EUROPEAN YEAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES – EYPD 2003
FIMITIC Event in
Rome, Italy, April 4, 2003, Teatro Olimpico
Topic: Europe of Equal Citizens –
A Society for All!
Address by On.le Guido Podestá, Vicepresident, European
Parliament
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to extend the greetings of the European Parliament. Thanking Mr.
Pagano for the invitation, I will express the view of the European Parliament .
I tackle the issues that have been mentioned without minimizing the war problem
and focussing on the European Year of People with Disabilities as I did already
at the official opening in Athens. It is very important for human dignity that
in near future 10 countries will join us. The enlargement issue is of
extraordinary importance and of benefit to all EU-members and the countries in
transition. The third point to be underligned is the Italian Presidency starting
on 1st of July 2003. In this presidency I saw an extraordinary opportunity to
establish the future policy of the Italian Government to overcome the
differences in Europe in relation to the present war in Iraq. I experienced the
difficulties of the disabled people and I thank Mr. DÂ’Alfonso, Mr. Bravaccini
and many friends of the ANMIC association and I will share with you these
teachings which are our targets that means full participiation of the disabled
in all sectors of our society, as practical, tangible changes in life of
everybody. We need to be aware that we should get rid of bias on handicaps as
they say: we have to disseminate a new way of thinking and even people with
disabilities are affected by this view in our society. They need to be treated
as citizens of our society, affected by disablilities and the legislator has
defined this context. The associations have a place in our countries and will
act as platforms to identify the common goals included in all EU-polices. The
third point is the evaluation of the issues remaining to be met. ANMIC needs to
be applauded for its outcomes, maybe we failed to reach a full picture but to
reflect upon the fight against discrimination we have to consider the Article 13
and its follow up.
Highlighting what Mr. Pagano said is the right to work, to be part of our
society, to be given social security, however this is not enough. We have to
consider all aspects: transport, education, and social integration in the
education system. Let´s go back to costs: this is a topic the members of
parliament need to deal and share with national and European governments. We
need to reach this access, we cannot be excluded from this obligation towards
young generations having the right of access. I am part of the generation in
need to reform the prevention-services being aware that this means a lot of
investment; the parliament is involved in this policy. Cutting the education for
social polices, I am asking myself wether we are sure that financial cuts will
not involve further costs in future with new problems arising. I think that with
the celebration of the Year 2003 it´s important to set up a committee. In 2003
we will have to start working on preparing the grounds to set up an ad hoc
committee and ANMIC will implement the best practices our country will boast.
There will be 15 countries having had taboos in the past but now using a
coordinated method with EU-pillars. Each country can implement the principal of
subsidiarity and countries which have lower ressources on the average level have
to support those who have less ressources. Welfare is not associated to the
state supporting the citizens but human beings are at the heart of society,
human beings are the centre of the society, we need to get rid of cultural bias.
To end, we have the family which is the heart of our society and has to
assist the individuals but there are also those without families, so the society
being a democratic one needs to support them. Finally, as Mr. Pagano said, I
should act as an European but same time as an Italian, saying that FIMITIC
should have its headquarters in Rome. There are thousands of people in this
country who should share the construction of the future of
Europe.