Minister of health and social welfare, Deputy Minister, Secretary General for the Ministry of Press, representatives of the European Commission, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to thank warmly, on behalf of the European Disability Forum, the European Commission, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, for having decided to organise this important conference. This conference is being held at a historical turning point for the European Union. The European Union has been experiencing historical developments recently. Two months ago, the accession treaties were signed for the ten new member states of the European Union. In this European union of 25, there are more than 50 million people working with disabilities, fighting daily to have involvement in all social and political activities, in order to overcome barriers, fight discrimination, achieve and acquire their own place and position in this common European future of a great big European family.

In this European Union, that tries to find through with European constitution new means of organising social activities, people with disabilities through their organisations, try to shape and form their future position. During this period, there are developments, not only at the European level, but also at the level of the United Nations. On Monday, in New York, the ad hoc committee will start dealing with the International Convention of people with Disabilities. In 2003, we have the European Year of People with Disabilities. It is a European initiative that aims at enhancing the visibility of disability at all levels. This can be achieved through a different perspective, a new outlook that one needs to have on disability. No measure OR policy can be discussed without active an involvement of disabled people. It is an issue of equal treatment, not an issue of charity. So in this new social and political environment, Europe as a whole but also in all individual European member states, what we are called upon to do is to change the attitudes that may have been consolidated among all social players. The role of mass media is extremely significant. We must promote this new attitude, this new stance. Mass media have significant power in the hands. They can educate society; inform society, they can raise awareness, in an effort to change the social attitudes. The minister, the secretary, and mr Tait refered to this power before me.

Of course, this is something that is not solely related to the individual attudes taken.. What we need to achieve is a loser cooperation between the different organisation of employees, who work in the mass media. This has to take into consideration, the needs of people with disabilities. A code of conduct tnooeds be established, as to how disabilities are presented through different news programmes, science fiction programmes, in different toyper of communication i say this not only because mass media has tried to make a role to make disabilities visible. On the contrary.. And one can actually see that in the different european union member states. This attitudes has been influenced by cultural and historical tradition. We can build on this significant contribution, on the things of the past, in order to shape a new future, that will place people with disabilities in the epicentre of all political and social initiatives. 2003, the european year of people with disabilities, is a real challenge for all of us, at the same time an important call for all stakeholders to participate in this development. At the end of this year, a new era for people with disabilities has to begin, by raising awareness among political players. Above all, we must change attitudes of societies. What we need to do this year, is to decide on a number of institutional and law refoerms, in order to do away of all remnants of social exclusion. This conference is thi the last among a series of activities omganised in the framework of the Greek presidency. By being the president of the E.D.F., i would like to extend our thanks to the minister and this ad workers.. We started with an.. For the first time we had a representatives of the E.D.F. speaking at that meeting. Than we had the opening with an openning.. Than we had the resolutions in the ministerial council of education. What was stated by the minister of health on the meeting on this stigmitasation oif emotional health problems. We hope this cooperation will be contitued during the next presidencies.. Has increased awareness across all european countries. We hope this will be…
This conferencte can actually give its own imprint. What we need to do is ryealise what are the differences of opinion, and approaches in the mass media. What this congress can also do, is reach some conclusions that will take the form of a declaration on these topics. You have a draft document in your hands. It would be extremely significant for us to formulate an athens declarations on how disabilities is depicted in the mass media.
Here in Athense, the cradey crrgle of civilisation, one can actually reach an agreement that a page has been turned on all these developments. We have to move along this paxt, to highlight human rights and consolidate the place of people with disabilities in all societies. Thank you very much.


Ladies and gentlemen, dear participants. In a few minutes this congress will be over. It will be part of history. And i’m certain, i’m absolutely certain that this congress has created and will create history. This conference has set the foundations for a closer cooperation between the media and the organisations of disabled On the european level, but i also believe on the national level of each member state. It was mentioned by previous speakers, today as well as yesterday, how significant it is to present disability in the appropriate way. From the mass media. And since i am the last speaker in this congress, i would like to generalise, make my presentation more general. In 1999, when the general assembly of the European Disability Forum, the 23rd of April 1999, in Brussels, adopted the resolution through which we suggested to the european commission, to declare the year 2003, the europyea year of the disabilities, we had a vision. We had a dream. We believed that we could and can, wiysin the European Union, to form the most progressive model to approach to disability, a model founded on the huge cultural heritage of Europe. A model in which the policies and legislations against the discrimination and legislattion that respects human rights of the disabled. We are now in the middle of the year. There is no doubt that there is a lot of mobility, all over the European Union. Of course, in different degrees, from one country to the other. However, this wind is blowing. Sometimes it is stronger, sometimes weaker, however, there is a fresh wind blowing all over Europe today over all issues of disability. The contribution of the European Union, the European parliament, council, and the member states, organisations of the disabled, and all those involved for this new wind blowing, was decisive. So on behalf of the greek disability movement, i would like to thank all these.
However, the recognition of the posi tive contribution, this recognition must fill our heart wibt more responsibility. We have more responsibility to respond to the dryeam of tensh of millions of people with disabilities, a vision of a europe for everybody, a european union that we protect explicitly and decisively, and through its constitution and through its directives, through a special directive OR through general directives, the rights of the disabled.
This era is very strange, it is an era perfect to innovations. It gives birth to what is progressive and conservatieve at the same time. We have uncontrollable globalization, uncontrollable acttion of market forces which try to challenge the european social model. We have the duty to guarantee that the year 2003 will place the cornerstone for a new progressive policy of Europe in the field of disability. And we expect this policy to be depicted on the announcement of the commitme mentioned yesterday by Mr Tait in his openings speech, a communication that will be made public at the end of the year. We have the duty and obligation to guarantee that disabled persoens will not be in the margins of society, that there will be not two OR three speeds for disabled. We must make sure that we will have the necessary financial and social support. We not only have the traditional ways of exclusion and social discrimination. Now the invasion of technology and information society in our world has created a new civilizattion, new entertainment, new ways of training. We must make suere in this new cultural mrodels, there will be no discrimination and no exclusion. This field looks really bright. Sfome people say in our era we have experienced the end, the death of ideologis. This may be the case, given that ideologies functioned in a certain way in the past. However, in this period of time, new ideologies are born, nowadays focused on people, on men. These.Deologies have funds and supporters in the whole world, whiz may be significant hope for the future. So let the message from this congress be that we are unitted by a single idea, that people with disabilities have rights in their hand. They can de” oi. They cannot depend on the social environment.
I want to thank Donald Tait for his contribution on behalf of the european commission. Let me also thank our partners in the european forum, ms Helena Gonzalez, Philippe Tzou, and the other staff of E.D.F. Let me also thank the partners in the greek federation of o.., and the other.., the consultants.. Who also worked and made hard work… Also the minister of welhare for having adopted the idea. Finally.. but most of all i want to thank all of you who travelled from every corner of the european to come to the city of Athens, in order for us to declare that we are able and join our efforts and start a new journey for disability In europe. We can all…
Thank you very much and have a nice time tonight.