Latest News from the International Communication Project (December 2018)
The ICP newsletter brings you communication-related information and stories from around the world. December 10, 2018, marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The International Communication Project is celebrating the anniversary with a Special Issue of this newsletter, and with material and information on this website about why communication remains a basic human right.
Marking an Important Milestone
Communication is a human right and the most fundamental of human capacities. Communication is at the heart of who we are as human beings. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, 2018, and to advocate on behalf of those who have communication disabilities, the International Communication Project has released a video. The video highlights the fact that communication takes many forms.
The Development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document that is grouped with some of the all-time leading rights documents in world history, including the Magna Carta (1215), the US Declaration of Independence (1776), and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789). Read more.
Communications and UN Sustainable Development Goals
Communication is vital to life, yet it is largely ignored as a disability. The World Health Organization’s World Report on Disability estimates that roughly one billion people around the world are living with some form of disability. However, the authors of the report also acknowledge that people with communication disabilities may not be included in this estimate. Read more.
Raising Global Awareness of Communication as a Human Right
In this, the 70th anniversary year of the UDHR it is timely to consider whether the declaration is truly universal. The rights agenda, through the UDHR, and other conventions such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, provides the platform through which the basic human right to communicate effectively can be championed. Read more.
Why Is Communication a Basic Human Right?
Communication is at the heart of who we are as human beings. We connect and interact, exchange information and ideas, all only possible through communication. Communication is intrinsic to our humanity as social beings—our relationships are built and maintained through communication, education and work depend on communication and participation justice systems, political and civic life, are all negotiated through communication. But is communication a basic human right? Read more.
Addressing Accessibility as a Human Rights Issue
Despite progress in creating more inclusive societies, people with communication disabilities and hearing loss still face significant accessibility barriers in their communities and workplaces. Read more.
How Is New Zealand Going With Upholding the Convention?
On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the UDHR how can we ensure the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities are upheld in Aotearoa? Read more.
Awareness Days Related to Communication
- December 10: Human Rights Day
- February 4: World Cancer Day
- February 21: International Mother Language Day
International Communication Health News From Around the World
The International Communication Project (ICP) regularly features stories about communication and swallowing difficulties on this website and its social media accounts from around the world. If you have a story you’d like to see featured, please contact us!
Belize: A regular show on Belize TV outlines the state of play for speech pathology in the country.
Hong Kong: Can Hong Kong read the signs on the best ways to empower the hearing-impaired?
India: An organisation is trying to build India’s first sign language college for deaf children.
Israel: Five Israeli start-ups are competing for global innovation award, including one that assists speech.
Jamaica: There are only five speech pathologists on the island of Jamaica.
Kenya: Smile train celebrates its 100,000th cleft surgery milestone in Africa.
Malta: Facilitating speech, language skills in Maltese children via smart devices.
Mauritius: The importance of Mauritian sign language highlighted during a talk.
Nigeria: Experts are calling for mechanisms to address hearing and speech impairments.
Oman: Bank Sohar is extending support to Al-Wafa Centre for handicapped children education.
Pakistan: Cases of deafness on the rise in Pakistan according to experts.
Philippines: Why imitating sign language as a joke is wrong and unfunny.
Rwanda: Services for those suffering from hearing loss to be decentralized.
Singapore: Noise-induced deafness cases are down as workplace injury number falls according to government.
South Africa: An inspiring story of how a medical team came together to build new ‘ears’ for a little girl.
Sweden: The discovery of an inner ear function may improve diagnosis of hearing impairment.
Syria: Kuwait Red Crescent enables two Syrian boys to have cochlear implant surgery.
Taiwan: Treat sudden deafness as emergency, doctor says.
Thailand: Grab Thailand reaches out to the hearing impaired.
Tonga: 1300 Tongans have been fitted with hearing aids.
United Arab Emirates (UAE): Doctors in UAE warn against the use of wireless headphones.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch—we would love to hear from you.