The
meeting,
organized
by
the
World
Council
of
Churches
(WCC)
Ecumenical
Disability
Advocates
Network,
gathered
25
leaders
from
the
Anglican
Church
of
Kenya,
the
Presbyterian
Church
of
East
Africa,
and
the
Reformed
Church
in
Zimbabwe.
“This
has
been
a
very
crucial
training
for
the
church
leaders
who
often
interact
daily
and
engage
with
persons
with
disabilities.
We
hope
that
after
this,
they
will
help
their
churches
and
congregations
ensure
inclusion
of
persons
with
disabilities,” said
Anjeline
Okola,
WCC
Ecumenical
Disability
Advocates
Network
coordinator.
“Adequate
engagement
with
the
churches
and
faith
actors,
who
remain
critical
partners
in
reaching
grassroots
communities,
is
very
important
and
at
the
core
of
work.”
From
25-27
November,
the
leaders
engaged
in
Bible
studies
and
theological
reflections,
assembled
in
groups,
and
explored
African
churches’
case
studies.
The
aim
was
to
give
them
a
theological,
legal,
and
practical
tool
to
enable
them
to
champion
for
disability
rights
in
work,
employment,
and
climate
change
adaptation.
Dr
Samuel
Kabue,
former
executive
secretary
of
the
WCC
Ecumenical
Disability
Advocates
Network,
told
the
training
that
the
UN
Convention,
adopted
in
2006,
has
since
received
a
lot
of
attention,
nearing
universal
ratification
by
the
UN
member
states.
At
the
same
time,
he
cautioned
that
the
convention
does
not
create
new
rights
but
provides
a
framework
for
persons
with
disabilities
to
enjoy
the
same
rights
as
other
people.
“Its
purpose
is
to
elaborate
in
detail
the
rights
of
persons
with
disabilities
and
set
out
a
code
of
implementation,” said
Kabue.
“To
ensure
that
the
convention
is
implemented,
there
is
a
need
for
continuous
oversight.
This
oversight
requires
the
involvement
of
all
stakeholders,
including
the
church
and
other
faith-based
organisations.”
He
encouraged
churches,
the
civil
society,
and
faith-based
organisations
to
join
organisations
of
persons
with
disabilities
in
the
preparation
of
the
parallel
report
or
even
to
have
their
own
reports,
alongside
those
of
states
that
have
ratified
the
convention.
In
the
action
plans
unveiled,
the
Anglican
Church
of
Kenya
plans
to
hold
sensitization
and
training
workshops
on
inclusion
and
awareness
creation,
assemble
disability
inclusion
committees
at
provincial,
diocese,
and
parish
levels,
and
develop
a
manual
on
disability
inclusion
policy.
The
Reformed
Church
in
Zimbabwe’s
action
plans
include
clergy
and
laity
orientation
and
training
on
the
conventions
provisions,
developing
an
inclusion
policy,
and
adopting
a
disability
inclusive
climate
change
strategy,
among
others.
Part
of
the
Presbyterian
Church
of
East
Africa
action
plan
includes
explaining
theological
statements,
including “A
Church
of
all
and
for
all”
and “The
Gift
of
being
and
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
Persons
with
Disabilities.” It
will
also
focus
on
sustainable
agriculture
and
food
security,
and
disability,
among
other
issues.
Rev.
Zadock
Oluoch,
vicar
at
St
Augustine
Madaraka,
a
parish
of
the
Anglican
Church’s
All
Saints
Cathedral
Diocese,
said
that
after
years,
the
church
has
taken
a
turn
to
think
more
deeply
about
how
to
engage
persons
with
disabilities.
“Having
listened
to
different
denominations,
churches
present
here,
and
organizations
and
hearing
the
things
they
are
doing,
I
realize
there
is
a
need for
partnerships,” said
the
cleric. “We
are
beginning
to
think
about
how
we
can
partner
so
that
we
avoid
duplication.”
Joyce
Matara,
acting
director
of
the
National
Association
of
Societies
for
Care
of
the
Handicapped,
Zimbabwe,
said
churches
needed
to
act
quickly
to
ensure
that
persons
with
disabilities
get
education
to
move
them
out
of
poverty,
enable
formal
employment,
and
empower
them
to
contest
for
leadership.
“The
organization
of
persons
with
disabilities
can
play
a
key
role
in
ensuring
churches
are
inclusive.
There
is
also
a
need
for
awareness
of
the
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
Persons
with
Disabilities
provision
and
other
conventions
like
the
African
disability
protocol,” said
Matara.