Celebrating 'International Days' more meaningfully and productively

Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera

RECOGNITION: The United Nations General Assembly, on motion by members, urged all 192 Member States to celebrate 'meaningfully' the days designated to force National recognition of and attention on key issues that are truly significant to human life.

It was in 1990 that Mexico proposed the 'International Day of the Older Persons' and October 1, was assigned for this. Earlier, by Resolution 836 of December 14, 1954, the UN has since 1959 marked November 20, as the "Universal Children's Day". In fact on two subsequent occasions, November 20, was selected to be the exact day, when the UN adopted in 1959, the Declaration of the rights of children, and then again in 1989 ratified the convention on the rights of the child.

A key objective of celebrating the Universal Children's Day is about giving Children the right to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens of the country. Emphasis in our programmes too should be to teach children the value of sharing with others what they are lucky to have. By doing this, not only they will grow into responsible human beings, but also another child who otherwise could have ended up being a delinquent, had it not been for your thoughtfulness, might have been saved from this fate.

A confusion

Would it not be more sensible to think of both these crucial sectors of our society, the Children and the Elderly, and have celebrations on those two separate days of the year, the UN has quite rightly allotted?

By celebrating both these occasions simultaneously on the same day, even this year, it was obviously that attention was sadly diverted away from 'the Elderly', an increasingly important sector of our population. Such was the dilution that the impact on society about them was less effective than they richly deserve.

"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
But because of those...
Who look on and only talk, doing nothing."

- Albert Einstein-

At any given time, for different reasons, not less than 30% of our population are with reduced ability to move easily. They fight silently an uphill battle for access and use of our increasing number of public buildings and places, used often in daily living activities. These include the banks, markets, courthouses, places of recreation, restaurants, government departments, and religious places of worship, even the cemeteries.

Over one third of this number are senior citizens. As the age advances it is inevitable that our mind-body coordination and vision diminishes, muscle power weakens, and mobility becomes slow. Yet, the majority of them are still healthy, productive and fully-fledged citizens. Soon most of you will be amongst the 20% of our population who will turn senior citizens. That's the time when even the usual climb of stairs and steps could become painful and unsafe tasks.

Another good percentage here is small children and elders carrying children. As the birth rates go up, these numbers also rise.

A media responsibility

One of the biggest challenges that ageing Sri Lankan faces is the marginalization of elders through the design of public buildings. This breeds more unwanted dependants. Even the charter of the UN clearly recognises that 'Inclusion is a Democratic Right of Everyone'. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also talks of Participation by all in civil society.

On October 1, it is a great pity that none of the programmes and awareness given through our print and especially television media had the foresight to highlight this gravely rising social problem of national importance faced by our senior citizens and also by the elders accompanying children.

Television should also project empathetically, the much needed positive image of them instead of generating pity and sympathy.

Architects, engineers and builders, as the custodians of our environments along with the businessmen who invest money for building constructions, should respect the diversity of the endusers of their finished products. Creating proper barrier-free environments will increase opportunities for employment, recreation and businesses and thereby reduce loneliness and unwanted dependencies faced even by senior citizens.

As said before, over one third of our 30% disabled population comprises senior citizens. At the world programme of action for the 'dis-abled' persons, the United Nations emphasized that disability is not a medical condition within an individual but a 'Human Rights Problem created by the Society and Physical Environments'.

The 'Disadvantaged state' an individual is dragged into resulting from any restriction or lack of ability to perform (a daily living) activity with choice and with dignity, within the normal range, is referred to as Disability.

International Classification of Functioning (ICF), adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2001, recognizes that dis-ability is a universal human experience and not a concern to a minority of humanity: "Each and everyone of us, often suddenly and for different inevitable reasons (especially accidents, old age and often unseen debilitating medical conditions) can and will suffer from a decrease in health and, thereby, is certain to spend some time with reduced ability, often in respect of moving, seeing and hearing.

In fact, designing environments that are 'Enabling for everyone' is a winning way for all - individuals, families, businesses, society and thereby to the country. It greatly increases opportunities for gainful employment (to beat poverty) and other daily activities. Thereby it promotes social inclusion, self-independence, dignity and self-esteem and above all, respect for all.

Is this progress?

Today we use various community-based rehabilitation programmes. Identified as 'helping the elderly and /or marginalised children', most of these, run by various NGOs, are now lucrative businesses made out of the poor senior citizens and children. The special services they offer often result in life-long physical segregation and social isolation of them. Too many children with physical and sensory limitations are effectively hidden behind the closed doors of segregated special education classrooms.

Too many seniors spend their days together in separate "working" environments or day programs rather sedentarily, and their nights in separate living quarters. Segregation, isolation, and invisibility are still with us.

Let's move in a new direction

Advocates in these fields have traditionally agitated for more services and more funding. But we do not need more special programmes that isolate and segregate people who have been labelled with 'disabilities'.

We need, instead inclusion and more inclusion of everyone equally with dignity and with choice, in schools, communities, employment, and in other typical social environments. To move towards that direction requires us to recognize that disability, like old-age, ethnicity, religion, gender, and other characteristics, is a natural part of life.

It can be redefined as a "body part that works differently." Instead of focusing on the "problems" or the label of a person, we need to open our eyes a little wider and recognize and celebrate the abilities, strength, talents, interests, and dreams of those who have been labelled. Isn't that what we do for ourselves and others who have not been labelled?

Laws and regulations may come, services may represent progress and many benefits may accrue from these legal and social policies. But the real solution to creating an 'inclusive society' rests in the hearts and minds of each of us, and in the souls of our communities.

October 17 is the International Day for eradication of poverty; December 03 is the Disabled people's day and December 10 the Human Rights day. Hence, you have enough opportunities here for short-term demonstration projects, to turn into action what you have been reading so far. Remember: "Times is always right to do rightly what is right." Dear friends, shouldn't this be your moral duty?