DIVERSITY IN THE NEW NORMAL

 

With so much change occurring at so many levels this year, a number of people have asked for my perspective on D&I in the new normal that we are now experiencing.
There has indeed been shifts in organisations from top to bottom.
Work from home, virtual work and new ways of doing things have emerged as a direct result of the challenges COVID-19 has posed at a global level. It has certainly shown up where the weaknesses lie in many systems.
What I see is that the discussion around D&I has really come to the fore. Movements such as Me Too and Black Lives Matter have heightened awareness and minority voices are now being given a much greater chance to be heard. Despite this though unconscious bias is most definitely alive and well so while we continue to open to more dialogue on these matters it is imperative that we are aware of our own biases coming into the conversation.
The current situation also highlights the need to challenge the power structure in place. It forces us to examine the part that privilege, oppression, equity, intersectionality and belonging, play in the world.
The new normal requires us to consider how we can address these issues to be more inclusive and accepting of difference.

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