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Right - left: Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Special Olympics North America Managing Director Bob Gobrecht and Special Olympics Caribbean Chair Maureen Webber sign the partnership agreement in Belize. |
On 25 September 2008, the Honorable Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize, signed an agreement of cooperation between the government of Belize and Special Olympics Belize. The agreement pledges that Belize will adopt governmental policies ensuring support of people with intellectual disabilities. Bob Gobrecht, Managing Director of Special Olympics North America, and Maureen Webber, Chair of Special Olympics Caribbean, were co-signatories.
Belize is the second member-state of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to have an arrangement in place that addresses government support to people with intellectual disabilities; in 2005 Prime Minister P.J. Patterson of Jamaica signed a similar partnership agreement.
The partnership between Special Olympics Belize and the Belize government will help ensure that people with intellectual disabilities in Belize are supported as a matter of policy, and that Special Olympics Belize is given the recognition it deserves throughout the country. It is envisioned that this will be a long-term partnership with a lasting impact that will benefit the entire country by bringing Special Olympics to more athletes, families and communities, empowering Special Olympics athletes as leaders and contributing members of society and by changing societal attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities.
“We hope that this agreement between Special Olympics Belize and the government of Belize will inspire other Caribbean countries to follow suit,” said Candiall Berment-Harper, Executive Director of Special Olympics Caribbean. “Policies like these only serve the further development of the special members of our Caribbean communities.” She said Prime Minister Barrow pledged his further support to convince fellow CARICOM governments to adopt similar policies.
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