World Down Syndrome Day 2016, March 21

World Down Syndrome Day, 21 March.

世界唐氏综合征日, 3月21日.

Día Mundial del Síndrome de Down, 21 de marzo.

Всемирный день людей с синдромом Дауна, 21 марта.

Journée mondiale de la trisomie 21, 21 mars.
اليوم العالمي لمتلازمة داون , 21 آذار/مارس

 

Theme 2016 : My friends, My community.
2016年主题：我的朋友，我的社区。
Тема 2016: Мои друзья, мое сообщество.
Tema 2016: Mis amigos, mi comunidad.
Thème 2016: Mes amis, ma communauté.
موضوع 2016: أصدقائي، بلدي المجتمع.

 

 

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for World Down Syndrome Day 2016.

By adopting the ambitious and universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community has promised to leave no one behind. This requires empowering children and adults with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, to contribute to our common future.

Persons with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, are more than persons in need of assistance; they are agents of change who can drive progress across society – and their voices must be heard as we strive to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

Toward that end, I recall the words of Pablo Pineda, the actor and writer with Down syndrome. He has called on others with Down syndrome to perceive their own vast capabilities, saying, “They should see themselves as people who can achieve their goals.”

I would add that others in society should similarly appreciate the potential and power of the members of our human family with Down syndrome.

This affirmation should be backed by concrete steps to respect, protect and promote the rights of all persons with disabilities, including those with Down syndrome. I especially call for priority actions to improve opportunities for girls and women with disabilities who often face greater exclusion than boys and men.

On this World Down Syndrome Day, let us resolve to support the autonomy and independence of persons with Down syndrome, including their freedom to make choices, as part of our broader efforts to usher in a life of dignity for all.

Ban Ki-moon

 

 

FORUM : World Down Syndrome Day - 21 March

The campaign “How Do You See Me?”

21 March 2016 marks the 11th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) and each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder.

Down Syndrome International (DSi)

• World Down Syndrome Day
• World Down Syndrome Day Conference
• 2016 Campaign

 

EVENTS : World Down Syndrome Day 2016 Activities and Events

 

Down Syndrome International encourages our friends all over the world to choose your own activities and events to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.

 

Here are some ways you can join us on 21 March 2016:

• Organise your activities based on DSi’s focus area for 2016 "My Friends, My Community" - The benefits of inclusive environments for today’s children and tomorrow’s adults.

• Share your WDSD World Events on our dedicated WDSD website in a single global meeting place.

• Watch our WDSD Global Video Event, produced each year with the participation of organisations in many countries around the world.

• Attend our WDSD Conference at the United Nations in New York either in person or online, live or on-demand, at UN Web TV.

Down Syndrome International presents a global video journey promoting inclusion of people with Down syndrome. "My Friends, My Community" features interviews with children from around the world talking about their lives, friendships and aspirations. This global video event is presented for World Down Syndrome Day, Monday 21 March 2016.
 

 

 

One of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Empire State Building, is lighting up blue and yellow in honor of World Down Syndrome Day! The lighting will be a stunning reminder to honor and celebrate people with Down syndrome on 21 March. 

 

Lighting in Blue - Empire State Building

 

World Down Syndrome Day 2015, March 21st.

世界唐氏综合征日, 3月21日.

World Down Syndrome Day , 21 March.

 Día Mundial del Síndrome de Down, 21 de marzo.

. متلازمة داون اليوم العالمي لل- 21 مارس

Всемирный день людей с синдромом Дауна, 21 марта.

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the World Down Syndrome Day 2015.

This year’s World Down Syndrome Day falls as the international community is striving to create a universal, transformative agenda for sustainable development. The links between disability, human rights and development span a wide spectrum of development issues relating to economic, social and environmental factors.  Every year on this observance, we reaffirm that persons with Down syndrome are entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights.  This year, we must make every effort to ensure that the new sustainable development goals address equality and help build a life of dignity for all, including people with Down syndrome and other persons with disabilities.
Persons with Down syndrome face stigmatization, abuse and lack of support.  Too often, their challenges begin early in life when they are excluded from quality education systems.  Adequate access to health care, early intervention programmes and inclusive education, as well as appropriate research, are vital to the growth and development of individuals with Down syndrome. 
The role of families is central to supporting persons with Down syndrome by promoting their equal status in society and empowering them to be their own advocates.  At the same time, we must recognize our collective responsibility to create conditions for all persons with disabilities to make valuable contributions to our shared future.  We must promote inclusive policies and raise awareness about social justice for people with Down syndrome, and do everything possible to enable them to live where they want and with whom, to form their own families, to administer their own assets and to pursue their own happiness.
I applaud all those who champion the rights and lives of persons with disabilities, and I urge others to support them.  Let us use this World Down Syndrome Day to advocate for a more socially just and inclusive world.

Ban Ki-moon

 

How people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.

Our focus is ‘My Opportunities, My Choices’ – Enjoying Full and Equal Rights and the Role of Families in 2015

‘My Opportunities, My Choices’ (Information Leaflet) - Down Syndrome International

My Opportunities, My Choices,– Enjoying Full and Equal Rights and the Role of Families People with Down syndrome, on an equal basis with other people, must be able to enjoy full and equal rights,both as children and adults with ‘opportunities’ and‘choices’.

People with Down syndrome face many challenges as children and adults which can include:

° being abandoned, subjected to abuse and segregated from their communities;
° being discriminated against and treated unequally in education s ystems;
°  being discriminated against and having health conditions misdiagnosed by health systems;
°limited opportunities to live independently, work and be fullyincluded in the community;
° a lack of control over the right to marry and have relationships and families;
°limited opportunities to vote, participate in public advocacy or be elected to public office.

These challenges prevent many people with Down syndrome from enjoying their basic human rights. Those directly or indirectly responsible for this may be families, education, health and social professionals, authorities or the general public and the primary reason for this is a failure to understand that people with Down syndrome are people first, who mayrequireadditional support, butshould be recognised by society on an equal basis with others, without discrimination on the basis of disability.

Preamble (X) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) confirms that “persons with disabilities and their family members should receive the necessary protection and
assistance to enable families to contribute towards the full and equal enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities.”

In order for people with Down syndrome to enjoy full and equal rights, their families, who have a deep personal interest in their well-being, must be informed and empowered to promote the equal status of their family members in society, so that they can provide support, advocate foropportunities and choices in all aspects of life and crucially so that they can empower people with Down syndrome to express their own views freely on all matters affecting them and make their own decisions, as well as advocate for themselves. Society can assist families to support children wi th Down syndrome to be protected from harm, to be heard, to have access to education and healthcare and to be fully included in their communities, with opportunities to participate, on an equal basis with others.

Adults with Down syndrome, on an equal basis with others, must have choices, be able to make decisions and have control in their lives. Society can assist families to ensure that people with Down syndrome have access to support they may require in exercising their legal capacity, to empower them to lead independent lives and be accepted and included as valued, equal and participating members of their communities.

On 21 March 2015, the 10th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day and in the‘21’st anniversary year of the‘International Year of the Family, Down Syndrome International will focus on the role of families and the positive contribution that they can make towards the enjoyment of full and equal rights for people with Down syndrome.

World Down Syndrome Day - General Poster - 2015 

World Down Syndrome Day - Family Poster - 2015 

The twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF)