
The fight against poverty is a fight for inclusion
Poverty and exclusion are linked. If we want to fight the former, we must do something about the latter. Mission East has developed an inclusion guide for organizations and others who want to make inclusion of everyone who is subject to social marginalization and discrimination an integrated practice in day-to-day work.
More than 15 percent of the world's population is made up of people with disabilities. These 15 percent are also among the world's poorest. This is because poverty is often both the cause and effect of disability, not least in disaster situations where people with disabilities are most at risk.
The fight against poverty is therefore also a fight for increased inclusion, both in terms of people with disabilities, but also other forms of inclusion on the basis of gender, race, economic status etc.
That is why Mission East has made inclusion the guiding principle for all our activities: from budgeting, to country strategies to employment policy and evaluation. We work according to the slogan "leave no-one behind" because Mission East values every individual - regardless of physical and mental capacity, gender or caste.
Sharing of experience and expertise
Therefore, it is natural that, over the years, we have built expertise in inclusion of not just people with disabilities but also other groups who might otherwise be excluded or left behind.
We want to share this expertise and experience with others. Therefore, as a relief organization, we have conceived a 144-page inclusion guide that is freely available to organizations and others who want to work with a greater focus on inclusion. The focus of the guide is on all those who are subject to social marginalization and discrimination.
Did you know that
Mision East's inclusion guide Towards Inclusion:
• Is conceived in collaboration with reputable inclusion experts, ICCO Nepal and Light for the World.
• Builds on Mission East's more than 15 years of experience with disability programs in Armenia and Tajikistan, as well as a decade of projects in Nepal, focusing on Dalit caste women and people.
• Works as a useful manual guiding the reader from analysis to action.
• Highlights both opportunities and challenges of inclusion work - from a clear angle: how to give a voice to those who are not otherwise heard.