D.E.I. stands for for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In my mind, societies, businesses and educational organisations that pay heed to such matters are on the right side of civilisation, democracy, efficiency and fairness.
Let's take "Diversity" to begin with. Surely, it's about ensuring that everybody gets a look in, no matter what their race, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation or physical attributes. That has got to be a good thing for in the past far too much talent was wasted because of various forms of discrimination when diversity was not catered for.
Secondly - "Equity". Isn't that what Martin Luther King was talking about in his "I have a dream" speech? Equity means each individual or group of people being given the same resources and opportunities, regardless of their circumstances. I guess that it is not much different from "diversity". Equity is about being equal so that if you happen to have been born into a wealthy family in say Queens, New York City your treatment is demonstrably no different from someone born into poverty in Jackson, Mississippi.
Thirdly, there's "Inclusion" - "the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups." Again to any right thinking human this is surely laudable. A step forward into the light from the shadows of the past.
D.E.I. policies are good things that governments should be encouraging because everybody matters. We are all in this together.
Implying that D.E.I. is some kind of "woke" brake upon society's progress or business development is evidence of a prejudiced and ill-informed view of our world. D.E.I. deserves to be promoted and celebrated not denigrated as some kind of liberal affectation that does not belong in the so-called "real world".
The extreme right wants DEI dismantled in order to return white male supremacy to what they believe is its proper place in the workplace, economy and society.
ReplyDeleteDEI builds ramps for those who have difficulty with stairs to be able to access a building; DEI labels curbs with dots for blind people to be able to cross a street.
ReplyDeleteThe Right has obfuscated DEI meaning tio suggest it's about putting down white people in favor of "others."
These three characteristics would certainly make the world go round evenly without a wobble. It's scary when they want to make changes in the school system which favors racism etc.
ReplyDeleteLet me quote Carl Sagan's comments on the Pale Blue Dot (our Earth) as seen on a picture of our solar system taken by one of the many space craft sent out to explore our cosmic neighbourhood for us:
ReplyDelete"“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."
To me, that sums up how stupid and self-destructive it is - and always has been - of some to think themselves as superior to others, as more entitled to privilege, chances and opportunities, be it based on nationality, looks, heritage, ethnicity, religion or any other factor that makes one person different from the next.
I am very much in favourof DEI, everyone gets a chance, everyone gets a job, whatever it is they are wanting, give everyone the same chance as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteFor most people it is a no brainer. It doesn't need thinking about as it should be expected, a standard and an aim. 8647 is an amazing leader, and not in a good way.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but Milton Friedman's influential view that the only concern of business is value to shareholders, and that other factors such as social or environmental are not the concern of business, became predominant from the 1970s and 80s. He argued that was the way to create maximum rewards to spread throughout society. The most profitable companies did this, e.g. UK water companies, but the benefits to society have not appeared. Friedman did not forsee a changing world of globalisation, climate change, privatisation, deregulation, and so on. My view is that it has been a disaster, but some politicians continue to follow this doctrine.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with equal opportunities for all when it comes to jobs etc... but also ability should count. That was not always a given, in my work experiences before retirement.
ReplyDeleteWe all know what removing DEI means- restore the straight white male to all of the power he deserves.
ReplyDeleteAnd we take yet another step back in time.
Sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Neil.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to have woken up, to more fully understand the world, to be WOKE as hell.
ReplyDeleteThe only people who believe DEI is holding us back are people who believe minorities aren't entitled to fully participate in the power structure of society.
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon captures it all. I get so tired of right-wing politicians using the coined word "woke" as something bad. I am proud to be woke!
ReplyDeleteAgree
ReplyDeleteI hate the way that the meaning of woke has been twisted to imply something bad
ReplyDelete