We, the associations of the deafblind in the Nordic countries, have today, 3. September 1999, agreed to found the European Deafblind Union, EDBU.
The aim of the union is to develop cooperation between the associations of deafblind in all European countries, and at the same time to improve the quality of life for the deafblind.
Membership in the union is restricted to those associations of deafblind whose decisions are made by deafblind people themselves.
(Translated from Swedish by the FNDB-INFO)
European Deafblind Union (EDBU)
By editor Bjørn Davidsen in the Norwegian "Deafblind weekly magazine"
36/99
A new milestone for European deafblind work was reached on 3. September
1999 with the founding of the European Deafblind Union (EDBU). This was
founded at a Nordic leadership meeting at Tampere in Finland.
An interim committee for the new organisation was also elected. Ove Bejsnap from Denmark was chosen as its chairman, and the following were elected as members of the committee; Kristjana Gardarsdottir (Iceland), Jane Eriksen (Sweden), Geir Jensen (Norway) and Seppo Jurvanen (Finland).
The first committee meeting of EDBU was held on the following day. Here it was decided, amongst other things, that the EDBU will hold its first congress in 2002.
With this foundation, Europe has now got its own union of deafblind led by deafblind. By achieving this old aim at last, it shows that the deafblind themselves have secured a grip on the national, regional and international work for the deafblind. It has been a long and painstaking path to achive this aim. Now that this milestone has been reached there is every cause to say: Congratulations!
This information is from the Norwegian Association of the Deafblind.
There web site is at, http://www.ide-as.com/fndb/
I would like to thank the Norwegian Association of the Deafblind for
allowing me to use there info.