Summer at the UNFPA EECARO has been extremely busy and meaningfully engaging in preparations for the upcoming Summit in Nairobi on ICPD 25. During the past weeks I have been working on two major SRH events taking place in September, which sadly enough, I won’t be able to attend. The SRH team at the RO, together with the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University, is organizing a webinar on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Action Plan (AP) for COs. The webinar will present new tools and indicators for the development and implementation of national SRHR strategies and APs to accelerate the ICPD Agenda. The WHO/European SRH AP was adopted at the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee in 2016. UNFPA EECARO cooperated with WHO in the development of this first joint regional SRH programme, which supports countries to ensure that individuals are achieving their full SRH potential. To date, six EECA countries have developed and endorsed national SRH APs, 4 are in the process of finalizing the APs, and others have yet to start the process. The webinar will provide COs with an indicator framework, quality assurance checklist, as well as recommendations from Moldova’s national SRH AP to help them in monitoring and developing their national APs.
The other event taking place in September is a workshop on women and young people with disabilities in collaboration with Women Enabled International (WEI). The workshop is a joint effort of UNFPA EECARO and the Headquarters to accelerate the core principle of 2030 SDG Agenda: leave no one behind and reach the furthest behind first. Towards the end of last year, UNFPA and WEI developed guidelines for providing services to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and SRHR for women and young people with disabilities. The workshop will include discussions on the guidelines and their implementation. Panelists include people with disabilities, policy-makers, advocates, representatives from NGOs, Special Olympics, and EECA COs, who will discuss SRHR barriers encountered by people with disabilities and share best practices in the region. The timely workshop will be an excellent opportunity for EECA countries to reflect upon and incorporate SRHR for women and young people with disabilities into their prospective national SRH APs. The 3 day-long workshop will provide several opportunities for engagement and collaboration among national and international partners. Days 1 and 2 will also include a special visit to the Dialogue Museum where participants will be engaged in everyday activities in complete darkness/silence with visually/hearing impaired guides, allowing for a role reversal and understanding of challenges faced by people with disabilities.
I had the privilege of organizing the SRHR session of the workshop, which will include presentations from 3 EECA COs: Serbia, Georgia, and Belarus. The COs will share their country cases on 3 different dimensions of SRHR of women and young people with disabilities: policy development, research, and human rights. The session will also include a special presentation on disability and HIV as well as an overview of the international human rights framework on access to SRHR services for people with disabilities.
A trip to the Princes’ Islands!
A few weeks back, I took a trip to the beautiful Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara. The Princes’ Islands, also known as the Red Islands (Kizil Adalar), is an archipelago of 9 islands situated southeast of Istanbul. It is one of the most popular getaways for Istanbulites during the summer to escape from the heat and crowd of the city. A popular getaway now, the islands once used to be an exile for princes’ and other royals during the Roman and Byzantine periods, hence the name Princes’ Islands.
A few weeks back, I took a trip to the beautiful Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara. The Princes’ Islands, also known as the Red Islands (Kizil Adalar), is an archipelago of 9 islands situated southeast of Istanbul. It is one of the most popular getaways for Istanbulites during the summer to escape from the heat and crowd of the city. A popular getaway now, the islands once used to be an exile for princes’ and other royals during the Roman and Byzantine periods, hence the name Princes’ Islands.
 |
| Beautiful view of the Sea of Marmara from Büyükada |
 |
| Enjoying some fresh ice cream on the island |
The most popular islands in the archipelago are Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada. They are easily accessible through local ferries and are free of motor vehicles! Local means of transport include bicycles, horse carriages, and boats. The historic mansions and pine trees add to the mesmerizing beauty of these islands. The largest of the islands, Büyükada, is home to the 18th century Aya Yorgi Kilisesi, a small Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George, which attracts pilgrims from great distances who come here to make wishes. If you end up climbing the Aya Yorgi hill to visit the Church and explore its venerable icons, you may not want to miss experiencing the most beautiful sunset in Istanbul!
|
Ferry ride from Hybeliada to Büyükada
No comments:
Post a Comment