Themes
- Contribution & Community
All
citizens are united by a common obligation; to contribute to the Common
Good. Without our collective contributions we would have no society.
Our contributions to the ‘Common Good’ are based on a number of assumptions:
- We are in
relationship with each other
- We have the
ability and means to connect with each other
- We acknowledge
our common fate to care for each other and the planet
- We have a
shared belief about the ‘common good’
Most of us accept
our responsibilities as citizens and seldom give it a second thought.
Unfortunately, some of us are prevented from making a contribution
to the common good.
For example
the contributions of citizens with disabilities are often reduced
or prevented. This happens for a number of reasons:
- There is
no belief we have something to contribute
- There is
no expectation to contribute
- There are
physical barriers which prevent our contribution
- Contribution
is seen exclusively as an action, as doing something.
As a result
there is a danger individuals with disabilities may not be seen
in the valued role of citizen. To put it more bluntly, our status
as citizen is denied to many of us with disabilities. This is a
major loss both for the individual with a disability and for society.
We cannot afford to waste anyone’s contribution. We are not suggesting
a token role. We are convinced the contributions of individuals
with disabilities are essential indeed will lead to a transformation
of our society.
In summary,
the well being of our communities depends on everyone’s contribution
and all contributions depend on relationships.
To explore this
theme of contribution more fully we would like to reflect on two
related subjects.
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