JOUD Campaign – Civil Campaign to Support Persons with Disabilities against the Corona Virus
1. “JOUD” a civil campaign launched by the “Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities”, with the announcement of a state of general mobilization in Lebanon to confront the repercussions of the current crisis on persons with disabilities in Lebanon.
2. The name chosen by the LUPD for the campaign “Joud” (which means in the spoken Arabic “to be generous”), consists of three “Arabic” letters- that stand for: bridge- connect- support.
3. “JOUD” campaign is working on:
- Awareness raising on the needs of persons with disabilities during the quarantine period.
- Educational material related to dealing with persons with disabilities in collective quarantine centers.
- Preparing short video clips and electronic awareness-raising materials on COVID-19 and voluntary quarantine
- Facebook page to raise awareness and spread campaign news
- Meeting the specific needs related to disability
- Within the available capabilities, this campaign works to secure basic needs (food, medicine, and specific medical aids)
- The campaign also works to meet the diverse financial needs of the disabled citizen in light of the living hardship that Lebanon has been going through for the past six months, which directly affects the poorest people with disabilities (expenses, private debts, house rents …), all that within the existing abilities
- Link between donors and People with disabilities
- The campaign puts forward the necessity of donating from anyone who is able to in order to fulfill the needs of its beneficiaries. The campaign aligns between donated cash and in-kind items on one hand and the needs that can be covered on the other
- Rights Based Connection
- The campaign plays the role of a hotline between the disabled citizen and the state’s departments and its Ministries, where alongside the “Monitor for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” complaints of citizens with disabilities are met. In addition it questions departments and ministries on services provided related to them, especially regarding the financial support approved by the Council of Ministers and other rights
- The campaign also works to mobilize civil society, and to motivate civil and human rights organizations to create a common human rights platform that carries the cause of persons with disabilities and requests that the government fulfills them
4. JOUD team consists of LUPD’s management, members and volunteers. The team also works in parallel with partner organizations and DPOs all over Lebanon to achieve the goal of catering the needs of PWDs. Mostly the Campaign turns to volunteers to distribute needed items to PWDs
5. Phase one of the campaign (during the first fifteen days, and within the outmost modest possibilities) the campaign was able to:
- Launch two platforms through social Media under this Campaign and the disability monitor, and released an Awareness Video on Corona Virus.
- In terms of needs, so far the campaign ensured: 236 follow-ups and referrals to other service providers, 111 food donation boxes for persons with disabilities, 2 financial assistance, and one form medical aid
- This campaign along with LUPD and a number of associations and organizations of persons with disabilities launched a joint “crisis cluster” to raise the voice on disability issues at this stage