The Felm Asia Disability Rights Network seminar on disability inclusion brought together participants from Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. A key outcome was the Kathmandu Declaration.
“We come from different countries, but we face the same challenges when advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities. This work is slow and demanding. That is why it is so important for us to draw inspiration from one another and learn from each other,” says Sokny Onn, Country Director of the Cambodian disability inclusion organisation Epic Arts.
Partners of Felm from across Asia gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal, for the annual seminar of the Felm Asia Disability Rights Network. The event aims to strengthen regional cooperation, promote disability rights, and provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and good practices.
This year’s seminar was organised by Felm’s long-standing partner, the Centre for Mental Health and Counseling Nepal (CMC Nepal), with support from Felm Nepal. CMC Nepal has extensive experience promoting mental health and advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities in the context of Nepal.
“Particularly among children and young people in Nepal, mental health challenges are common. We work closely with the Government of Nepal to integrate mental health support into schools,” Ram Lal Shrestha, the Executive Director of CMC Nepal, said in the event.
In photo: Ram Lal Shrestha, the Executive Director of CMC Nepal. Photo: Mimosa Hedberg
A key outcome: the Kathmandu Declaration
In addition to network participants from all over Asia, the event brought together representatives of Nepal’s local government, human rights advocates, people with lived experiences, Finland’s Ambassador to Kathmandu Petri Puhakka, Felm’s Executive Director Pauliina Parhiala, and other Felm staff members.
“While the contexts in our countries are different, we still have many solutions and lessons to share,” said Lotta Gammelin, Felm’s Country Director in Nepal.
A key outcome of the seminar was the Kathmandu Declaration, developed through shared learning and dialogue among participants. In the declaration, participants committed to strengthening the rights, inclusion, and leadership of persons with psychosocial disabilities. One of its central messages is that people are the foremost experts on their own lives and must be involved in all decision-making that affects them.
Artists with disabilities, previously supported by Felm Nepal’s partner organization Forward Looking, performed in the seminar. Photo: Mimosa Hedberg
The network was established last year to strengthen collaboration among Felm’s disability rights partners in Asia. The first seminar was held in Cambodia in 2025, this year’s event took place in Nepal, and the next gathering is planned for Thailand in 2027.
Beyond the annual seminar, the network promotes ongoing cooperation through information sharing, peer learning, and joint advocacy to advance the rights of people with disabilities across the region.
Text: Mimosa Hedberg