Inicijativa za inkluziju VelikiMali

Initiative for Inclusion VelikiMali works on protection and promotion of rights of children with disabilities in accordance with principles promoted by the Convention on the Right of the Child. The main areas of the organisation’s work are right to quality education and right to life within the family – setting conditions for inclusive education and de-institutionalisation of children with disabilities. Our working methodology is based on holistic approach to the needs and rights of a family, individualised approach to every service user, fieldwork and principle of complete inclusion into the life of the local community.

Values and principles of our work:

• Culture of peace and tolerance
• Respecting human rights
• Developing civil society
• Social approach in providing services to children with disabilities
• Holistic approach to children

Objectives:
1) Setting conditions for quality inclusion of children with disabilities into regular educational system and life of the local community
2) Making education more accessible to children with disabilities, throughout enhancing parents' participation in decision-making processes and influencing policy and legislation changes
3) Developing accepting public attitude towards children with disabilities and alleviating their isolation in the society
4) Advancing expertise and skills of members, associates and volunteers in NGO VelikiMali
5) Developing the practice of volunteering as important aspect in creating civil society and active dealing with the reality

Since 2000, organisation VelikiMali has been working on direct support to children with disabilities for inclusion in mainstream kindergartens and schools by providing personal assistance to children, capacity building for kindergarten teachers (consultations, trainings, constant contact, visits to groups, peer support) and advocating for legislation changes in the area of educational policy.

The organisation provides free legal aid to families of children with disabilities in the effort to support them in realising their rights. Besides direct work with children with disabilities, their families and professional working in educational and social institutions, we are working on advocacy activities on the national level. One part of that programme is capacity building to small and under-developed organisations working with children and supporting them for developing community-based services within their towns. The other part is direct advocating for legislation changes (organising debates, participating in working groups, lobbying for policy and legislation changes, setting the principles of child’s rights on the state agenda).  Throughout networking and partnership, organisation influences protection of child’s and human rights:
• Coalition against discrimination: advocating for bringing Law on prohibiting discrimination (adopted in 2009); informing and reporting about discrimination in Serbia;
• Coalition for monitoring child’s rights in Serbia: participation in writing Alternative report on implementation of the CRC and optional protocols; reporting about violation of child’s rights; monitoring the implementation of the concluding observation given by the Committee for the rights of the child;
• Coalition for inclusive education: advocating for regulating and implementing inclusive education in Serbia
• Coalition for de-institutionalisation and community living

The organisation annually publishes reports about protection and violation of rights of children with disabilities, as well as other publications and researches in the area of education and social policy.

In addition, we conduct Youth Programme for young people with and without disabilities (networking, planning and implementing youth actions for promotion of child’s rights, capacity building of young people for children and human rights protection, youth exchanges, cultural events).
In 2006, organisation VelikiMali was awarded special jury’s prize by the Handicap International for good practice of community-based services for people with disabilities in South East Europe.