Independent life of persons with disabilities in the area of the Western Balkans and in Bosnia and Herzegovina - challenges and opportunities,

is the name of the conference organized in partnership by the Citizens' Association Information Center for Persons with Disabilities "Lotos" from Tuzla, the Center for Independent Living STIL from Stockholm, Sweden, and with the support of MyRight and SIDA (the Swedish International Development Agency).

Representatives of persons with disabilities from Bulgaria, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in the Conference, and the Conference will be held November 5th and 6th 2014. at the hotel "Thermes" Ilidža on Ilidža.

The objectives of the conference are:

– to promote the basic principles and philosophy of independent living;

– to promote the establishment of necessary services for the active participation of persons with disabilities in community life;

– to contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the countries of the region, especially those members of the convention that directly relate to independent living;

- to influence a change in the awareness of both people with disabilities and society about the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.