So much humanity is summarized in this beautiful work of art and I could not resist the attraction!
Subject matters of inclusive governance, policy inclusiveness and participatory development remain areas of great passion for me and I am neither apologetic nor silent about it.
If anything is visible in a society that must develop, it should be the attention paid to the needs and contributions of every class represented in that society. In other words, any act of exclusion of individuals or group of citizens from development agenda, on the basis of their gender, disability or age is not only an act of shortchanging ourselves from the meaningful contributions of such persons to our overall development but same is also an act of INJUSTICE: It is unjust, unfair and definitely unproductive.
For instance, each time I access public facilities in any country, state or city, I make it a point of duty to pay keen attention to the level of thought and consideration put into their planning and construction: is it PL disability- friendly? Do children stand a chance? People with special needs? The aged? Etcetera.
What I have found is not very surprising: societies that pay attention to these details of inclusiveness are often the ones that flourish the most.
Inclusiveness however, is not limited to infrastructure and physical deliverables but also extends to development policies, empowerment and social investment. It reflects in our planning process and execution, either as government players, private sector or civil society.
Until inclusion becomes our way of life, our humanity is questionable.