Second Inclusive Festival "WE ARE DIFFERENT – WE ARE EQUAL" Unites 300 Participants in Ashgabat

On September 30, about 300 people gathered at the second Inclusive Festival “WE ARE DIFFERENT – WE ARE EQUAL” in Ashgabat as a part of a global initiative dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

The Festival provided a forum to celebrate the rights of people with disabilities to fully participate in public life.  Participants took part in different sport, art and intellectual activities: volleyball, goalball, table tennis, chess, rock climbing, games for families, contests of drawing, quizzes on migration, art and crafts. The music and dance performances, and exhibitions of art and crafts made by people with disabilities made the Festival brighter and more cheerful.

“Young people with disabilities have played a key role in raising public awareness about disability issues and promoting an inclusive and open society,”- said Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan at the opening ceremony of the Inclusive Festival.

The Festival was organized by the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan jointly with civil society organizations with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Committee on Sports and Physical Culture of Turkmenistan. The public organizations included National Red Crescent, Central Physical and Sports Club of the Disabled of Turkmenistan, Center for Support of People with Disabilities, Deaf and Blind Society of Turkmenistan, Agama, Yenme, Recovery and Rehabilitation center, Young Naturalist and UN Young SDG Ambassadors. Private sector also supported the Festival.

“The annual inclusive Festival proved that this is a great, welcome celebration of inclusivity, equality and dignity of everyone. It was very interesting, and we had a great time together. There are many bright, happy memories of this event,” shared Shabibi Osmanova, a representative of the Society of deaf and blind people of Turkmenistan, graduate of the OHCHR School for Advocacy and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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The Festival is implemented as part of the global awareness campaign on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), that will be celebrated on December 10, 2023. The Human Rights 75 initiative is coordinated by the UN Human Rights Office.

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