Community Diversity and Full Inclusion

Community Diversity and Full Inclusion

What is diversity?

Unconscious Bias?

​

Diversity is fast becoming the new normal and there are several theories about how we got to be where we are and regardless of the merits of these theories, the facts that DNA, (YES, our chromosomes within our DNA, and all carbon life forms DNA) is continually evolving to suit its environment. This is why humanity is so diverse. It is also why secluded Islands of land have been populated by genetically diverse and individualised species, which are not found anywhere else. 

​

We cannot stop evolution as it about what works and what does not work!

 

Humanities evolution is gathering pace, and this means we must revolutionise our human values too and call out unconscious bias when we witness it in ourselves and in others!

​

But what is unconscious Bias? Unconscious bias is the unconscious thoughts and stereotypical bias's which casts another person lower in social standing for any reason.

​

To call out unconscious bias is becoming the new normal too because to witness it and not call it out is allowing another to believe it is OK to continue putting another down when it is not OK! No-one is superior or lesser than anyone else!

​

To be honest I am not sure we are too great yet with diversity and full inclusion yet. I have friends of colour and neurodiversity. Being accepted as a person of colour, or with a disability (mental or physical) is still difficult for them in schools, in our play parks, on our council estate’s and in highly professional services too. Racism still seems to be out there, lurking about and whether its conscious or not, we really need to look in on ourselves and check out if we are harbouring any unconscious bias.

​

Diversity adds so much to our communities and the gene pool ultimately making us better, stronger, and wiser as human beings! Whether this be diversity in sexuality, body type, body shape, body race, body fitness, ability, disability, or neurodiversity, and needing to favour people who are like us in some way, is another form of unconscious bias, as is the need to shame another for their differences. To attempt to shame another for their differences is never about the diverse person, but always about the shamer. So, the shame is on them really!

​

Please be on the lookout for unconscious bias and call it out for what it is when you notice it. No other person ever has the right to make another person feel less than. We need to be lifting each other up and empowering each other as life can be hard enough without making it more difficult. I do not know about you, but I personally celebrated when the statue of Coleston was toppled into the river Avon and saw it as a monumental moment of people power, metaphorically stating the rule of the white privileged man is officially over, and diversity reigns supreme here!

​

I was somewhat concerned when conducting research for this diversity subject to know that people of colour and diversity can feel that they have not been able to truly integrate, because despite their best efforts we can do much more to welcome and accommodate them into our societies. If we do not embrace, include, love, and accept we are hurting ourselves and our children. Why? Because our children will fall in love with their children, forcing us to look at our shadow side.

​

Do you know that I personally find the forms we are asked to fill in about our nationality, race, age, and diversity offensive and when I am asked what my race is, I always write ‘human!’

​

“Why Is this?” Do I hear you asking? It just feels that in being asked this question serves only to accentuate differences rather than normalising them. We are all part of ‘the human race,’ no matter what our culture, sexuality or background is. We all started our evolutionary process into the human form, at the same place in Africa too, (allegedly,) and then spread North, East, South, and West. The chromosomes in our DNA and genetic make-up are very clever and responds to the environment around us.

 

We know this to be true because if you were to put identical stem cells into petri-dishes and leave them to grow within different environments they would grow into different forms. This is also why, through our evolutionary process as we spread North, East, South and West, the raw genetic material within us reacted within the different environments causing us to evolve diversely and change in our skin, eye, and hair colour and giving us different blood types too. However, we are all still human beings and needing love and is at our core as is the need for acceptance and inclusion into our communities.

What is your sex? - Human.

What is your sexuality? – Human.

What is your age? – Yes, human too!

I know it is silly and recognise bureaucracy uses the information to prove its acceptance and inclusion of diversity, but I just cannot help myself being silly, with these silly forms. 😉

 

©2023 by Melanie Mahjenta Ph.D

 

Petri dish science - by Dr Bruce Lipton https://youtu.be/h9SIKB-qjvA