Background:

Historically, several different communities have faced economic, political and social exclusion for several different reasons such as disability, caste, sexual orientation and gender identity, indigenous status and similar immutable characteristics. This exclusion has resulted in lower access to education, employment, health services, poorer living conditions; which further cements cycles of discrimination.

The SDG indirectly influences the various concerns of the excluded communities, ‘Leave No One Behind’ in the preamble of the Sustainable Development Goals document ensures that everyone including the most marginalized communities would be included and have effective partnership to entail the development programmes. This however has been diluted throughout the process of progress of the SDG agenda, where communities who are structurally and systemically excluded have failed to be addressed in the national, regional and international level..

In the build-up to the World Social Forum in Mexico in May 2022, the Asia Pacific Social Forum is being organised from 18-20 February 2022. Asian organizations are using this forum to mobilize the region towards the World Social Forum, to exchange ideas, strategies, information and ways to take relevant and important agendas and missions forward. This webinar aims to address the inclusion of excluded populations and raise visibility to the member countries of the specific issues that these communities face and those who are situated at the intersections of these identities. This webinar also aims at creating a network of all those people/communities and stakeholders of the most marginalized and excluded communities under the SDG process. The groups of all the most discriminated communities and its intersectionalities, together voice their concerns and advocate for ensuring that SDGs are implemented with efficiency, inclusive and accountable participation. This webinar aims to address the SDGs from the lens of non-discrimination and inclusion of all excluded communities.

Session Speakers:

Bringing together a diverse group for representatives of a number of communities, the session will be moderated by Manjula Pradeep (India), the speakers for the session are:

1. Joan Carling, Phillippines
2. Grace Banu, India
3. Kim Omar, Myanmar
4. Wadarina, Indonesia
5. Mary James Gil, Pakistan