Everyone belongs, together
Elevating and engaging core members’ participation and inclusion.
01 · The honest picture
Core members are speaking for themselves, on the world stage.
Over the grant period, people with intellectual disabilities moved from being the subject of L’Arche’s story to telling it: in classrooms, in court and at the United Nations.
What has changed since
Core members now represent L’Arche in international forums. At COSP17 in June 2024, May Banting delivered L’Arche’s formal statement in the General Debate and the Civil Society Forum, and Nicholas Herd became the first guest editor of the UN News live blog. L’Arche returned for COSP18 in 2025 and COSP19 in 2026, and co-produced an interview series at the Zero Project Conference in Vienna.
What were our successes
The With and Without campaign reached more than 750,000 people. Edita Daugėlaitė of L’Arche Kaunas won recognition of her legal capacity in a Lithuanian court. L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.’s film On Loneliness won a Capital Emmy. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America joined L’Arche at COSP17 and an event hosted by Porticus, then committed a further $100,000 to L’Arche’s international work.
What were the challenges
Speaking in public can be demanding, and preparing people well takes time and training. Consent for photos and stories is complex in some contexts. Participation is harder to measure than income. The written inclusive fundraising methodology planned in 2021 has grown mainly through practice; its status is to confirm.
What did we learn
Let people with disabilities speak for themselves as much as possible: they are the best ambassadors, and they need support to do it well. Doing things with, not for, has to be designed in, from how tasks are shared to who is at the table.
How is L’Arche better positioned
L’Arche holds special consultative status with the United Nations and has built relationships with partners such as the Zero Project. Core members co-lead EU projects such as TwidSA and Nothing About Me Without Me. The governance review aims for higher participation of people with intellectual disabilities in the Federation’s decisions.
750K+
people reached by the With and Without campaign
4
core members from Canada, Lithuania and the USA at COSP17 (2024)
90+
countries represented at the Zero Project Conference 2025
400+
students who received inclusion training in Honduras
Where this page comes from
- Year 3 report (Sept 2024) and Year 4 report draft (2025)
- larche.org: COSP17, COSP19, Zero Project and Edita pages
- Social entrepreneurship lab reflections 2025–26
- L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.: On Loneliness
02 · What we did
Participation at every level
From a neighbourhood workshop to the United Nations, the grant helped core members take the lead.
Locally
In Mexico City, Octavio, known as Tavo, helps lead a city government programme with his community: workshops that teach families facing economic hardship to make piñatas, candles and crafts to sell. More than 250 people take part in the community’s family support programme.
In Choluteca, Honduras, Sebastiana Castillo and Blanca bring inclusion training into local schools; more than 400 students have taken part. The community calls its vision “Walls Outward.”
Nationally
In Lithuania, Edita Daugėlaitė challenged a Soviet-era law that removed legal decision-making rights from people with intellectual disabilities. After two failed attempts, starting in 2019, she and a team from L’Arche Kaunas persuaded a court to recognise her legal capacity, setting a precedent for others. L’Arche International’s storyteller told her story in the film Edita. My Life My Voice.
In the USA, L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C. made On Loneliness with the production company Everable: a seven-minute film built from more than 18 hours of conversations with community members. It won a Capital Emmy, received a Webby nomination, and was screened at the UN’s World Down Syndrome Day in 2026.
Internationally
- With and Without, launched in December 2023: a film crew visited seven countries (Zimbabwe, Palestine, New Zealand, Lithuania, Brazil, Mexico and Japan) and the campaign reached more than 750,000 people.
- COSP17, June 2024: four core members; a formal statement delivered by May Banting; Nicholas Herd as guest editor of the UN News blog.
- Zero Project Conference, Vienna, March 2025: Siân Walker (L’Arche UK) and Nick Herd (L’Arche Canada) interviewed changemakers from around the world, with professional coaching.
- COSP18, June 2025: two core members from Spain and the USA, with seven colleagues from Mexico, Spain, Argentina and the USA.
- COSP19, June 2026: representatives from Northern Ireland, Poland and the USA, and a statement in standard and easy read formats.
In Europe, core members are part of the project teams for TwidSA and Nothing About Me Without Me, which trains young people with intellectual disabilities in digital storytelling so they lead conversations on democracy and inclusion.
[Paragraph: what L’Arche has learned about preparing and supporting core members for public roles, and what comes next, for example the proposed inclusive public engagement training with a co-trainer with an intellectual disability.]
Where this page comes from
- Mexico and Honduras one-pagers (2026)
- larche.org: Edita, With and Without (L’Arche UK), COSP17, COSP19, Zero Project, Nothing About Me Without Me
- Year 3 report (Sept 2024) and Year 4 report draft (2025)
03 · In their own words
In their own words
Core members who are changing how their communities, and the world, see disability.
- Octavio, a leader in his city
- Sebastiana, “Teacher Sebas”
- Edita: my life, my voice
- On Loneliness
- Nick takes over the UN blog
Mexico City, Mexico (MX)
Octavio, a leader in his city
Octavio, whose friends call him Tavo, spent much of his childhood in an institution before finding a home at L’Arche as a teenager. Over the years he learned to express himself through music, drawing and painting.
When his community was invited to help lead a city programme for families facing economic barriers, Tavo quickly became a key leader, teaching practical skills and helping others feel seen, welcomed and valued. Working alongside him, people discover a deeper understanding of inclusion, friendship and respect.
Watch: Joela’s embroidery group, L’Arche Mexico ›
Choluteca, Honduras (HN)
Sebastiana, “Teacher Sebas”
Sebastiana Castillo always wanted to be a teacher. When L’Arche launched inclusion training in local schools, she volunteered, though she was afraid her voice would be too quiet. It was her ability to accept mistakes and learn together that won the students over.
I dropped all the glue… But Teacher Sebas didn’t scold me, she just laughed with me and helped me clean up. I liked that.
Mateo, third grade
Our hands are not for begging, they are for building together.
Sebastiana Castillo, core member, L’Arche Choluteca
Kaunas, Lithuania (LT)
Edita: my life, my voice
Edita Daugėlaitė joined L’Arche Kaunas in 2017. As an adult with an intellectual disability, she had no legal right to make major decisions about her own life. With a lawyer, a decision-support specialist, a professor and her community, she went to court. On the third attempt, the court ruled that impairment should not be used to justify taking away legal capacity.
I feel happy to have become active: I can count money, I can walk alone. I can vote.
Edita Daugėlaitė
Read and watch Edita’s story ›
Washington, D.C., USA (US)
On Loneliness
L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C. asked a simple question: what if the answer to loneliness is friendship across difference? Community members recorded more than 18 hours of conversations, which became a seven-minute film in three acts.
The film won a Capital Emmy for Societal Concerns and was screened at the United Nations on World Down Syndrome Day 2026.
L’Arche Canada (CA)
Nick takes over the UN blog
At COSP17 in June 2024, Nicholas Herd became the first guest editor of the UN News live blog, offering perspectives and rapid responses to the conference. The next year, with Siân Walker of L’Arche UK, he interviewed award winners at the Zero Project Conference in Vienna.
Where this page comes from
- Mexico and Honduras one-pagers (2026)
- larche.org: Edita, COSP17, Zero Project
- L’Arche Greater Washington, D.C.: On Loneliness