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“MOURNING THE LOSS OF KALLE KONKKOLA AND CELEBRATING HIS LIFE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1283 on Sept. 24, 2018.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MOURNING THE LOSS OF KALLE KONKKOLA AND CELEBRATING HIS LIFE
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HON. DINA TITUS
of nevada
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 24, 2018
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Kalle Konkkola, an international disability rights advocate and former member of the Finnish Parliament.
Mr. Konkkola passed away on September 11, 2018. He served from 1983 to 1987 as the first member of the Finnish Parliament with a disability, developing key pieces of legislation on disability inclusion and independent living. Konkkola was a fervent advocate for the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Finland.
Konkkola also helped to strengthen relationships between Finland and the U.S. in the area of disability policy. This relationship resulted in collaborative activities with the State Department's Special Advisor on International Disability Rights and our Embassy in Finland, including training on our Americans with Disabilities Act, joint efforts with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to advance the inclusion of disability, and discussions on conditions of disabled people in refugee camps.
Konkkola worked tirelessly for disability inclusion worldwide. He was active in global partnerships for disability and development, and his work emphasized the need for a robust human rights framework in disability policy. Konkkola was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the creation of the European Disability Forum in 1996, and he founded the Abilis Foundation, an organization that promotes human rights, equal opportunities, and independent living through grantmaking to disabled people's organizations in low income countries, in 1998.
Konkkola was a member of the Expert Group on Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. He brought a unique perspective to the working group, having firsthand experience of many aspects of political life, including running as a candidate, serving in elected office, and advocating with policymakers.
Here in the U.S. Congress, we can honor Konkkola's life by continuing his work to empower the one billion people in the world who have a disability, especially in political and public life. In partnership with the diverse disability community, we must remove barriers that prohibit the full participation of persons with disabilities as voters and candidates. When barriers are removed, voters with disabilities are afforded their full rights as citizens.
Today, in memory of Mr. Konkkola, I reaffirm my commitment to supporting persons with disabilities in their pursuit of equal rights. I stand with you today, and for all the days to come.
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