“Living In Dignity For Persons With Disability”
Video - The 5th Monthly Webinar Organized by MECC
Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs: we consider in the Council that any discrimination is a betrayal of the Christian faith and belief
The Middle East Council of Churches held its fifth monthly webinar entitled “Living In Dignity For Persons With Disability”, on the evening of Thursday 8 December 2022, with the participation of university professors, academics, and interested attendees. Noting that the webinar is part of a series of monthly symposiums which are launched previously by MECC, in preparation for the project of Human Dignity and Social Capital Rehabilitation that the Council is planning.
The webinar was moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil. It began with an opening note by the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs who stressed that the Council is concerned with the fate of countries and citizens, cares about peoples' issues, pursues and protect their interests with all available capabilities. He added, "our Savior has fed the hungry and healed the sick without any type of discrimination. Therefore, we consider in MECC that any discrimination is a betrayal of the Christian faith and belief...".
He continued, "the webinar’s topic is about disability, everything that hinders people from living a normal and dignified life without support from the other. They are people with special needs, and one of the societal groups that need continual attention and care until they become independent. But this does not apply to everyone, because some of them need care and support all their life…”
Dr. Abs also said, “we will raise our voices and hands and knocks on the doors in order to let everyone obtain their rights from a society that continues to ignore them, through coordination with our partners..."
The first session centered around the topic “The Cause Of Persons With Disability From Marginalization To Tangible Achievements” with Dr. Nada Thabet, Chairman of the Village of Hope Association for Development and Social Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and Member of the Egyptian Parliament. She shared her experiences which she passed through with her son, a person with disabilities, and talked about the rights of people with disabilities in legislation and international covenants. As well as, she presented how Egypt dealt with the issue of disability. Dr. Thabet also highlighted the endeavors aiming to transform disability from a marginalized issue into an issue of rights.
The second session was entitled “Dignity Of Persons With Disability: Violations And The Measures To Stop Them” with Dr. Nawaf Kabbara, President of the Arab Organization for Persons with Disability, who is also a person with disabilities using a wheelchair. In his session, Dr. Kabbara focused on the academic part of the topic and presented a historical approach to the issue of disability. He also talked about the laws and policies adopted in the Arab countries, and shed light on the positive transformations made by Egyptian law.
The webinar ended with a session for questions and discussion. Speakers and participants exchanged their expertise, experiences and opinions towards building a better future in which all marginalized groups are integrated and their rights are preserved.
