What is FIDIDA?

Finnish Disabled People’s International Development Association, FIDIDA, was established in 1989 in Helsinki, Finland. It was formed by seven Finnish disabled people's organisations that, apart from their work within the disability sector in Finland, were interested in working with disabled people’s organisations in developing countries. Today, these organisations have projects in Asia, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe. FIDIDA's member associations are the following (click on the link for more information):

 

Finnish Association of People with Mobility Disabilities (Invalidiliitto)
http://www.invalidiliitto.fi/portal/en/

Finnish Association of the Deaf (Kuurojen liitto)
http://www.kl-deaf.fi/portaali/international/index.html

Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing (Kuulonhuoltoliitto)
http://www.kuulonhuoltoliitto.fi/index.php?lk_id=6

Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Kehitysvammaliitto)
http://www.famr.fi/frontpage

Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (Näkövammaisten keskusliitto)
http://www.nkl.fi/english/index.htm

Threshold Association (Kynnys)
http://www.kynnys.fi/kynnys/english.html

ABILIS Foundation (ABILIS-säätiö)
http://www.abilis.fi

FIDIDA gathers the experience and expertise of these organisations. The main goal of FIDIDA is to promote human rights and to improve the living conditions of disabled people in society. Equal rights and participation of disabled people is the starting point of all activities of FIDIDA.

FIDIDA

• Acts as the service and collaboration organ for its member associations in issues concerning disability and development co-operation;
• Gathers and distributes information and provides training on issues concerning disability and development in developing countries;
• Lobbies for the mainstreaming of disability issues in international development co-operation;
• From 2004, FIDIDA has co-operated with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in the assessment of all new disability projects applications by Finnish Non-governmental Organisations to the Ministry.
• FIDIDA also implements some development projects in the South. The aim of these projects is to improve the living conditions of disabled people, encourage disabled persons to become organised and to promote their rights and activities in different sectors of the society.
• In 2008, FIDIDA has following partners/ projects in the South:
• Association of Community Based Rehabilitation in Chipata, Zambia
• Capacity Building of Mozambican associations of Disabled people with FAMOD, Mozambique

FIDIDA is a member of IDDC (International Disability and Development Consortium)

The Chairperson of FIDIDA for 2009- 2010 is Mrs Marja Pihnala from Finnish Association of People with Mobility Disabilities. The FIDIDA board consists of one member (with substitute) from each member organisation. The board meets once a month.

The FIDIDA staff:

Tuija Halmari
Director
+358 9 730 240 / 040 5436393

Johanna Arponen
Programme Officer
+358 9 678 902

Mari Koistinen (on maternity leave)
Programme Officer

Marianne Leimio
Programme Officer
+358 9 730 242

Anita Lintula
Programme Officer
+358 9 730 241

Maiju Virtanen
Programme Officer
+358 9 730 241

Address:

FIDIDA - Finnish Disabled People's International Development Association
Haapaniemenkatu 7-9 B, 16th floor
00530 Helsinki
FINLAND

Fax. + 358 9 67 78 40
E-Mail: firstname.surname@fidida.fi

You can find photographs about different projects in Zambia, Mozambique and Ecuador, as well as some photographs about FIDIDA activities in Finland by clicking this link.