Section Links
Support
You can help by your DirectoryFind out where to go for services, products, classes... |
XIII World CongressDeaf Australia was proud to host the XIII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. This congress was held in Brisbane from 25 to 31 July 1999. It was the largest international event ever organised by the Australian Deaf community. 2171 participants from over 90 countries across the globe attended the Congress.
The Congress theme Diversity and Unity reflects the diversity of the Deaf community consisting of people from different countries, races, cultures, sexualities and religions, all united by a common factor - all are Deaf and share the same Deaf culture and experiences. This spectacular event took four years of planning by a group of dedicated volunteers handpicked by Deaf Australia for their skills and enthusiasm. This committee became known as the Organising Committee of the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (OCWCWFD). HighlightsWFD President Dr Liisa Kauppinen opened the XIII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. Dignitaries including the Hon. Kim Beazley MP, Patron of Deaf Australia, United Nations Representatives, former Deaf Australia Board member, Mr Bruce Muller and the then President Mr Colin Allen also addressed participants at the opening ceremony.
Although the planning process was difficult at times, the Congress itself went very smoothly. There were unexpected problems when the Australian Government refused to grant visas to a number of delegates from developing countries. While this was disappointing and embarrassing, Deaf Australia responded swiftly and appropriately to the situation. Apart from this, all scheduled programme events took place as planned, and all important guests were able to attend, with the exception of Mr Alex Ndeezi from Uganda. The venue proved excellent, and the overwhelming response from delegates and participants was that it was a wonderful event, well organised and stimulating with many exciting and memorable moments. Several veterans of previous World Congresses described it as the best World Congress ever. To ensure the memory of this World Congress is not lost, three different Congress videos were developed (one sold out) and the Congress proceedings were published. The cost of videos and proceedings includes postage and GST (Australian Goods and Service Tax).
|
The Congress attracted media attention from around Australia and the world. It had a budget of over one million dollars representing the most significant fund-raising project ever attempted by the Australian Deaf community.