European Deafblind Union, EDbU
Founded 22 October 2003 in Fredericia, Denmark.
Registered in the Czech Republic 1 February 2007.
Identification number: 750 982 53
Registered in Norway as foreign business enterprise 3 March 2009.
Organization number: 993 738 174
General Assemblies:
4th GA, Finland, June 2017
3rd GA, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 22-23 May 2013
15 national delegates were present
2nd GA, Zagreb, Croatia, 28-30 April 2008
14 national delegates were present
1st founding GA, Fredericia, Denmark, 21-22 October 2003
16 national delegates were present
EDBU Secretariat 2003-2017:
2013-2017: Croatia (President’s office)
2008-2013: Norway (Secretary-General’s office)
2006-2008: Czech Republic (EC member/acting Secretary-General’s office)
2005-2008: Russia (Vice-President’s office)
2003-2005: Denmark (President’s office)
Membership of European Disability Forum (EDF)
Accepted as a member by the EDF Board of Directors in Stockholm 17-18 October 2009.
EDbU delegates to EDF GA:
2014: Sanja Tarczay, Zagreb, 17-18 May
2013: Sanja Tarczay (Geir Jensen, observer), Athens, 24-26 May
2012: Geir Jensen, Copenhagen, 26-27 May
2011: Tamás Gangl, Budapest, 28-29 May
2010: Daniel Alvares Reyes, Madrid, 8-9 May
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the following organizations:
European Deafblind Network (EDbN), signed 21 May 2012
European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFSLI), signed 21 May 2012
Number of members as of 30.06.2014: 20 “National Member Organizations of people with deafblindness. 3 “Associated member organizations” (1 “National and affiliate organization of people with deafblindness which is not a national member”, and 2 “Other Organizations”)
EDbU
Executive Committee Meetings in the Period 2003-2014
- 3rd term (2013-2017)
2014: 23-24 August in Visegrád, Hungary
2014: 22-25 April in Zagreb, Croatia
2013: 10 November in Tagatay, Philippines
- 2nd term (2008-2013)
2012: 20-23 May in Tuusula, Finland
2011: 15-18 September in Stockholm, Sweden
2010: 18-25 May in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2009: 25 October in Kampala, Uganda
2009: 19-22 March in Budapest, Hungary
2008: 9-11 October in Bergen, Norway
- 1st term (2003-2008)
2008: 17-21 January in Moscow, Russia
2007: 2-4 March in Prague, Czech Republic
2006: 19-21 August in Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech Republic
2005: 4-6 November in Split, Croatia
2004: 1-3 October in Warsaw (Konstancin-Jeziorna), Poland
European Deafblind Holiday / ERCW
During the EC meeting in Hungary in 2009 it was decided that the European Deafblind Holiday would be called The European Rehabilitation and Culture Week for Deafblind People (ERCW), and the name was officially in use in 2010. ERCW is officially supervised by different coordinator in 5 years term.
- 3rd term, 2013-2017 (Coordinator: Tamás Gangl)
2014: 25-31 August in Visegrád, Hungary
2013: No ERCW
- 2nd term, 2008-2013 (Coordinator: Geir Jensen, Norway)
2012: 13-19 August in Castberggård, Denmark
Participants from 9 countries
2011: 1-7 August in Tuusula, Finland
Participants from 15 countries
2010: 2-8 August in Tübingen, Germany
Participants from 15 countries
2009: No holiday took place
2008: 4-11 August in Sopron, Hungary
Participants from 14 countries
- 1st term, 2003-2008 (Coordinator: Jan Jakes, Czech Republic)
Jan Jakes was the coordinator from the first European Deafblind Holiday in 1997
2007: 6-12 August in Søgne, Norway
Participants from 11 countries.
2006: 12-19 August in Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech Republic
Participants from 13 countries
2005: 3-10 July in Varna, Bulgaria
Participants from 11 countries
2004: 5-11 July in Mullsjö, Sweden
Participants from 11 countries
The European Celebration of the Specific Capabilities of the Deafblind
Coordinator: Dimitar Parapanov, Bulgaria
2014: 14-22 September in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2008: 1-9 September in Varna, Bulgaria
Participants from 5 countries
Proclamation of the Associations of the Deafblind in the Nordic Countries
„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 of the union is restricted to those associations of deafblind whose decisions are made by deafblind people themselves.
An interim committee for the new organization 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.“
EDbU Interim Board 1999 – 2003
• The Interim Board had the following composition:
Chairman:
Ove Bejsnap, Denmark (1999-2003, 4 years)
Members:
Geir Jensen, Norway (1999-2003, 4 years)
Seppo Jurvanen, Finland (1999-2002, 3 years)
Jane Eriksen, Sweden (1999-2001, 2 years)
Kristjana Gardarsdottir, Iceland (1999-2000, 1 year)
Svanhildur Anna Sveinsdottir, Iceland (2000-2003, 3 years)
Mona-Britt Broberg, Sweden (2001-2003, 2 years)
Ulla Kungas, Finland (2002-2003, 1 year)
• The FDDB office acted as the Secretariat of the Interim Board between 1999-2003, and the FNDB office acted as assisting secretariat between 2001- 2003.
• The Interim Board arranged five board meetings during this period:
2003 Iceland
2002 Norway
2001 Denmark
2000 Sweden
1999 Finland
•There was a meeting with the EBU Commission for Deafblind People held 27.08.2001. 28-29 August there was a European meeting with 11 participants from 8 countries (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Russia and Sweden). Both meetings were held in Dronninglund, Denmark.
EDbU-EBU joint co-operation Committee:
•The main tasks of the joint co-operation Committee was to:
1. Prepare the 5th Deafblind Conference and the founding of EDbU (18-23 October 2003 in Fredericia, Denmark).
2. Exchange general and specific knowledge and experience in the field of deaf-blindness
• The joint co-operation Committee consisted of the following four permanent members:
EDbU: Ove Bejsnap (Denmark) and Geir Jensen (Norway)
EBU: Tina Nummi-Södergren (Sweden) and Sergey Sirotkin (Russia)
• The EDbU- EBU joint co-operation Committee held three Meetings:
2003: 22-23 March in Fredericia, Denmark
2002: 16-17 November in Stockholm, Sweden
Observers: Stig Ohlson (WFDB), Mona-Britt Broberg (FSDB), Lennart Nolte (SRF)
2001: 15-16 December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Observer: Stig Ohlson (WFDB)
EDbU EC Members and Auditors in the Period 2013-2017
President:
Sanja Tarczay, Croatia
Vice-President:
Seppo Jurvanen, Finland
Secretary-General:
Sergey Fleytin, Russia
Treasurer:
Geir Jensen, Norway
EC members:
Barbara Verna, Italy
Tamás Gangl, Hungary
Julie Rana, England
Peter Vanhoutte, Belgium
Francisco J. Trigueros Molina, Spain
Auditors:
Dimitar Parapanov, Bulgaria
Marie Lagerstrøm, Sweden
EDbU EC Members and Auditors in the Period 2003-2013
President:
Sergey Sirotkin, Russia, 2005-2013, 8 years
Ove Bejsnap, Denmark, 2003-2005, 2 years
Vice-President:
Sanja Tarczay, Croatia, 2008-2013, 5 years
Sergey Sirotkin, Russia, 2003-2005, 2 years
Secretary-General:
Geir Jensen, Norway, 2008-2013, 5 years
Jan Jakes, Czech Republic, 2006-2008, 2 years
Józef Mendrun, Poland, 2003-2006, 3 years
Treasurer:
Mona-Britt Broberg, Sweden, 2003-2013, 10 years
EC members:
Daniel Alvares Reyes, Spain, 2008-2013, 5 years
Tamás Gangl, Hungary, 2008-2013, 5 years
Julia Roessler, Switzerland, 2003-2008, 5 years
Jan Jakes, Czech Republic, 2003-2006, 3 years
Auditors:
Dimitar Parapanov, Bulgaria, 2003-2013, 10 years
Ari Suutarla, Finland, 2008-2013, 5 years
Geir Jensen, Norway, 2003-2008, 5 years
Oslo 23.07.2014
Geir Jensen, Treasurer EDbU