Inclusive and sustainable society? How is it everyone’s duty?
In a recent conversation with team members, our executive director, Yinka Olaito shared some insights on how everyone can make a change in the journey to an inclusive and sustainable society, we just want to share
The world we live in is dangerously tilted in favour of some persons with noted abilities because of belief system, class, status or position. No wonder there is a clamour for a just, equitable society from different angles. Knowing this is a reality, persons with disabilities’ challenges are grossly compounded as they are side-lined. It is only a handful of these over 80 Million global populations that are noticed or given a voice. This is often always at a cost of pushing harder for recognition through undeniable achievements.
While everyone may continue to point accusing fingers to only those who are in power alone, because they have enormous resources entrusted to them to make a change, the reality is, everyone can start the crusade of lighting the dark places from their own corners.
The truth is with disabilities or not, each one of us can play a role if truly we desire an inclusive and sustainable society. Here below are how’s?
1-Respect differences in all: Our individual, family and ethnic biases often push us unconsciously to think we are superior in a way. This shows in our speech, relationship with others and how we frame events and people around us.
Everyone can move the crusade for an inclusive and sustainable society up by an inch if we all learn to respect differences in one another’s abilities. No one is useless. Value can be seen in the way we react or deal with people around us whether they have disabilities or not,
2- Speak up, do not ignore: In many instances in the course of our daily lives, we see injustice and keep silent either because we do not want to rock the boat or we are concerned about our own lives’ issues. Silence empowers the oppressors.
Injustice against persons with disabilities may begin from home where preferences are given to bright and active children over the ones who are slow and do not pick things fast. We see some of these anomalies at home and we move on unconcerned hoping the ‘victim’ should rise up and defend him/herself. Learn to speak up for others at home, at work among many other places.
3-Speak or call on your representatives in government: We may not be able to do much in terms of policy change but we can call on our elective representatives in government to create an enabling environment that will make a sustainable and inclusive society thrive.
Some say “I do not have such access to my political representative”. But you have social media platforms where you can express your constructive opinions. Make it a duty to post something around your concern for inclusive and sustainable society every day. Over time some other concerned members will join you and this will go viral.
4-Collaborate with others: in every tribe and nations/ethnos, there are people with similar pains/concerns who are looking for persons with shared interest they can work with so they can make the change collectively. Check with your neighbours, put up a post on your society media and build such community if none exists. Do the little you can do in support of disability and inclusion in your community. Before long such little efforts will make crucial impact
5- Give resources to organizations who are in the forefront of the crusade: There may be few organizations out there, especially in a nation like ours and others, but the truth is it is easier to know those who are doing this for money. It does not take a long time to see behind the veil.
But of note is the fact that there are genuine organizations out there with passion and commitment to seeing this reality in place. Even if you do not have anything to give, you are likely to know those with resources who can help. Refer or connect such individuals/organizations to these identified organizations. You are already contributing to this in a way.
In closing, the Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa is in the forefront of pushing for a transformative and inclusive society across Africa. We appeal to you to donate, give, support our advocacy, empowerment, disability rights issue and policy change we are pushing. We have a major event in September 2023 and others before the year runs out
We also aim to build a highly impactful training centre where inclusion advocates can be empowered and released across Africa so they can change each community at a time. We are just a mail and call away.