Skills formation of disabled people

Project goal – to help disabled people of Druskininkai integrate into the community , reducing social exclusion and encourage disabled to solve problems using their knowledge and skills in non-governmental organizations (NGO ) activities. The project was held in 2004-2005 . Municipality of Druskininkai implemented this project together with partners – public bodies like Centre for Equality Advancement and Vilnius Zirmunu labor market training center.

The project’s target group – 30 disabled people of Druskininkai and the presidents of non-governmental organizations for the disabled. Non-governmental organizations of disabled people, who participated:

Care community of mentally retarded people “Druskininkai Hope” ;
Druskininkai sports club of health for disabled ” Fate” ;
Druskininkai Association of Persons with Disabilities ;
Druskininkai diabetes club “Atgaja” ;
Vilnius and Alytus county council for the blind and visually impaired community center ” Varėnos Clover” ;
Special Creation Society “Guboja” Druskininkai department.
Druskininkai Municipality Social Services Center auditorium was equipped with a computer training class with 37 training places , including – 7 computerized . Project participants were organized for computer literacy, accounting management and website development training. Seminars and trainings were held on the following topics :

Social services and opportunities of NGOs;
Equal opportunities in the labor market;
Gender stereotypes ;
Team building and interpersonal skills ;
NGO strategy ;
NGO policy and operational efficiency ;
Community public relations ;
Computer and Internet opportunities provided by Rural Communities ;
Use of Internet for public relations;
The application and its preparation : terms of programs and projects ;
Funding search strategy and execution of the project ;
Stock Search .
In addition, participants also visited various municipal offices and organizations in Lithuania and get acquainted with the work of these organizations.

The project was implemented under the program of economic and social cohesion subsidy “Adaptation to changing market conditions, new skills , and promoting social integration . “

About gender – publicly

This is a project of interdisciplinary seminars on gender issues in politics and culture. It was held in 2003-2004 .

Aim of the project – the development of sexuality and gender representation in nowadays culture and practices analysing texts and the current social and political events. Seminars promoted a dialogue between the academic , critical , and artistic discourses. In the cultural and artistic events the most pressing social and political issues like social inequality , globalization, the gap between the West, sexual emancipation , violence , marginalization and citizenship were discussed. The project was focused on the critical interpretive skills , political and social problems associated with ensuring equal opportunities , formulation of perceptions and decision strategies.

The first event of the project ” Gender and cinema : images, angles , the audience” took place in 2003 , December, Vilnius. It consisted the theoretical seminars, film screenings in “Skalvija” movie theater and a contest of short videos. Workshop on Gender and cinema begins with the cycle of events , combining academic, social , political and artistic debates.

The second workshop on Gender and pop culture took place on 4-5 November,2004 in Vilnius . The workshop was accompanied by a review of the video films competition review. It was a students program of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, Textile Department, which was called ” Trans – parade : gender (changing) fashion” , the cultural thematic articles were published in the press cycle .

The third seminar on “Gender and / as politics ” was focused on the political and cultural representation, also body policy (human rights situation in sexual / feminist perspective, trafficking in women , prostitution , “indecency ” regulation and censorship ) issues , problems of economic relations between gender and poverty were discussed.

The partners are:

Equal Opportunities Ombudsman Office ;
Academy of Fine Arts ;
Skalvija Film Center ;
Goethe Institute in Vilnius.
Project Sponsor: Open Society Institute ( New York ) .