FINDING COMMON GROUND FOR COLLABORATIVE ACTION

SHARON DOUGLASREGIONAL DIVERSITY ROUNDTABLE

Along this Unique Journey:Exploring Equity Frameworks

WHAT IS THE EQUITY FRAMEWORK THAT THE RDR OPERATES FROM/WITHIN?

Question?...

What is the Regional Diversity Roundtable?

Our MissionThe Regional Diversity Roundtable is committed to being a leader in supporting organizations and institutions to be diverse and equitable in order to provide services that are fair, inclusive, respectful and culturally competent.

Our VisionTo promote respect and equity within organizations and institutions for an inclusive and harmonious community.

We ValueDiversity, Equity, Inclusion, Respect, Social Justice

Who We are Cont’d

The Regional Diversity Roundtable is a network of organizations and institutions committed to building inclusion and diversity competence that results in the institutionalization of equity in their core values, structures, workforce, policies and services.

We are a group of individuals and organizations with a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity competence.

Process for today – ‘A Deliberative Dialogue’

The goal of this presentation is to inspire thought, openness, reflection, ask questions and to explore all

options about an RDR operating framework. To see the intersectionalities

This is not a debate

‘Deliberative Dialogue’ versus ‘Debate’

Deliberative Dialogue DebateCollaborative OppositionalCommon ground Points of divergenceListening to find meaning Listening to find flawsListening to find agreement Listening to find points to argueOpenness to being wrong Determination to be rightWeighing alternatives WinningAssumes that others have pieces of the answer and all can find it together

Assumes there is a right answer and someone has it

Involves concern for the other person

Involves countering others

Seeks not to offend or alienate Belittles or deprecates others

BEFORE WE BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT FRAMEWORKS, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY OUR

CONTEXT

Setting the Stage

RDR Context

Consider this…

The RDR currently operates from a diversity framework, understanding and accepting that people /organizations with differing viewpoints can work together if their ‘core values’ and goals are the same

Definitions - CRRF

Diversity – a term used to encompass all the various differences among people including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, etc. and commonly used in the United States and increasingly in Canada to describe workplace programs aimed at reducing discrimination promoting equality of opportunity and outcome for all groups.

Concern has been expressed by anti-racism and race relations practitioners that diversity programs may water down efforts to combat racism in all its forms.

Anti-oppression – Strategies, theories and actions that challenge socially and historically built inequities and injustices that re ingrained in our system and institutions by policies and practices that allow certain groups to dominate over other groups.

Anti-racism – An active and consistent process of change to eliminate individual, institutional and systemic racism as well as the oppression and injustice racism causes.

Definitions Cont’d

Learning from the Experts

Approach Diversity Initiative/Project: 6 basic models:

Intercultural

Legal Compliance

Managing Diversity

Prejudice Reduction

Valuing Differences

Anti-racismChangeWorks Consulting: Social Change or Status Quo?

Intercultural Approach (IC)

Primary focus - is the development of cross-cultural understanding and communication between people and nations

It examines the ways humans speak, reason, gesture, act, think and believe

It tries to help people develop sensitivity/awareness to the cultural roots of their own behaviour as well as other people’s culture….values, assumptions

Common language - worldviews, cultural relativism, value orientation, verbal/non-verbal communication

In the IC approach ignorance, cultural misunderstanding and value clashes are seen as the problem and increased cultural awareness, knowledge and tolerance are the solution

Cultural identity and ethnicity are the focus while racial identity is not often examined

Legal Compliance Approach

Primary focus – based in legal theory, civil rights law, and humanresource development strategies

It is primarily concerned with monitoring, recruitment, hiring & promotional procedures affecting women and people of colour to increase representation in the organization & to comply with anti-discrimination laws

In the legal perspective the optimal state of race relations is ‘colorblindness’ – people are just people and differences are not taken into account

Common language – affirmative action, equal opportunity, qualified minorities

Legal Compliance cont’d

Organizational problem defined as individual biases, lack of compliance with civil rights law, and exclusionary procedures within the organization

Main driver is often avoidance of discrimination lawsuits

Training is designed from a legal compliance perspective – focus on laws, regulations and requirements. The emphasis is on statistical representation not on what happens to women and people of color once they are hired

Managing Diversity

Primary focus – diversity as a business issue rather than a legal, political, or moral one

Managing diversity has a strong presence in corporations & receives a lot of media attention

The driving force is survive and thrive in the 21st century – tap into diverse labour pool

Common language – competitive edge, changing demographics

Diversity training targets managers of the organization. Some experiential activities may be included..exam personal attitudes and behaviour within a business context

Conflict resolution techniques may also be included

Prejudice Reduction Approach

Primary focus - is rooted in the ‘Re-evaluation counselling movement

The approaches teaches people to help free one another from the effects of past hurts – Prejudice reduction approach applies the re-evaluation counselling framework to explore and heal past hurts caused by prejudice and bigotry

Common language – “guilt is the glue that holds prejudice together”, healing past hurts, emotional healing

Training relies heavily on activities that promote emotional release; Sharing personal stories, holding hands, crying, exchanging painful lessons

The focus on the personal can be frustrating for some

Valuing Differences Approach

Primary focus – recognizes and celebrates differences as the fuel of creativity and innovation. Core value is recognition of individual uniqueness while acknowledging different group identities

See conflict as the result of an inability to recognize and value human differences..implication that the solution lies in learning about ourselves and one another

Shares some aspects with other models – building relationships across lines of difference, recognizing the importance & value of a diverse work team; explores stereotypes, cultural differences, race, gender…

Common language – people with differences, diverse people

Training tends to be apolitical – issues of privilege and entitlement of dominant group members may not be critically examined

Anti-Racism Approach

Primary focus – firmly rooted in the civil & human rights struggles in the U.S. and internationally

Based on the historical understanding of racism & oppression – expressly political approach emphasizes a distinction <> personal prejudice and institutional racism; core culture & institutional structures must fundamentally change

Goals include a total restructuring of power relations–analysis of power

Common language – liberation theory, anti-oppression work

Training draws from the knowledge of the other approaches and adds in an analysis of power and oppression

Scenario

The SDouglas et al Foundation is a non-profit organization which recently ran a open competition to select a new ED. A few weeks later an unsuccessful candidate charged the SDF with unfair interview and selection process. That the process was biased in favour of white, male candidates. The organizational composition is primarily female with approx. one tenth of staff comprised of visible minorities plus, 2-3 represented on the Bd. Of Dir. The organization considered itself progressive and sensitive to issues of equality and inclusion.

Consider each of the approaches presented and apply to the above situation.

What would the review process for this organization look like based on the various approaches? What are the differences?

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