Table of Contents
Preface
This document describes the multi-annual strategy 2024-2026 of the Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development, DCDD.
We describe the world we envision, the goals we want to reach at the end of 2026 and to this end, the strategic choices we will make in the coming years.
This multi-annual strategy is the result of reflections of the DCDD Board and DCDD Coordinator, consultations with the main participants of DCDD, a Strategy session with the DCDD Network and feedback and suggestions of the Coordination Team. We are grateful for this collaboration.
It’s a vulnerable world we live in. The lives of people with disabilities are even more vulnerable. Yet strong! Therefore, we look forward to execute our joint mission in this new strategic period. Because through disability inclusion everybody gains.
Fall 2023
DCDD Board
Our History
DCDD
DCDD was founded in 2000 to unite international non-governmental organisations and individuals advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
DCDD is a Dutch Foundation with a Board, a Coordinator, and a Coordination Team.
The DCDD Network is a collaboration of organisations and individuals working in the field of international development or humanitarian aid and recovery and embracing the vision of a world in which people with disabilities should enjoy equal rights, opportunities and fair treatment.
Relevant external developments:
2006
UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).
2011
Ratification of the UN CRPD by the EU.
2016
Ratification of the UN CRPD by the Dutch Government.
Additional motion: international policies should also be inclusive.
2018
First Dutch CRPD report.
2023
Launch of the Foreign Feminist Policy
Launch of the Foreign Feminist Policy, showing growing international demand for more inclusive Dutch foreign policies and laws.
Examples of recent DCDD achievements:
In 2020, the Power of Voices partnerships were launched by the Ministry. One of them is We Are Able! Consortium, consisting of ZOA (lead), SeeYou, Leprosy Mission, Africa Disability Forum, VNG International, and The Hague Academy for Local Governance. We Are Able! focusses on amplifying the voices of people with disabilities for improved access to food and basic resources. For the period 2021-2025, this provides a unique springboard for learning and exchange on disability inclusive development. DCDD has been subcontracted to lead the lobby efforts in The Netherlands.
Various motions have been adopted, and commitments for disability inclusion have been made in the policy areas of humanitarian aid, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and youth employment and education.
12 Consortia
Our Power of Disability Inclusion sessions have attracted 12 consortia, including 140 people, since 2022.
Since 2019
The Ministry reports annually to Parliament on their support to programmes which include people with disabilities since 2019.
4 Quick Guides
Four Quick Guides on disability inclusive programming were published as practical tools for NGO professionals, as well as several research papers that provide an evidence base for lobby advocates.
Our Identity
Values
- Inclusion – We know that inclusion works; we practice what we preach.
- Rights-based – Disability inclusion is not just an aspiration but a human right.
- Nothing about us without us – Because people with disabilities know what is best for them.
- Collaboration – Together, we achieve more.
Vision
We envision a world where people with disabilities can enjoy:
- Equal rights
- Opportunities
- Fair treatment
Focus
We focus on the Dutch sector of international development cooperation and humanitarian aid and recovery.
Legitimation
Our vision finds its legitimate foundation in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and is resonated with the Leave No One Behind Principle of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mission
Among Dutch Government and Dutch stakeholders, we work towards a broad movement with many and diverse participants who embrace our vision. Together, we make disability inclusiveness happen in international development cooperation, humanitarian aid, and recovery.
Our Context
Positive Trends
Some trends that support the work of DCDD
Inclusion
Inclusion is well regarded and there is increased focus on intersectional approaches to development. Inclusion and human rights are a focus point of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy.
Shifting the Power
A focus on Shifting the Power and on Localisation, bringing the importance of, for example; Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to the forefront
Advocacy by and for marginalised groups
Advocacy by and for marginalised groups is generally well supported through the ‘Strengthening civil society’ framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Negative Trends
Some trends that are less favourable to DCDD
Broad Definition of Inclusion
Inclusion has become an important issue, but it has been defined in a very broad way. To be clear, we emphasise that our focus is on disability inclusion (while at the same time using collaboration with other inclusion platforms through an intersectional lens as an entry point).
Funding Competition
Competition for funding is fierce, and pleading for more disability inclusion focus in funding and policy instruments is not a priority for many organisations.
MoFA Policy
The focus of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) policy is not on ‘target groups’, which makes DCDD objectives easy to dismiss.
Internal Shifts in MoFA
There is a shift occurring within MoFA towards trade and large-scale programmes (big grants requiring little management from MoFA).
Our Terminology
DCDD
With the term ‘DCDD’, we could mean the DCDD organisation or Coordination Team; we could also mean the DCDD Network of the DCDD participants.
DCDD as an organisation and DCDD as a network has much-varied knowledge on disability inclusion and development. When it comes to disability and inclusion, MOFA values DCDD and their Coordinator as their initial point of contact, recognising our role both as a network and a reliable resource for support.
In this strategic period, we will emphasize on the opportunities we all together – as a network – do and can do. We envision a disability inclusive sector in which many organisations involve.
Abbreviations
When people with disabilities are included in all spheres of life, everybody gains.
MoFA
(Dutch) Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
OPDs
Disabled People’s
Organisations
UN CRPD
UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals
NGOs
Non-governmental organisations
MPs
Members of (Dutch) Parliament
Network of participants
The DCDD Network consists of participants (not ‘members’): NGOs, research and training institutes and individuals interested in and working on inclusion of people with disabilities in development cooperation. Participants of the DCDD network join forces to create a platform for learning on disability-inclusion, and to have a stronger voice towards policy makers. The DCDD participants work closely together with organisations working for people with disabilities and Disabled People’s Organisations worldwide.
Coordination Team
The DCDD Coordination Team is the staff enrolled by the Board of DCDD. It is an engine to facilitate, boost and catalyse the DCDD Network.
Lieke
Scheewe
Maria
Baarslag
Angela
Frings
Judy Y
Dinh Dang
Ieke
van Lammeren
Sanne
Lukkien
Our Goals
A growing collaboration
on
disability inclusion
DCDD serves the sector as a Disability Inclusion Expertise Hub
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
applies disability inclusion
Goal 1
A growing collaboration on disability inclusion.
Outcomes and Strategic Choices
- Advocate to program officers and their heads of departments on disability inclusiveness.
- Promote the added value of DCDD in the sector of development, humanitarian aid and recovery.
- Invite development and humanitarian aid and recovery organisations to partner with DCDD in the Network.
- Involve people from project countries in the DCDD Strategy and Execution, e.g., as an Advisory Board.
- Establish a Core Group of staff of DCDD participants that is willing to take (more) responsibility and to jointly facilitate the DCCD Network.
- Connect with program staff on disability inclusive themes.
- Enrich program staff with respect to disability-inclusive programming.
- Support at least two concrete humanitarian aid and recovery programs to be executed disability inclusively.
- Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships.
- Be supportive in forging coalitions of collaboration.
- Identify two opportunities that are best to become a partner in.
- Be proactive in forging coalitions of collaboration for those two.
Goal 2
DCDD serves the sector as a Disability Inclusion Expertise Hub.
Outcomes and Strategic Choices
- Share inspiring examples of actual disability inclusion with the Board.
- Make examples of actual disability inclusion through a DCDD participant available for the Network as a whole and broader.
- Frequently assess needs and offers among the DCDD Network partners and the participants of We Are Able! learning sessions.
- Assess how our platform and database with tools and resources is being used and make it as usable as possible.
- Lead in co-creation with partners, We Are Able! learning sessions on disability inclusive programming and organisations.
- Further contribute to Partos‘ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trajectory.
- Make ‘Practice what we preach’ an essential element in every DCDD Network meeting.
- Make ‘Nothing about us without us’ an essential element in every DCDD Network Meeting.
- Accurately identify which knowledge and expertise are needed in the network.
- Learn from Expertise Hubs experiences in the UK and Australia.
- Develop a fundable multi-year project proposal.
Goal 3
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs applies disability inclusion.
Outcomes and Strategic Choices
Develop a longer-term lobbying strategy towards MoFA:
- Disability inclusion: why, how, what.
- Disability inclusion in Feminist Foreign Policy.
- Disability inclusion requirement in calls for proposals.
- Interest in and funding of project DCDD Expertise Hub.
- The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) monitoring and review.
- Inspire and influence – regularly, systematically, personally – MPs in the field of disability inclusion.
- Involve other stakeholders who have influence and/or authority with respect to MoFA, e.g., knowledge institutions.
- Invite relevant OPDs and/or knowledge institutions from the project countries to join meetings.
- Invite MoFA staff to the Network Meeting, including the ‘Practice what we preach’ elements.
- Provide proactive suggestions to MoFA to appoint focal points with a mandate focused on disability inclusion.
- Inform MoFA focal points proactively on the practice of disability inclusion, e.g., guidelines for accessibility of consultations and events (e.g., the GLAD Network and the Global Disability Summit).
- Prioritise with the network on which department/theme we want to lobby and network.
- Inspire and influence – regularly, systematically, personally – MPs in the field of disability and inclusion.
- Involve other stakeholders who have influence and/or authority with respect to MoFA, e.g., knowledge institutions.