Batool Abuali shares experiences and advice on inclusion in peace processes
As part of MyRight's capacity development project for the inclusion of people with disabilities in peace processes, a workshop was held in Sri Lanka. Participants from various labor law organizations in Sri Lanka came together to increase the capacity to work for more inclusive peace processes. One of the guest speakers during the Workshop was Batool Abuali.
Batool Abuali is a young civil rights activist from Syria and founder of the organization Light Initiative. She herself has muscular dystrophy and shares her experiences of being a woman with a disability in a country affected by war and conflict. Among other things, she participates in the UN Women's Peacebuilding Program, which aims to increase young women with disabilities' active participation in peace processes and political dialogues.
Batool emphasizes the importance of including people with disabilities in peace processes, as they are particularly hard hit by crises and conflicts and can therefore contribute with a unique perspective. She also mentions that people with disabilities are the world's largest minority, which includes several other marginalized groups, where a majority live in conflict-affected areas. According to Batool, therefore, the concept of peace must be redefined to include all actors affected by it.
To succeed in this, Batool highlights four important aspects:
- Identify and address the barriers that exist for people with disabilities to participate in peace processes
- Develop a consistent policy that supports inclusion
- Recognize the capacity of people with disabilities
- Design programs and processes to include people with disabilities and support disability organizations
