Discrimination and Advocacy - Essay Example

 Discrimination and Advocacy Part A- Case Study Generally speaking, discrimination or segregation based on infectious diseases is threatening the scope of humanitarian consideration and must undergo reassessment. For instance, people who are infected by HIV/AIDS are considered as a burden in the modern society. Huber (1996) states that discrimination based on HIV infection is based on irrational fear of the same. But one must realize that no one is authorized to segregate or discriminate an individual on his/ her disease, whether it is contagious or not. Instead, one must try to help that specific individual to be in the mainstream of the society. Besides, discrimination or segregation will not hinder the spread of contagious diseases. For instance, the individual who is undergoing segregation due to his/ her disease may consciously try to spread disease and consider it as revenge towards the society as a whole. When this situation is superimposed to a workplace context, the scope of humanitarian consideration and empathy becomes more important. The topic under discussion is a specific case in a workplace (say, an accounting firm) and can be generalised to the sphere of modern society. Mr. Harold, an individual working as a clerk in a reputed accounting firm, was forced to face the problem of discrimination and segregation. In the initial stages, Harold enjoyed his work and his colleagues were ready to co-operate with him. But when they came to know about his disease (HIV infection), their attitude began to change. Almost all of his colleagues refused to work with him and the management did not show any special interest towards Harold. But Dalton (1998) makes clear that working with a person who is infected by HIV virus will not cause infection. Besides, the management allowed Harold to take an apt decision to overcome the situation. But one can see that the management cunningly avoided the situation of forced resignation and left Harold in dilemma. One can see that Harold’s situation is worse because he is totally marginalised due to his disease. Harold is confronting discrimination due to his disease and his future life will be pathetic. International Labour Office (1993) states that causal contact in a workplace and rapid spread of HIV infection is not interconnected. But mental torture is more severe than physical torture. One cannot prove that Harold’s colleagues discriminated him in a direct way. Instead, they refused to work with him. On the other side, the management indirectly forced Harold to resign. Anti-discrimination legislation Anti-discrimination legislation does not help the HIV/AIDS infected individuals to keep themselves away from discrimination. But Lanza (2000) points out that development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive plan formulated to hinder the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS infection in Australia is effective. So, there must be effective laws to enforce the rights of HIV/ AIDS infected individuals in a workplace environment. Advocacy Plan The advocacy Plan to solve the problem of Harold must not be limited to the sphere of individual counselling. But, there exists ample scope for creating awareness about individual rights, human dignity and one’s duty to help others and to be the part of the modern society. Last week, Harold sent me a letter and sought my advice (see appendix-1). So, primary concern must the emotional support to Harold. He must attend counselling sessions provided by NGOs or health care experts. Besides, he must realize that HIV infection in not the end of one’s life but he must aware of health problems. On the other side, Harold’s colleagues can attend some awareness programs and must clear their doubts related to HIV infection. At the same time, the management must be convinced that they do not have the right to force an employee to resign. Besides, HIV infection is not a crime committed by Harold. As an individual, Harold has the right to work. In this situation, counsellors, GNOs, and health care experts can play vital role to help Harold. Harold’s story is not an exceptional case. There are hundreds of HIV positive individuals who live in our society. Way (1994) opines that HIV infection shows rapid spread among world nations, especially in densely populated urban areas. This situation causes severe health problems and curbs development of the society as a whole. On the other side, individuals face forced alienation and loneliness. So they do not show courage to disclose anything about their disease because the society does not allow them to live peacefully. If they disclose their identity, they will be forced to face discrimination and segregation. But Harold did not veil his identity and was ready to share his feeling with his colleagues. So, Harold’s colleagues and management must realize that disclosing one’s disease is not a crime. Harold’s story is most helpful to predict human mentality towards diseases. But it helps one to realize the importance of empathy, not senseless sympathy. References Dalton, A.J. P. (1998). Safety, health and environmental hazards at the workplace. Great Britain: Cengage Learning EMEA. Huber, J.T. (1996). HIV/AIDS community information services: experiences in serving both at-risk and HIV-infected populations. Binghamton, NY: Routledge. International Labour Office. (1993). Workers' privacy: Testing in the workplace. Switzerland: International Labour Organization. Lanza, R. (2000). One World: The Health and Survival of the Human Species in the 21st Century. USA: Health Press. Way, P.O. (1994).The Impact of HIV-AIDS on World Population. USA: DIANE Publishing. Appendices Appendix-1 Dear Sir, I am Harold, who is in need of your help. I am a clerk in a reputed Accounting Firm. When I joined the firm, I thought that my job will help me to lead a worthy life. In the initial stages, my colleagues used to be so co-operative. Three years before, I met with an accident and was forced to receive blood from a stranger and it changed my life. Last year, I was admitted at the local hospital and the doctors made me know about HIV infection. Now, I am in a dilemma. My colleagues are hesitating to work with me. The management tries to marginalize me by forcing to resign. What I have to do now? Shall I resign? Or fight against segregation on disease? Please help me. With warm regards, Mr. Harold. Read More