaume GOBERT, Marketing & Media
Manager, Belgian Paralympic Committee. And then as closing
remarks, EU Amb. Reiterer also rated the timely significance of
this seminar highly, saying that efforts to make inclusive
society are to provide the disabled with an opportunity to
become as world citizens.
Recently, Me-too movement regarding sexual harrassment
all over the
world, the 3rd South-North Korea Summit Talks between
Korean President Moon Jae-in & North Korea leader Kim
Jung-eun as well as the first-ever Summit Talks between
US President Donald Trump-North Korean leader Kim Jung-eun to be slated at the end of May this year are sweeping the
headlines of the Korean press.
To summarize, the problem of the disabled also is no exception
in terms of the perspective of the 2018 PyeongChang
Paralympic Games which demands their human rights that
all society must treat them as the general atheletes as North
Korea leader Kim Jung-eun asks for international community to
handle North Korea
like a normal country.
As a media partner, NDNnews(www.ndnnews.co.kr) & The
Korea Culture Ambassador
Friendship Association, an affiliate organization among the
NDNnews organized two trip programs last February this year
for Excellencies & senior diplomats from the Seoul Diplomatic
Corps. to attend the 2018 PyeongChang Culture Olympics
including to see 'Scent of Thousand's Years' and to attend the
2018 PyeongChang Food Summit as part of our support
initiatives for booming up of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter
Olympic as well as Paralympics.
As everybody are aware of it, this year winter's PyeongChang
Winter Olympic Games was absolutely most successful in
history in terms of 'Peace Olympics', 'ICT Olympics', and last
but not least 'Culture Olympics' according to IOC's assessment.
The significance of the Cultural Olympiad lies in providing
diverse cultures, entertainment, festivals
and experiential activities that bring people from the host
country and around the world through the Olympic values.
In that sense, this year's PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic
Games was no exception in hosting a number of cultural
activities & events so that atheletes and many tourists around
the world can appreciate the beauty of Korea beyond just
Gangwon Province as well as Olympic values.
The 2018 PyeongChang Food Summit also was an good
opportunity to awaken the fact that zero hunger is no more
dream by the presentations from many experts from home
& abroad to solve the hunger problem the world is facing.
In order to successfully the hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang
Winter Olympics and promote domestic products and last
but not least Korean culture by inviting global leaders, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from the
Republic of Korea hosted its 2018 PyeongChang Food Summit
while NDNnews (www.ndnnews.co.kr) & The Korea Culture
Ambassador Friendship Assocition were taking part in it as a
media partner by assuming our mission to recruit participating
ambassadors & senior diplomats from the Seoul Diplomatic Corps.
However from now on, our eye must be concentrated on caring
the problem of the disableds because they are our brothers
& neighbours as global family amounting 15% of the entire
population all over the world.
In that sense, I would like to sincerely appreciate very highly
the efforts of EU Delegation for raising such human rights
problems of the disableds.