Article on Social Inclusion, 2021
1.1 WHAT IS SOCIAL INCLUSION?
Every one of us at some point in life has felt left out, either at school, at home or when by our very own peers. The UN defines social inclusion as the process of improving the terms of participating in society, particularly for people who are disadvantaged, through enhancing opportunities, access to resources, voice and respect for lives.
“enhancing opportunities, access to resources, voice and respect for lives.”
This kind of inclusion does not simply mean inviting people out to socialize, or merely acknowledging their existence. It goes down to letting them have a say in matters that affect their society, matters in which they are stakeholders. A clear example would be an organization that intends to help the socially excluded people in the society, say the poor, the sick or the old, social inclusion would mean the organization going an extra mile of improving the capacity of these category of people to increase their chances of being included in the society. Social inclusion features access to jobs for everyone, connection with family and friends and having a say in matters that affect your local community.
IS THE IDEA OF SOCIAL INCLUSION POSSIBLE?
The idea of a society where everyone counts and feels accepted might sound like a fantasy but if anything, the human species has proven over and over that once they decide to do something, the chances of that idea becoming a reality is high. A quick look at the Women suffrage movement and the dreams of Martin Luther King and man making it to the moon are some of the many examples of ideas that seemed like a fantasy at first but eventually bore fruits.
While the idea will most probably take time to materialize and become a reality, combined efforts being at the core of the process, it is very possible for social inclusion to become a reality. The question of how and the when will be highly dependent on the effort an individual will put in, the unity a group can create and sustain, that and the perseverance that will be very vital if this noble cause is to become a story of success.
1.2 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SOCIAL INCLUSION?
At its core, social inclusion is an idea. Over and beyond this however, social inclusion is a practical concept observable around us, each being able to easily see where it manifests, how they may inadvertently (or in some cases deliberately) contribute to its sustenance but most importantly what they can do to mitigate it. Social inclusion therefore as a concept is simply the achievement of a state in which it is not merely observable that people are included in all relevant spheres (social, economic, political, cultural) but that in addition to that, they feel included therein. Social inclusion is a world in which persons in actively considered in processes, in which their participation is actively sought, even if for no other reason than that they too are stakeholders in the decision making. It is a world in which major decisions are as inclusively sought as possible, where the relevant subjectivities and stories of persons from different walks of life are included in and relevant to the construction of the narrative. Social inclusion is a world that considers all in the process, cognizant of the fact the outcome is for all. Social inclusion is a world free of any marginalization, deliberate or otherwise. Social inclusion is participation for all; social inclusion is representation for all.
“Social inclusion is a world that considers all in the process, cognizant of the fact the outcome is for all.”
“Social inclusion is a world that considers all in the process, cognizant of the fact the outcome is for all.”
1.3 CAUSES AND DANGERS OF SOCIAL INCLUSION
Social exclusion is by no means a single faceted occurrence. Indeed, it is often causes by the interaction of a plethora of factors. While it is the case that in some cases structures deliberately act so as to exclude certain groups, as is often the case in states with no respect for or prejudice against certain groups on the basis of their cultural background, religious or political affiliations, in some cases exclusion is merely a consequence of failure to believe that narratives outside the dominant one exist and merit attention. It is important that this distinction in the causes of social exclusion is clearly noted because only then can we begin to address it as a challenge. Consider, for example, the construction industry. It is known that not all people have the same physical potential, that is, that certain persons are born with disabilities that impede, for example, their ability to climb stairs. Despite this however, it is not uncommon to find public buildings that offer no alternatives for such persons to reach their destinations. It is important to note that this exclusion is by no means deliberate. The constructors of these buildings do not deliberately plan to exclude these people nor do they have a bias against them accessing these facilities, it just happens to be the case that the inability to view the world through the lens of that particular subjectivity, and plan to accommodate it creates a situation in which that subjectivity is ignored to the detriment of the people that experience it. The other form of social exclusion occurs deliberately owing to prejudices against certain groups on the basis of their race, cultural background, religious and/or political affiliation. Our contemporary society is replete with situations where such exclusion, if not outright hostility towards people for certain characteristics and definitions occurs. Even if only for the historical context, such as in the case of the Rwandan genocide in which the Hutus butchered the Tutsi in hundreds of thousands, to modern day crises like that of the Oromo ethnic majority in Ethiopia or the Rohingya refugee crisis, the preponderance of conflict, the exclusion that causes and sustains it is significant.
It is important to note that social exclusion is a socially dangerous phenomenon. Economic marginalization is known to stir discontent and uprising, as was the case with the Russian revolution of 1917 in the then Soviet Union. Social marginalization is known to brew hatred for the dominant groups, fermenting until it erupts in civil conflict, slaughter and bloodshed. Exclusion of minority groups is known to facilitate the abuse of them by other groups, the exploitation of them and their fleeing from their countries of origin. Political exclusion brews hatred and strife. To underestimate the consequences of a non-inclusive society is foolhardy at best, disastrous at worst.
1.4 How can LTM contribute to Social inclusion?
The Living Together Movement has a special situation in the drive to achieve a more inclusive society. Bringing together young minds world over eager to contribute to the changing of the world offers our globe a new frontier in the drive for inclusivity. The potential for contribution to this frontier is enormous. Young people can volunteer to work with marginalized communities globally and contribute to conversations and building of more inclusive structures. The time is ripe for young people to begin challenging governance structures and constructing robust and comprehensive programs that aim at promoting inclusivity in every society. A case could be development of an understanding of what precisely the role of governments should be in alleviation of poverty. By comparing different economic interventions, debating their workability and the outcomes they yield, young people can begin to tackle headfirst the problem of poverty and the exclusion it enables. The gap in digital information is also something that the LTM can undertake. The necessity to be technologically literate has never been more relevant than it is today, especially with the rapid changes in technology and its ramifications in the work and education world. Despite this however, as of January 2021 there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide – 59.5 percent of the global population ( http://www.statista.com ). By bringing together young people and training them in the skills and competences necessary to survive and thrive in this digital age, the Living Together Movement can begin to bridge this gap.
Partnerships with other young people focused organizations and the potential this can yield should not be underestimated. Through such partnerships, LTM can expand her circle of influence, bring together more mind and achieve a much greater impact nationally, regionally and globally.
“Bringing together young minds world over eager to contribute to the changing of the world offers our globe a new frontier in the drive for inclusivity.”
It is evident then that the potential for contribution by the Living Together Movement is great and by harnessing this potential, we can begin to contribute to the development of a more inclusive world.