DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is one of the topics I hope will get talked about more in the future. Right now, the only time I see people (especially youth) talk about it is when their college applications require it. I think it’s an excellent idea that colleges are starting to require them as part of their application processes, honestly. We need graduates who will be committed not just to their own growth, and certainly not only on academics, but have some sort of interest in advancing or contributing to social justice. This is personally why I currently with an organization that is dedicated to addressing educational inquity in underserved schools and communities in Ghana.
Why very few talk about DEI, I think, is because there’s a general lack of education on the topic. I understand that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of anyone to educate people (adults specifically) on what DEI is, and why it’s important to be invested in seeing its widespread. But in the situation we have ourselves where it is apparent that there’s a serious lack of understanding on the topic, I don’t think it would be a terrible idea for the government to commit resources to that cause. Though I’m not sure, I suspect that the government likely has something to do with colleges now requiring DEI statements as part of their application packets now. It’s a pity that this is only a wave in the western world at the moment. The application process for our local universities here in Africa still require the bare minimum – transcripts, degrees, MAYBE a personal statement.
You can contribute to DEI anywhere
The excuse many people make when it comes to their inability to actively push for DEI is that they don’t work in an industry where they can make any significant impact on DEI. Really though, every interaction everyday is an opportunity to encourage diversity, or help make a certain process more equitable and inclusive. For educators for instance, we can encourage DEI in the way they teach – encouraging and making their learners feel comfortable, safe and included in the class, tailoring lessons to meet the needs of differently abled students, the list goes on. Even finding ways to improvise to make up for the lack of resources in your school so that your learners in underserved schools get the same quality education that their peers in better-resourced schools will get, is a significant effort towards equitable education.
DEI on Hive
Hive is one of the most diverse social communities I know. The diversity here is across countries, culture, religion, age and even job sectors. That gives the conversations here a certain enrichment in depth that you just don’t find in other places.
On top of that, Hive’s commitment to equity is shown in the plethora of projects it runs including the HiveGhana borehole project which provides clean and safe drinking water to people in underprivileged communities in Ghana, and the HiveGoesToSchool and others who focus more on equitable education. So just by being here on Hive, you’re already part of a community that actively encourages and fights for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. But that is simply not enough. You don't have to solve world hunger, but what are you doing in your own life to further this noble cause of building a more socially just society?
All images here are mine and were taken by me
This post is inspired by the #decemberinleo challenge. You can check out this post to understand how it works and participate.