Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges: Together Towards Equality and Inclusion
The Irish theme is an adaptation of the international theme; “Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment” Acting together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
This theme recognises the continuing systemic and societal discrimination which persists. This discrimination leads to a lack of equal opportunities and oftentimes a denial of basic rights. Over halfway to the end point for Agenda 2030 we have not fulfilled any of the ambitions set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the promise embedded with the SDG’s- too many people continue to be left behind, facing exclusion, discrimination and trapped within the cycle of poverty. A lack of fundamental rights for all can perpetuate growing mistrust in institutions, division and scapegoating of marginalized groups we are seeing within our communities. There is a pressing need to combat growing problematic narratives and actors which are exploiting people’s frustrations “The consequence of leaving someone behind is someone else picks them up”.
This 17th October we are looking to the future and acknowledging that together we can overcome this and find a path forward.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 calls for ‘Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions’.
Achieving this means finding ways to finally overcome this systemic and social discrimination. Policymakers need to ensure the public infrastructure is sufficiently resourced to ensure a minimum standard of living is available to all, including but not limited to; a minimum standard of income, affordable and suitable accommodation, and access to timely and quality healthcare. We must dismantle the barriers which act as a blockade to equal opportunities for all. Barriers continue to exist which continue to exclude many from quality education, decent work and opportunities to meaningfully take part in their communities. Discrimination means that people are blamed for their situation, face stigma and shame, and having to navigate overly bureaucratic systems when accessing rights. Breaking these barriers involves ensuring there is adequate support; material and immaterial. It involves recognising the contributions of people living in poverty, respecting their innate knowledge and skills and enabling them to regain confidence and respecting individual agency. We must build bridges and understanding between everyone in society and work to combat growing mistrust and division. One mechanism for this is finding avenues for people living in poverty to collaborate with policymakers, service providers and institutions, including spaces for mutual learning and understanding to develop. Participative structures where all can have their voice heard are fundamental and essential to peaceful societies and transparent, effective and accountable institutions. Further, building bridges involves efforts to support diversity and inclusion at all levels of society, and opportunities for people of different background to come together in non-judgemental spaces.
The #addthe10th campaign is seeking for the recognition of socio- economic status as the 10th ground of discrimination under Irish equality legislation. This need for this 10th ground is more urgent than ever. This is an important factor in addressing the discrimination experienced by those living in poverty and facing stigma, shame and disadvantage due to their socio- economic background. Providing access to justice for socio- economic discrimination, coupled alongside more proactive inclusion supporting measures are important steps to eliminating persistent poverty. The addition of this missing 10th ground will serve to strengthen and uphold the existing 9 grounds of discrimination. Ensuring that no groups are falling through the cracks will ensure greater social cohesion. Further, it will offer greater protection to those experiencing multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously.
Let this 17th October function as a call to action and a demand for meaningful, long- term change in the lives of those experiencing poverty.
Click here to read about the significance of the bridges in Dublin connecting North and South of the River Liffey and the courageous people who inspired them.