When Heumann was 5 years old, school officials denied her the right to attend public school, claiming that her wheelchair was a “fire hazard.” Years later, the same school district denied her a teaching license. Heumann sued the school board and became the first wheelchair user to teach in New York. She went on to become an international leader, spurring the creation of critical disability rights legislation like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Once, when a younger person with a disability asked how she stayed motivated to keep up the fight, Heumann replied, “I still encounter barriers every single day…but at this point, I am just the keeper of the flame. My true passion is to hand it over to youth with disabilities to keep breaking down the barriers.”

Judy passed away one year ago today. But her flame still shines brightly, tended by the many people for whom she paved the way.

Eurasia Foundation has the privilege of working with many of these torchbearers. We partner with social entrepreneurs, educators, and experts with disabilities to champion their ideas for change. We ensure people with disabilities play a leading role in conversations around natural disaster preparedness. And through our Judy Initiative, we equip youth with disabilities to keep breaking down barriers. The initiative unites a new generation of young changemakers with disabilities who will keep Heumann’s message alive and make their own unique mark on the future.

Today, March fourth, we answer the call to “March Forth” in Judy’s memory—to keep pushing for a society that includes, respects, and cherishes everyone. We hope you join us in this mission.

The post From “Fire Hazard” to “Keeper of the Flame”: Remembering Judy Heumann appeared first on Eurasia Foundation.

“The Judy Initiative addresses the unique challenges faced by youth with disabilities, both because of their age and entrenched cultural stigma around disability,” says EF President Lisa Coll. “The name of this project honors Judy Heumann, a trailblazer for the rights of people with disabilities across the globe. We are proud to carry her legacy forward.”

While both the governments of Armenia and Moldova demonstrate interest in protecting the rights of people with disabilities, the legacy of Soviet-era policies and cultural stigma often complicate the work of disability rights changemakers. Most OPDs in Armenia are in the capital, leaving five of the country’s ten regions without any such organizations. Moldova’s legal framework does not yet offer adequate protections for people with disabilities. Many institutions in both countries view disability as a medical topic, rather than a social and political issue that can change through concerted effort.

The Judy Initiative will approach these challenges by involving OPDs and experts with deep roots in the local disability rights communities. EF will strengthen local OPDs and civil society groups through intensive workshops led by disability rights experts. OPDs will then connect with local youth changemakers with disabilities, mentoring the young leaders as they implement awareness initiatives that champion the integration of people with disabilities at all levels of society. The program will culminate in regional conferences of youth with disabilities, government officials, and civil society organizations. This collaboration will foster more open dialogue, build relationships, and garner support for youth-led initiatives.

“By uniting youth with disabilities with local organizations, government leaders, and international experts, the Judy Initiative will elevate these young leaders’ perspectives,” notes Hrachya Topalyan, director of Civic Engagement and Leadership at EF. “This approach ensures that collaboration to promote the rights of people with disabilities will continue well beyond the project’s end.”

Eurasia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to the idea that societies function best when people take responsibility for their own civic and economic prosperity. We envision a future where all people have the opportunity to realize their potential and transform their societies. Since 1992, Eurasia Foundation has equipped forward-thinking people across Europe, Eurasia, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to address issues of concern in their communities. Our success showcases the power of a vibrant civil society to drive real and lasting change. Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For general inquiries related to Eurasia Foundation, please contact Communications Manager Julia McLean at jmclean@eurasia.org.

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As EF’s first field officer, I was tasked with establishing offices that were to operate programs promoting prosperity and stability throughout the newly independent states emerging from the fallen empire. The idea was to deliver financing, in the form of small grants, directly to local organizations tackling transition and development challenges in their own communities.

Some in Washington said it couldn’t be done. “They’ll steal the money!” they exclaimed. “The banking system can’t handle electronic transactions; you’ll have to work in cash, and you’ll be robbed!” was another typical response. Some were more optimistic, like the six of us comprising the EF staff in the summer of 1993. We had all studied or worked in the Soviet Union and saw that the new nations of Eurasia were quickly adapting old systems and creating new ones even faster. We knew that former Soviet banks could handle wire transfers and that we would not have to operate on a cash basis. We knew that through advertisements in newspapers, hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers fanned out across the region, and academic networks, we could quickly roll out EF’s nascent programs and soon broaden their reach. Most important, we knew that innumerable honest, capable citizens throughout the region were committed to improving their own lives and the lives of others in their communities.

I arrived in Moscow on September 1, 1993, with a laptop computer, a credit card, and a tone generator. (In the pre-smartphone world, a tone generator — held against the mouthpiece of an analog telephone — sent signals across a copper wire that connected modems to computer servers, whereby one had access to email. The World Wide Web was still in its infancy at this point.) Within a month of my arrival in Moscow, some members of the Russian legislature attempted a coup. President Boris Yeltsin suppressed it by mobilizing army units to shell the parliament building. I can still recall the windows rattling and the floor of my apartment trembling as a detachment of tanks rumbled down Tverskaya Street in the middle of the night en route to laying siege to the parliament building.

Despite the turmoil, by December Eurasia Foundation had a regional office in Kyiv (led by Greta Bull) that was operating grant programs in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. From our small Moscow office, we established two additional branches in Russia – in the Volga River city of Saratov (led by Igor Bobrovsky) and in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok (led by Glen Lockwood). In Central Asia, Fred Smith opened a regional office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and by 1995 Laurens Ayvazian was in the Caucasus standing up programs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Uzbek journalists receive electronic communications training based on a grant from Eurasia Foundation, 1996

Our mission had two basic objectives: 1) deliver financial and technical resources to forward-thinking people to help transform their ideas into reality, and 2) demonstrate that an accountable and effective small grants program was feasible in this rapidly evolving part of the world. As I headed to the field for the first time, the parting words from my boss, Rocky Staples, rang in my ears: “Don’t make mistakes!” Well, I can’t say we made no mistakes, but with great support from our headquarters in Washington, D.C., and more than our fair share of good luck, Eurasia Foundation was ultimately able to deliver about $400 million in U.S. government funds via more than 10,000 grants to support projects in all twelve nations that once comprised the Soviet Union. In the process, Eurasia Foundation was there at the creation of pioneering institutions that advance media freedom, champion the rights of people with disabilities, offer Internet access, provide economics education, and develop small businesses — just to name a few. Many of these organizations still operate in the region today, as do the nine institutions, in every part of Eurasia, that comprise the Eurasia Foundation Network.

Looking back after 25 years, it is clear that our optimism in those wild days of the early 1990s – particularly with respect to the tempo of change and its one-way trajectory – was not always borne out. Some nations advanced socially and politically with great speed, only to crash economically and retreat from progressive policies. Others flourished economically while governments maintained a tight rein on their people. Overall, the region today varied widely with some societies ranking among the world’s most business-friendly or most open governments and others inhabiting the bottom of lists measuring social development or standard of living. But one thread running through all of these societies today is the same one Eurasia Foundation detected from the very beginning: each country in the region has a healthy supply of capable citizens committed to realizing their full potential and transforming their societies. 

The post EF’s President on Eurasia Foundation’s 25 Years of Operations appeared first on Eurasia Foundation.

If you have not heard, I regret to inform you that Bill Bader died Tuesday, March 15. Bill was Eurasia Foundation’s second president. His obituary appears in the Washington Post. Bill was involved in the creation of EF, and we are sorry to have lost him.

Sincerely,

Horton Beebe-Center
President, Eurasia Foundation

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