Page 3941 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 September 2017
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freedoms, as well as on the principles of tolerance and embracing diversity.” That is how UNESCO defines social inclusion. It sounds good, doesn’t it? Social exclusion, on the other hand, is unsurprisingly bleak. It has been defined as restricted access to opportunities and limits put on someone’s ability to capitalise on those opportunities. In a nutshell, “I will give you fewer opportunities and, as for the few crumbs that do fall your way, good luck making the most of them, because you probably don’t have access to the same resources, skills, networks or experiences as other people, anyway.”
It sounds brutal, but this is the reality for individuals and groups in our society who experience social exclusion. I was going to say “individuals and groups in our society who are on the wrong side of social exclusion”, but I realised that there is no “right” and “wrong” when it comes to social exclusion. Everyone suffers. Our society as a whole stagnates, becomes less happy and, quite frankly, less interesting when we exclude individuals or groups on the basis of their identity. That is why the ACT government stands on a firm platform of social inclusion.
We are lucky to live in a proudly diverse community. As we heard from Minister Rattenbury in the last sitting, 32 per cent of our population was born overseas, and over 170 languages are spoken across Canberra. 1.6 per cent of our population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 50 per cent of us are women, and 15.8 per cent of Canberrans report living with a disability. Most importantly, 100 per cent of us are doing our best to get by and live a meaningful life.
The ACT government is working hard to make sure everyone has the opportunity to do just that. It is our mission to ensure that no-one in Canberra is barred from fully participating in our society due to their gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or social or economic disadvantage. Importantly, we are determined to not just pay lip service to the cause.
Change takes sustained, positive action, and that is exactly what the ACT government is delivering. It was made clear in the recent budget that, when it comes to social inclusion, the ACT government is putting its money where its mouth is. We are delivering services, programs, events and support for individuals and groups who face barriers to full and free social participation. This includes the LGBTIQ community, women, refugees, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, Canberrans with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people, vulnerable children, women and older Canberrans, carers, people who are facing a disadvantage, and people who are finding their way back from the justice system.
As you can see, Madam Assistant Speaker, it is a long list. But each of these groups knows how it feels to be marginalised or to struggle to get ahead in the competitive realms of education, work or sport when they do not have access to the resources they need. The ACT government is working hard to help Canberrans to get in, get ahead or get back on their feet, because we want to create a city of opportunity for all Canberrans.
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