Our leader Kalle Könkkölä (1950–2018)
By Rachel Kachaje and DPI Executive Officers
We, Rachel Kachaje and the Executive Officers, representing Disabled Peoples’ International, write to the disability community and to all DPI members and friends to express our deep sadness at the death of one of our strongest pioneers.
Kalle Könkkölä was one of the earliest DPI members, travelling all over Europe and the world spreading the spirit of independence and promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. He was a talented diplomat who found ways to bring major changes to the thousands of grassroots DPOs he visited and supported. He always preached peace and unity and contributed to the strengthening of the organisation, bringing visibility so that the voice of persons with disabilities could be heard around the globe. Kalle chaired DPI from 1993 to 1998 with the same peaceful determination, and he wanted, above all, for DPI to reunite as a single organisation.
He was the founder of the Abilis Foundation and a founding member of DPI. As one member wrote: “It is shocking news to know that our mentor, our teacher, our role model and great leader — who never tired of telling the world ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ — has passed away.” He will be deeply missed by all of us.
