By Leon Bent –
International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.
The theme of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated on December 3, 2019, is “Promoting the Participation of Persons with Disabilities and their Leadership: Taking Action on the 2030 Development Agenda”.
This year, the International Day of Disabled Persons (IDPD) focuses on the empowerment of persons with disabilities for inclusive, equitable and sustainable development as anticipated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which pledges to ‘leave no one behind’ and recognizes disability as a cross-cutting issues, to be considered in the implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On 11th June 2019, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy in line with his commitment to make the United Nations an inclusive organization for all.
The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations. Through the Strategy, the United Nations system reaffirms that the full and complete realization of the human rights of all persons with disabilities is an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Bishop Don Sproxton, Auxiliary Bishop of Perth and the newly-appointed Bishop Delegate for Disability Issues, said that as the Church prepared for Advent, it was appropriate to observe the International Day of People with Disability, held each year December 3.
“The 2030 Agenda, pledging to ‘leave no one behind’, is an ambitious plan of action of the International Community towards a peaceful and prosperous world, where dignity of an individual person and equality among all is applied as the fundamental principle,” Bishop Sproxton said.
“It is critical to ensure the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and includes active participation in our Church and faith communities to create enabling environments by, for and with persons with disabilities.”
In his address to people with disability last year, Pope Francis said: “We are all different. There is no one exactly like another. Differences are a richness because I have something, and you have something else, and by putting the two together, we have something more beautiful, something greater.”
Pope Francis added that people must not be afraid of diversity, but see it “as the path to improvement, to be more beautiful and richer”.
Bishop Sproxton said people’s faith calls and challenges them to take action to ensure communities are open and active in promoting opportunities that include people with disability. “This includes work opportunities, empowering people with disabilities to take an active role in leadership and ensuring our faith communities are accessible physically and attitudinally, guaranteeing ‘no one is left behind’,” he said. “In particular, we need to ensure that people with disability living in remote and rural areas, those who are new to our country and those struggling with the ever-increasing daily expense of living are supported and encouraged in the most practical and appropriate manner.
“This timely theme is an invitation and call to us to create and ensure a change in societal attitude that sees disability as a burden to humanity and a costly experience to society.”
The richness of a person with disability is a constant challenge to the Church and society to open to the mystery such persons present. The person with disabilities has rights and duties like every other individual.
Disability is not a punishment, it is a place where normality and stereotypes are challenged and the Church and society are moved to search for that crucial point at which the human person is fully himself.
A Prayer for International Day of People with Disability:
We Are All Different
Loving God, author of all gifts;
We praise and thank you for all the gifts you have entrusted to us.
Pour out your Spirit upon us so that, true to our baptismal promises, we may form faith communities that recognise and promote the gifts in all people so that we may all share in the mission of Jesus.
Inspire us to be a Church that is welcoming and accepting, and which sees everyone as an expression of Christ.
May our faith communities nurture and commission all members to live our particular gifts as a reflection and imitation of Jesus’ life.
Give us the courage to be the light of welcome in the darkness of exclusion, a voice of gentleness in the wilderness of the unheard and an outstretched hand of love to those longing for community.
AMEN.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.
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