24 November 2021

By Seyelnen Molwus, Lead Researcher

Advocacy for Disability Rights & Fundraiser: Advocacy for All Humanity

It’s amazing how society comfortably categorizes our humanity on what is normal or not, when in fact we all cling to this cliché and say “oh, but I am not perfect….” Somewhere in our minds we feel we are better than other’s or deserve to be treated better. What if, we take a step back and realize that we are not all the same but we are all valuable, different streams of gifting’s in humanity that births a beautiful world.

These are the values that have challenged and led a group of young people on the global stage to say yes to making a difference and hosting the Safe Base Advocacy and Fundraising Gala 2021 with the goal of creating awareness for disability rights and raise funds to be donated to L’Arche International Community.

Initially the plan was to host a hybrid Gala, onsite in Webster University Leiden and online, however due to the realities of COVID-19, there was a lock down in the Netherlands which led the safebase team to host with a lot of trepidation an entirely virtual Gala. Surprisingly, this turned out better than expected with a robust conversations from A-list Global leaders who spoke, the spontaneous online dance party, to the very exciting and competitive auction activity, to emotional heartfelt moments of just giving and sharing as a family and community of people who believe in a better world.

Welcome Remarks

This magical moment began with the heartfelt opening remark by the Miss Cynthia Atuchukwu, Safe Base Project Coordinator. This inspirational young woman is the powerhouse of this Advocacy and Fundraising event. Miss Atuchukwu expressed her excitement in Thanksgiving to all those who were present and also shared her experiences that led her to initiate this project. Miss Atuchukwu made it very clear that her inspiration for this event is her younger brother and the L'arche International community.

This love affair with L’Arche was born when she met with two volunteers namely Jeff and Angie of L’Arche International Community and they made her feel a sense of belonging and deep sense of family ties. She made up her mind that she was going to support L’Arche International. This was the simple yet beautiful conception of the safebase disability rights Gala. Truly, we find love in the simple places. She encouraged all invited guest to learn, give and most importantly enjoy the gala. This set the tone for world leaders to speak and give light to their different perspectives of Disability Rights and its pride of place in the UN sustainable development goals.

A Toast

The awe-inspiring remak by Miss Cynthia was further impressed with a toast by Noura Ouattara, in honor of invited guests, Safe Base team, L’Arche International and to fighting for the cause of humanity. The hearts of all who were present at the gala sang in glorious joy to the theme song “This is me”. This, I am sure, ploughed my heart and the hearts of people present to the frail yet so beautiful side of humanity which we gathered all around the world to discuss.

A Day in L’Arche, Speeches from Honored Guests, and L’Arche Voices

Mr Vincent Flewellen, Chief Diversity officer of Webster University, St Louis spoke on the foundations of weaving diversity, inclusion and equality into the educational system that should be a platform to foster social justice and development.

Mr. Curt Armstrong, Development Director, L’Arche Internationale, graced the gala with the heartfelt story of his 30years journey with the L’Arche community. From when he was just a young man trying to take a step to further his career to finding and exploring his human side that called to love, to a sense of belonging, and to family. One can see the humanity in his career. Mr. Curt highlights the impact made by L’Arche by their presence in 38 countries and 156 satellite homes that house both assistants and Core members. The magical community that L’Arche has built is something every human being needs to experience and appreciate. To this end Mr. Curt encourages more people to be part of this work, by Advocacy and donating as Safe Base is doing, or volunteering as an Assistant, so we can build friendships and build the world together.

Mr. Abdel Satter Issa, the Lebanese Ambassador to the Netherlands, colored the conversation with his own perspective on the fact that the Lebanese government is committed to implementing Disability Rights in furtherance of the UN sustainable development goals. Lebanon is a small country, however, it currently faces a high inflow of Refugees from neighboring countries plagued by war. This is a challenge that world leaders need to engage and support so that the country will maintain its standards of inclusion in diversity and equality. His Excellency praised the leadership of Safe Base for not only speaking words but taking concrete steps to combat the problem.

Mr. Rasheed Seghrouchni, the Moroccan Minister-Counselor Embassy of Morocco the Hague, spoke power to the truth by highlighting the concrete steps his government is taking to promote disability rights by first getting it enshrined in the Moroccan constitution and taking further steps to institution a National Development for Human Rights which includes Disability Rights, supported by the National Council for Human Rights to assess at regional level the implementation of disability rights. The Moroccan approach to Disability rights is Human rights-based and so the government pays attention to issues like accessibility, employment, and inclusion in democratic processes. He also made laudable the need for individuals and civil society organizations to contribute time and resources to see that these efforts are sustained for a better world for us all.

Hannah Jirousek SGA President from St Louis Campus with a detailed eye emphasized the need to pay keen attention to the women with disabilities that face higher rates of inequality as regards employment and reproductive health. She boldly stated her support for disability rights and this act opened up a flood of support from Webster Voices( various students on campus) who lauded their support for Disability Rights. It was such an exciting cheer to rally around and champion this cause for humanity.

Miss Isaura Cabaňas, Cuba Charge d’Affaires Embassy of Cuba the Hague representing the Cuban Ambassador H.E Anet Pino, spoke with clarity and precision about the principles of protection of disability right and non-discrimination of persons as enshrined in the Cuban constitution. She also highlighted that the government is in partnership with three (3) main Non-governmental Organizations to promote and protect disability rights in areas such as sexual and reproductive health services, economic and employment opportunities, social inclusion in education, and specifically sports. She proudly mentioned Cubas six (6) medal stellar performance at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games. Ms. Isaura called on individuals and civil society to participate actively in disability rights.

The event would not have been complete without a word from our friends Christopher and Monica (Core member and Assistant) at L’Arche International(France) who thanked everyone who was giving towards this cause to work for an inclusive world.

Auction

That was all the motivation we needed to begin the exciting sessions of the event which was coordinated by Christine Fitzgerald an excellent first-time auctioneer that championed a whopping 1,500 Euros in a competitive auction session, particularly with Dr. Jean Paul and his obvious love for sculptures. It was also beautiful that Simon, one of the attendees, was gifted with a beautiful piece bought by Miss Fatou. The emotions were so real with teary showers of Joy.

Miss Diloba Yarmuth Dinova, SGA President Webster University Tashkent, also lauded her support for disability rights as regards inclusion and equality.

President of Webster Sigma Iota Rho Eta Alpha, Alexandra Lucia Schieferer, pulled our attention to the fact that advocacy such as this is to give people a voice and to be heard. She carefully considered the difficulties Covid-19 has also had on our already difficult battle with disability rights making inequality, discrimination, and abuse worst in society. However, she was confident that every human being must be involved in the fight for persons with disabilities to live independently and for us to unite in our diversity.

Ebere Akadiri, Webster University Alumni and Founder of Raise and Lead Women, expressed her belief that every person must belong and be included in the workings and benefits of society. She shared her sad experience of meeting an intelligent young boy who couldn’t go to school because he had a disability with his legs. She stressed that getting a good education was a first step to getting skills that will be an equal Platform for opportunities for people with disabilities. This cannot be achieved without strong legislation, sustainable systems, and social and financial capital.

Closing Remarks

Webster Academic Director Dr. Sheetal Shah beautifully summarizes the achievement of the gala as being successful in building Social Capital which is measured by networking at inter-personal and community and global levels. She strikingly stated that “for me to succeed, you don’t need to fail” this is how social capital is built, by valuing the uniqueness of each person and recognizing that the world is for everyone to live in. With that, she raises her glass of wine with hearty cheers to a successful evening.

Safe Base Virtual Gala 2021