Inspiring examples of social justice and equality
We live in a world where social justice and equality is often challenged, but it still exists. We are all different and we believe that this diversity should be celebrated. We want to celebrate the strength, courage, and power that humans have everyday as they promote love for themselves and their fellow humans with no exception.
This blog post tackles the issues of harassment, bullying at school or work place alike, privilege inequalities from education to healthcare to housing rights among others which typically cuts across racial lines in the society as well as other socioeconomic factors like class; all of which are intertwined with each other. Informed sources have shown that people with disabilities are three times more likely to be bullied or harassed than those who do not suffer any disabilities.
In the U.S. alone, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped in their lifetime experts say that almost 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape, according to a new study by the U.S Department of Justice (Cleveland, 2016). Sadly there are more cases unreported and these statistics are just a tip of iceberg and both men and women are marginalized from the society. Disabled women are more likely to experience sexual assault or rape in their lifetime and typically have a victim and offender who are known to them.
Our society makes significant steps forward in being inclusive. We now have the right to vote, women can also serve in the military, same-sex couples are able to marry now and there's an increase in less discrimination towards racial minorities. But there's still a long way to go. All of these vulnerable groups need constant encouragement for them not to give up on their rights and dreams. As a person with disability, you should never be treated differently because of your disability (Pullen, 2014).
The differentiating factor of the world is in having the proper wheelchairs but this does not mean that everyone has an equivalent disability (Pullen, 2014). For example, you may have a disability but if you have a wheelchair then you are expected to behave in a particular manner. The difference is in how people are perceived by society. This can also be observed with racial minorities where there is still discrimination towards them. In this society we have so much diversity and different cultures but the fact that discrimination seems to be occurring more than ever, it's evident that we need to realize our true strength as humans and take responsibilities for moving forward in being equal and inclusive towards all beings (Pullen, 2014).
The movement promotes social justice and equality for those who are marginalized or have been discriminated. It's also promoting human rights awareness and has a strong focus on LGBT rights. In this blog, we have made reference to different cases of bullying and harassment in schools, workplace, media among others. You can choose any of these three groups based on the topic that interests you most. Be a voice for one less fortunate than you with just words or maybe back them up with actions by being more inclusive to those around you (Lopez, 2014). It's important for you to do your own research and find out which furthers your own personal stance on being a better person. This can be achieved by having a very strong belief in justice, equality, and human rights.
Reference:
Pullen (2014) "We Need More Disabled People Running Our Government". Wagingpeace.com . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from http://wagingpeace.com/2014/02/30/we-need-more-disabled-people-running-our-government/.
Lopez (2015) "Think about it: Bullies are just making themselves feel big". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.
Note:
In this blog, we have chosen to make reference to negative and difficult social issues affecting people in the society. These are indeed not common and hence can be surprising for some readers. However, we have chosen to highlight these issues to highlight what they mean to other groups in the society which are marginalized. There's a wealth of information on each of these topics; however we've mentioned only a few below. Please do further research if you wish for more information:
Bullying in Schools & Workplaces: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/what_is_bullying_and_cyberbullying/types_of
Bullying in Schools & Workplaces: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/what_is_bullying_and_cyberbullying/types_of
Being a voices for disabled, LGBT and racial minorities: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/28/discrimination-disabled-lgbt-race-discrimination-sexism
The right to vote: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article_cd31f5a9-64e2-5321-b3c4-b8e1daec0439.html
Equality and social rights in America: http://www.brookings.edu/research/editorials/2014/03/21-the-american-perspective
Equality and social rights in America: http://www.brookings.edu/research/editorials/2014/03/21-the-american-perspective
Housing Rights: http://www.nhc.org
Housing Rights: http://www.nhc.org
Resources for disabled people in America: http://www.disabledworldusa.com/?page_id=2
Resources for disabled people in America: http://www.disabledworldusa.com/?page_id=2 .
Resources for disabled people in America: http://www.disabledworldusa.com/?page_id=2 .
Resources for disabled people in America: http://www.disabledworldusa.com/?page_id=2 .
References:
"Bullying". Department of Health and Human Services . 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from http://www.hhs.gov/topics/childrens-health/bullying/index.html
"Cyberbullying". Office of the Children's Bureau . 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocbp/cyberbullying.
"What is bullying?" Office of the Children's Bureau . 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocbp/what-bullying
"Cyberbullying". Department of Education . 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from https://www.first2know.org/cyberbullying_definition.html
"What is bullying?" Department of Education . 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2015 from https://www.first2know.org/cyberbullying_definition.html
"Equality and social rights in America". Brookings Institution . 2014 .
Conclusion:
With all the research and information that we have listed above, it's obvious that the world is continuously changing for the better. New laws and regulations are being enacted to promote equality. Many people are now more aware of human rights but there's still a long way to go in realizing pure equality. It's not just disabled people who need to gain support and become more inclusive; everyone needs to make their own iinclusive role in society. The education system on disability rights, LGBT rights among other related issues need more attention to be paid (Pullen, 2014). Parents should encourage their children learn about these issues as early as possible because one day they will be leaders and can initiate change within their community.