Anti-Discrimination
and Diversity Text
drafted by Barbara Giovanna Bello for the Partnership between the
European Commission and the Council of Europe in the field
of youth
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Ram
Gidoomal:
"Over the course of my life, there were some roads I did not choose,
some I did. But whether or not we have chosen the path we're on, we
can always choose how we walk it. As for me, I chose to simplify my
lifestyle, to find a different road, one which ironically led me to
riches of greater worth than I could have imagined.
"A road where the obstacles were many but never insurmountable.
A road of compassion that left me with a peaceful heart. A road that
led me far and wide but took me right where I belonged. My chosen path,
"My silk road".
Laura
Liswood:
“Companies are ultimately looking for increased creativity, better
ideas, and multiple perspectives, so they will in fact benefit from
diversity. However, we will see that achieving this takes much more
effort than merely assembling a workplace that looks like Noah’s
ark.”
Lead Article
Are European
welfare systems accessible to foreigners?
by
Jean-Michel Lafleur and
Daniela Vintila, Université de Liège
Since the “refugee crisis”
in 2015 precipitated
the rise of the far right in Europe, debates on the impact
of migration on welfare states have raged across the continent. It is
hardly surprising, therefore, that EU- and non-EU migrants alike still
struggle to access welfare benefits in their European countries of residence.
This is despite the fact that immigrants are more exposed to vulnerability.
In 2019, 45% of non-EU citizens and 26% of citizens of other EU member
states were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 20%
of national citizens, according to Eurostat.
As social scientists of the
Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies (CEDEM
at the University of Liège, we were curious to see how immigrants’ access
to benefits might vary between EU member states. Backed by the European
Research Council, our project has spawned a database
and three
books that identify the conditions that immigrants – Europeans
and non-Europeans alike – must meet to access benefits in areas such
as healthcare, employment, old-age, family, and social assistance.
Throughout the project we
were in touch with dozens of Senegalese, Tunisian and Romanian migrants
and their relatives in different European cities, as well as with civil
servants and NGOs involved in helping them secure benefits. Our research
draws three big lessons.
Welfare policies in the EU are “transnationalising”
Looking at the welfare policies
in 40 European and non-European countries, we found significant similarities
in the way states deal with migrants. As a rule of thumb, the principle
of habitual residence – whereby one has to officially live in the member
state where s/he seeks welfare support – remains widely adopted. This
means that individuals moving abroad are likely to lose access to the
benefits in their home countries.
However, our research also
found that this principle has undergone two significant changes.
First, certain types of benefits continue to be accessible after individuals
emigrate. In the area of pensions, for instance, all EU member states
allow retirees to continue receiving their contributory pensions abroad
if they decide to emigrate and only eight countries (Bulgaria, Czechia,
Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain) limit the number
of destination states in which the pension can continue to be received.
Recent EU
legislation on social security coordination and a batch of
bilateral social security agreements between European and non-European
states have accelerated this process. We found that Tunisia, for instance,
has signed 13
bilateral social security agreements with European and North
African states (Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy,
Libya, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) that
aim to guarantee the equal treatment of their citizens in these destination
countries’ welfare systems. For Tunisian immigrants working in Belgium
or France, this means that periods of activity in the home country can
be taken into consideration for the calculation of benefits paid by
their country of residence. Similarly, immigrants can also — in cases
of emergency mostly — have medical expenses incurred during short trips
in their homeland covered by the social security system of their country
of residence.
Second, European countries
are developing innovative programmes – so-called diaspora
policies – in which institutions such as consulates that
are traditionally not in charge of social protection help nationals
abroad deal with social risks. For example, Romanian and Spanish consulates
tend to have social
attachés that inform and assist citizens abroad in claiming
social benefits in their country of residence and in their home country.
This is also the case for
certain non-EU nations, whose consulates can serve as gateways for their
citizens to receive the support of European welfare states. In our research,
we observed the administrative process through which widows of Senegalese
migrant workers can access a survivors’ pension from the Spanish welfare
state. From these developments, we argue that European welfare states
are undergoing – in different ways – a process
of transnationalisation that is characterised by a series
of adjustments of their social protection policies to adapt to both
incoming and outgoing migration flows.
Weaponising welfare policies for migration
control
A second lesson is that welfare
policies are increasingly used to control migration, even in a context
of intra-EU mobility where EU citizens are easily able to settle in
other member states. For instance, it is not uncommon for European countries
to deny nationality or residence permits extension for foreigners who
are perceived to represent a “burden” on the welfare system. Our database
shows that in the vast
majority of member states, the take-up of social assistance
by non-EU immigrants can negatively affect the renewal of their residence
permits, their applications to citizenship or their right to reunite
with their families.
Belgium was one of the countries
where this practice has been observed. Over the past decade, the government
has withdrawn the residence permits of 15,000
EU migrants on the grounds of representing a “burden” on
public finances. In our fieldwork with EU citizens affected by such
practices, we noted the gap between the perceptions of EU citizens who
believe that their right to free movement is unconditional and the behaviour
of welfare authorities who increasingly view immigrants as “undeserving”
of support. Overall, these practices indicate the increasing intersection
between migration and social policies in different parts of Europe.
No migrant is an island
In our interviews with immigrants
across different European cities, we observed a difference between rights
“on paper” and rights “in practice”. Although migrants may be eligible
for social benefits in their host country, barriers often remain – for
example, a lack of understanding of the welfare system, limited knowledge
of the language of the country, lack of documentation about prior social
contributions, or even discrimination by civil servants. All can make
it challenging for migrants to take up their rights.
This is particularly true
for transient and more precarious immigrants who are unfamiliar with
the specificities of the welfare system of their country of residence.
For instance, we show in a forthcoming
paper that Romanian migrants in Germany are confronted with
a vast industry – so-called “welfare brokers” – enabling them to access
their welfare rights. These range from lawyers, consulting firms to
trade unions or migrant community organisations.
Overall, we found that welfare
states in countries of residence and origin still treat immigrants and
emigrants differently than they do their own citizens. Despite the good
intentions of many administrations, individuals’ legal status, nationality,
financial and educational resources still determining uptake.
Why Diversity
Matters | Katherine Phillips
by Talks@Columbia
We can learn and innovate
more effectively — and understand the value of diversity —
by making small changes in ourselves, says Katherine Phillips, Paul
Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics and Senior Vice Dean, Columbia
Business School.
Talks @ Columbia draw speakers
from among the thousands of thought leaders and researchers that make
up the diverse faculty community at Columbia University. Through brief,
engaging multimedia presentations, these experts show how the idea that
matters most to them can resonate with us all. Talks @ Columbia provide
fresh perspectives on the most important global topics today, persuasion
to change how we think and act, and inspiration for us to help others
and improve the world.
Aiming to encourage those
who are struggling to move forward in life, Ram Gidoomal
shares stories that demonstrate the difference made by a can–do attitude,
by a spirit of generosity and by prioritizing relationships. Through all
these, he shares the secrets of living a life that marries deep compassion
with success, a generous life that reaps unexpected rewards.
A rich boy
turned refugee tells the story of coming full circle to succeed in ways
beyond his imagination.
Born into a family that
had recently fled British India during the partition of India and Pakistan,
Ram’s early life in Mombasa seemed charmed with wealth and success.
However, losing all of this overnight through a second deportation,
this time from Kenya to the UK, he saw the course of his life change
beyond recognition.
Despite having had his
dreams and plans ripped away from him, Ram worked tirelessly, fighting
to overcome every obstacle, and finally succeeded in gaining back wealth
and reputation. However, on reaching his late thirties, an unusual day
trip in Mumbai changed his life forever, transforming him from someone
enriching himself and his shareholders to someone enriching the world.
And this time, the change was his choice.
Aiming to encourage those
who are struggling to move forward in life, Ram shares stories that
demonstrate the difference made by a can–do attitude, by a spirit
of generosity and by prioritizing relationships. Through all these,
he shares the secrets of living a life that marries deep compassion
with success, a generous life that reaps unexpected rewards.
Credits Ram Gidoomal
London, United Kingdom Chairman, Cotton Connect Ltd cottonconnect.org
Chairman of South Asian Development Partnership
and Allia and Future Business Ltd
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Board Member, Member Audit and Risk Committee and Remuneration Committee
London & Manchester
Thank you Prabhu Guptara!
Moderator
Katie (Miss Metaverse™) King
Futurist and Content Creator
Cary, North Carolina, USA futuristmm.com
Text drafted by Barbara
Giovanna Bello for the Partnership between the European Commission
and the Council of Europe in the field of youth
Barbara Giovanna Bello
Equality, diversity and
non discrimination are fundamental ingredients of the European idea,
but have been mixed up in different ways along the years. Concerning
equality, the original recipe prescribed the Aristotelian principle
of formal equality, according to which "things that are alike should
be treated alike" and differences among people should be deemed
irrelevant. This approach proved inadequate to tackle all forms discriminations
and did not take into account the fact that the equal application of
rules to different groups or individuals can produce unequal results.
In the last fifteen years a shift towards substantive equality has taken
place in Europe, which seeks to remove the obstacles to the achievement
of equal opportunity and equal outcomes. Therefore, the recipe has been
enriched with bigger quantities of a tasty spice, diversity, which can
be defined as the range of human differences, consisting of numerous
visible and non visible grounds such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion,
disability, sexual orientation, political opinion, citizenship and many
others (Travelling Cultural Diversity, Salto-Youth Cultural Diversity).
The increased recognition of diversity as a European value emphasizes
the benefits of having multifaceted experiences in shaping a democratic
society and the integrity of each and all individuals. Ultimately, it
brings about individuals' "right to be different" and not
to be discriminated against because of this difference, by going beyond
stereotypes, prejudices and stigmatization of what is conceived as "Other".
Within the European Union,
the motto "United in Diversity" enshrines the idea that Europeans
are united in building together peace and democracy, and that the many
different cultures, traditions and languages existing in Europe are
a plus value for the continent. However, till 1997, the main focus of
the anti-discrimination protection was limited to the nationality of
Member States' citizens and to gender. Later on, new powers for combating
discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, religion or beliefs,
disability, age or sexual orientation were conferred under the substantive
amendments to the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997, together with the reinforcement
of those regarding discrimination based on gender. As result of this
process, the EU institutions passed a set of anti-discrimination Directives
in 2000, the so called Equality Directives, providing everyone in the
EU (citizens and Third Country nationals) with a common minimum level
of legal protection against discrimination. The protection from these
discriminations has been reiterated by the Lisbon Treaty, which entered
into force on 1 December 2009. In fact, it confers the same legal value
as the European Treaties to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of The
European Union, signed on 7 December 2000 in Nice, whose chapter III,
titled "Equality", promotes the non discrimination principle
on the base of a wide range of grounds, while, at the same time, calls
for respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. Attention
has been given also to multiple discriminations suffered by individuals
(women in particular) because of the overlap or intersection of more
grounds of discrimination. On the other hand, this set of law does not
cover differences of treatment based on nationality or on the legal
status of the third-country nationals, even if the Directive 2003/109
for long term residents breaches the wall of the Fortress Europe. A
major impetus to anti-discrimination and diversity has been given by
the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), that was enforced
on the 1st of March 2007 as a body of the European Union, built on the
European
Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia
(EUMC). It issues many studies and reports concerning the EU anti-discrimination
strategy, focusing as well on particularly vulnerable groups, such as
asylum-seekers, the Roma minority, Muslim people.
Besides, the EU has been
supporting and financing several activities concerning diversity and
non discrimination, such as the five-year pan-European information campaign
on combating discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin,
religion or belief, age, disability and sexual orientation, under the
slogan "For Diversity. Against Discrimination", in which youth
issues were very stressed.
In order to raise awareness
on the need to enhance the principle of non-discrimination in practice,
to foster intercultural dialogue and to promote social inclusion, the
EU named 2007 to be the Year of "Equal Opportunities for All";
2008 to be the Year of Year of Intercultural Dialogue ; and 2010 to
be the Year Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Concerning the Council
of Europe, its commitment to combating discrimination and in valuing
diversity can be traced back to decades ago. Art.
14 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, signed in Rome in 1950 and strengthened
by Protocol No. 12 reads: "The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms
set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination
on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political
or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national
minority, property, birth or other status". The Convention will
arguably increase its significance also within the EU, because the Lisbon
Treaty provides that the European Union "shall accede to the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms",
becoming a party to the convention in the same way each of its member
states is. Many other documents complement the fight against discrimination
within the Council of Europe, like the revised European Social Charter,
whose art. 20 fosters "the right to equal opportunities and equal
treatment in matters of employment and occupation without discrimination
on the grounds of sex" and the Framework Convention for the Protection
of National Minorities, signed in 1995. Within the Council of Europe,
the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) issued
a number of Recommendations to promote the anti-discrimination principle,
to fight against racism and racial discrimination, to harmonize the
post 11/9 anti-terrorism legislations and practices with the anti-discrimination
protection on grounds of nationality, national or ethnic origin and
religion and, more often, in discriminatory practices by public authorities.
In particular The Ecri General Policy Reccomandation N. 8 on Combatting
racism while fighting terrorism, adopted on 17 March 2004, has a particular
impact on Youth as well, because many practices (as racial profiling)
concern Muslim young men. In the last four years, the Council of Europe
and the European Union have been cooperating in running the awareness
raising Campaign "Dosta!", to break down stereotypes and prejudices
on the Roma minority.
The EU and CoE policy in
the Youth Sector have been dramatically impacted by the aforesaid general
legislation and activities. In 2001 the European Commission launched
the White
Paper on Youth Policy, in which the fight against racism
and xenophobia plays a prominent role together with the "mainstreaming
of youth" in other policy areas, predominantly,
concerning the fight against racism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination
as well as health and well-being.
The European Commission
gave a new impetus to youth education, employment and inclusion policies
with the Communication
"Promoting young people's full participation in education, employment
and society",
adopted by in September 2007, setting as key issue the achievement of
social inclusion and equal opportunities of minorities' young people.
Also the Youth
in Action Programme for the period 2007 to 2013, has
among its objectives the promotion of the fundamental values of the
EU among young people, in particular respect for human dignity, equality,
respect for human rights, tolerance and non discrimination. In 2008,
following a consultation involving national governments, the European
Youth Forum, youth organisations and other stakeholders, the European
Commission launched the new strategy "Youth – Investing and
Empowering", that suggests to mainstream youth in all anti-discrimination
policies.
The European Spring Council
of March 2005 adopted the Youth
Pact in 2005, as part of the revised
Lisbon Strategy, aiming at improving all young people's
education, employment, vocational integration, mobility and social inclusion.
In 2009, the European Youth Forum suggested that, in occasion of the
revision of the Lisbon Strategy in 2010, a renewed and updated European
Youth Pact should be integrated in the Europe 2020 strategy, in order
to draft "special measures addressing the needs of specific groups
of young people facing discrimination and social exclusion: young women,
young migrants, young people with disability, young LGBT people, young
people from ethnic and religious minorities, as well as young people
with fewer financial means". Consequently, the Europe 2020 strategy
launched Youth on the Move, which enucleates 28 key actions aimed at
increasing young people's employability and access to the labour market,
encouraging above all those young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
that have difficult access to EU grants to study or train in another
country.
Besides, the Council of
the European Union issued the Resolution on a renewed framework for
European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018) on 27 November 2009,
that seeks to anchor the European Youth Policy in the international
system of human rights. It reads: "A number of guiding principles
should be observed in all policies and activities concerning young people,
namely the importance of (a) promoting gender equality and combating
all forms of discrimination, respecting the rights and observing the
principles recognised inter alia in Articles 21 and 23 of the Charter
of Fundamental Rights of the European Union".
Within the Council of Europe,
the so called "AGENDA 2020" was signed in Kyiv (Ukraine) on
11 October 2008 by the Ministers responsible for Youth from the 49 States
party to the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe,
in order to refresh the youth agenda of the Council of Europe, as suggested
by the Parliamentary Assembly's Recommendation 1844 (2008). The "Agenda
2020" sets a number of priorities for the Council of Europe youth
policy and action, among which empowering young people to promote, in
their daily life, cultural diversity as well as intercultural dialogue
and co-operation; preventing and counteracting all forms of racism and
discrimination on any ground; supporting initiatives of young people
in conflict prevention and management as well as post-conflict reconciliation
by means of intercultural dialogue, including its religious dimension;
supporting youth work with young refugees, asylum-seekers and displaced
persons.
In the same year, a Resolution on the youth policy of the Council of
Europe, adopted on 25 November 2008, aims to follow up the Action Plan
agreed in Warsaw in 2005, particularly the youth campaign for diversity,
human rights and participation "All different - All equal"
(see below) and, therefore, sets up many ambitious goals, among which:
to promote equal opportunities for the participation of all young people
in all aspects of their everyday lives; to effectively implement gender
equality and prevent all forms of gender-based violence; to live together
in diverse societies.
The European Union and
the Council of Europe launched several joined Campaigns to promote the
principles of Equality and of Non Discrimination. For example, from
June 2006 to September 2007 the Council of Europe, in partnership with
the European Commission and the European Youth Forum, ran the aforesaid
Campaign for Diversity, Human Rights and Participation, entitled "All
Different – All Equal", in order to strengthen the fight against
racism, anti-Semitism, Xenophobia and Intolerance. The title of the
Campaign was inspired by the namesake one ran in 1995 by the Member
States of the Council of Europe.
In the framework of the
Partnership in the youth field set up by the European Commission and
the Council of Europe, the focus around the themes anti-discrimination,
social cohesion, inclusion and diversity has increased since 2005 and
has been reflected in the organization of thematic research seminars
on social inclusion (2005), on diversity, human rights and participation
(2006) and non equal opportunities for all (2007). Collection
of the seminars' presentations has been produced for disseminating the
outcomes of the events.
Ark2030 is on a mission to reverse the
climate crisis and end the destruction of Planet Earth.
We will achieve this through:
> The restoration
of the 500m Hectares of Planet Earth destroyed by mankind since the beginning
of the industrial revolution
>
Investing in the companies that will turn back the dial on the climate
crisis
Ark2030 has developed the roadmap to restore
the world’s greatest ecosystems across every continent and every
ocean; working to create a unique global collaboration of science, academia,
landowners, NGOs and ‘on the ground’ implementation partners.
The wave of global digitalization
has also affected agriculture and is causing a major change in the perception
and management of agricultural enterprises. Innovative technologies
are at the heart of this new era, offering new ways of linking and optimizing
different areas of agricultural work. Against this background, the three
project partners AGCO Corporation, GVS Agrar AG and the Arenenberg Education
and Consulting Center are taking up the new opportunities created by
digital change and highlighting their benefits for the agriculture of
the future.
The joint concept offers
great potential in the areas of education, knowledge transfer and development
for agriculture and opens up new synergies between research, consulting
and innovative technology. The project takes up the new opportunities
created by digital change and offers complete and practical solutions
for the farmer; experts will experience the state-of-the-art machines
live and in real-life conditions, gain insight into the collection of
data that can be continuously evaluated and integrated into the development
of new technologies and farming methods.
The "Swiss Future
Farm" will create an ideal basis for agricultural technology research
and development in conjunction with a professional exchange at eye level
with farmers. The "Swiss Future Farm" as a place of encounter
and exchange sets an example in the productive interaction of diverse
competencies: bundled knowledge leads to innovation.
The Warka Village is an integrated
community designed to host up to 100 people, from Pygmies and other
local ethnic, in need to live with dignity. An example of collaboration
with the local community, on how to construct using indigenous techniques
and local natural materials that respect the cultural identity of the
place. An architecture handmade by local artisans, heroic and surprising.
A cultural center of social aggregation with qualities spaces. An example
of how we can live in harmony with nature.
With disappearing cultures, we also face the disappearance of languages,
wisdom and knowledge systems which, if gone, will be an immense loss
for humanity as a whole. It is also a severe environmental threat. Indigenous
peoples worldwide have been the custodians of forests and other ecosystems
for hundreds and thousands of generations, living in relative harmony
with what nature, taking no more than what they need, thereby leaving
enough for the ecological systems to regenerate, and for other species
to continue to thrive.
No rights for the indigenous peoples and eradicating their traditional
modes of living, we are lousing entire cultures and socio-environmental
structures that have co-developed over millennia.
Today, however, due to unsustainable paths of development, we are faced
with ever more pressing environmental problems, manifested through complex
and interconnected phenomena, such as the diminishing availability of
clean water, rapid decline of fertile soil on which to grow food, a
continuous loss of biodiversity, and concerning signs of climate change,
amongst many others.
The Warka Village aspires to transform the landscape of comprehensive
human development, utilizing low-cost, sustainable, community-driven,
high-impact multisector development interventions that are tailored
to the village’s specific needs. This will address the needs of
villagers in terms of essential services that impact their daily standard
of living and overall quality of life. Rural infrastructure, Agriculture,
Health, Water & Sanitation, and the Preservation.
An integrated village designed to host 100 people, local ethnic groups
of Cameroon in need to live with dignity. It will become a cultural
center as well, of social aggregation with quality spaces.
An architecture handmade by local artisans, heroic and surprising.
An example of how to collaborate with rural communities, how to construct
using indigenous techniques and local natural materials that respect
the cultural identity of the place. An example of how to live in harmony
with nature.
The Warka Village will operate as a platform to run social, cultural,
and economical activities with the inhabitants and the children. This
is an important part of our community empowerment strategy, and it is
part of the Stage 2 project program. We aim to organize activities such
as Artcraft, Agroecology, Animal husbandry, Health, and Hygiene self-care
education, Reforestation, Training, Infrastructure Monitoring, Ecotourism,
Traditional Medicine, Water, and Waste Management.
Warka Water
- Dab Pumps for sustainability - The Warka Village
by Dab Pumps
Diversity in the workplace
is a wonderful thing -- but it also challenges many of today's business
leaders. For managers and team-members alike, it can be difficult to
navigate in a truly diverse workplace made up of people of different
cultures, races, creeds, body types, hobbies, genders, religions, styles,
and sexual orientations. But understanding our cultural and social differences
is a major key to a high-performing, merit-based work environment.
The Loudest Duck is a business guide that
explores workplace diversity and presents new ideas for getting the
most business and organizational benefit from it. In the Chinese children's
parable, the loudest duck is the one that gets shot. In America, we
like to say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Comparing the two,
it's easy to see that our different cultures teach us different sets
of values, and those values often translate into different ways of doing
business that may subtly advantage one culture at work and disadvantage
another.
In the global marketplace, it's more important
than ever that we understand and are conscious of our differences to
work together effectively. It is not enough to create Noah's Ark, bringing
in two of each kind. We all bring our unconscious beliefs and personal
narratives about who we are and who others are with us to work and,
with diversity in place, we can no longer ignore them. Truly effective
leaders can't pretend that we're all the same or that our preferences
and preconceptions don't exist. The Loudest Duck offers a way to move
beyond traditional diversity efforts that ignore our differences and
toward modern diversity practices that embrace those differences --
and profit from them.
Diverse organizations require more sophisticated
leadership, conscious awareness of diversity issues, new behavioral
patterns, and effective tools for reaping the benefits of true diversity.
This book will help you develop the skills you need and the tools you
can use to go beyond what Grandma taught you to make diversity work
in your business.
More than just an enlightening tale about
diversity, The Loudest Duck is a powerful resource for any manager,
business owner, team leader, or employee who wants to meet the challenges
of the modern heterogeneous workplace. It's not simply about accepting
others -- it's about ensuring a level playing field for everyone and
building an organization that gets the best from all its people.
Laura A. Liswood
Secretary
General, Council of Women World Leaders
Former Managing Director and Senior Advisor, Goldman Sachs
Laura Liswood is an international,
award-winning speaker who conveys her insights regarding leadership,
diversity, women in politics, and business to both large and small audiences.
In her speeches, she explores the questions surrounding myths of leadership
and lessons of leaders. She looks at best practices of excellent leaders
drawing upon the interviews she has conducted with women heads of state
and heads of government. She shares insights on how to enhance opportunities
to lead and shape one's career successfully. Liswood is an expert on
diversity and unconscious bias and why they matter.
Liswood is the Secretary
General of the Council of Women World Leaders, located in Washington,
DC, which is composed of women presidents, prime ministers, and heads
of government. The work of the Council expands the understanding of
leadership, establishes a network of resources for high-level women
leaders, and provides a forum for the group to contribute input and
shape the international issues important to all people. Liswood co-founded
the Council with President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland.
It is the only organization in the world dedicated to women heads of
state and government.
From 2002 to 2015, Liswood
held the position of Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs, a global investment
bank. She was previously Managing Director, Global Leadership and Diversity
for Goldman Sachs.
Liswood holds an M.B.A.
from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from California State University,
San Diego. She holds a J.D. degree from the University of California,
Davis, School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California
and Massachusetts.
How to teach
children about climate change, inspire hope and take action to change
the future
by Maya K. GislasonandAngel
M. Kennedy, Simon
Fraser University, Canada
Our early research findings have identified the
importance of moving beyond traditional curricular approaches in schools.
We hope to help develop innovative ways to teach
children and youth about climate change in a way that is trauma-informed
and
seeks to build resilience in children and youth. This includes
linking scientific approaches with arts-based methods.
We have also begun a process of interviewing British
Columbia educators and reviewing the province’s curriculum to assess
how B.C. is doing with regards to best practices in climate change education,
and what might be improved.
Intergenerational justice issue
Climate change is a social and intergenerational
justice issue that disproportionately impacts children and youth, who
have
have inherited the problem.
When young people perceive that adults are not taking
substantial action on climate change and when their voices go unheard,
these experiences can contribute to youth
losing hope for their futures. This is particularly the case
in a media-saturated world where reminders of climate disasters, as
well as misinformation, are permeating the news, social media
and the social environment around them.
The impacts of climate change, as well as youth
and children’s reaction to them, serve as continuous reminders for educators,
parents or guardians, regional planners and health
providers that climate change is an urgent issue requiring
immediate attention. How we communicate about climate change and imagine
possible social responses to this shared crisis has a lasting effect
on children and youth today.
Youth have varied reactions to the effects of the
climate crisis on their future. These reactions include having stress
or anxiety-related responses that negatively affect sleep,
ability to focus and relationships; feeling like the future is out of
their hands, leading to reduced priority of planning for the future
(such as considering further education) or expressing commitments
to taking action to address climate change.
From curriculum guidelines to teaching approaches,
schools must seek to operate out of an awareness of the historically
and culturally specific ways that students are vulnerable to both climate
trauma and other forms of trauma resulting from intersecting forms of
injustice and marginalization.
Extreme-weather events create the possibility for
similar personal and social upheaval, along with significant impacts
to the natural environment, communities and built infrastructure. However,
involving children meaningfully (in age- and stage-appropriate ways)
in making change can promote feelings of agency and resilience in the
age of the climate crisis.
We look forward to continuing to understand specific
ways educators, parents and role models are teaching about climate change
in resilience-building ways, and what insights this may yield for future
directions for climate change education.
Climate
Justice Alliance (CJA)
formed in 2013 to create a new center of gravity in the climate movement
by uniting frontline communities and organizations into a formidable
force. Our translocal organizing strategy and mobilizing capacity is
building a Just Transition away from extractive systems of production,
consumption and political oppression, and towards resilient, regenerative
and equitable economies. We believe that the process of transition must
place race, gender and class at the center of the solutions equation
in order to make it a truly Just Transition.
350.org
is an international environmental organization addressing the climate
crisis. Its stated goal is to end the use of fossil fuels and transition
to renewable energy by building a global, grassroots movement.
We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the
age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy
for all.
Grassroots
International
Established in 1983, Grassroots International
is a global grantmaking and social action organization that partners
with social movements in the Global South and progressive funders in
the US. We partner, fund, and work in solidarity with movements and
organizations around the world in order to nurture sustainable and equitable
relationships between people, with the earth, and all its living systems.
Mikoko
Pamoja
is creating a holistic model of development for the future. The community
group has created the first mangrove carbon credit market in the world
— meaning people or organizations pay for credits that are then used
for mangrove restoration. So far, 117 hectares of mangroves have been
protected. Mangroves are some of the most powerful natural mitigators
of climate change in the world. Not only do mangroves absorb higher amounts
of carbon than regular forests, they also clean local water and soil sources
and protect against floods.
Mikoko Pamoja doesn’t stop there,
either. With the funds raised through the carbon market, water access
has been improved for 3,500 people and 700 school children have received
school supplies.
The
Mali Elephant Project
Mali’s elephant population
is
at a perilous low.
Poaching, which has driven elephant populations to historic lows around
the world, is exacerbated by ethnic strife and fights over natural resources.
The Mali Elephant Project
seeks to address all of the tangled issues that make poaching in Mali
so bad.
First, it offers sustainable
economic opportunities to people in the region. Youth are trained to
be “eco-guardians” and women are encouraged to collect non-timber
natural resources, giving people greater economic independence.
Plus, all programs involve
people from different ethnic groups in order to promote tolerance and
community cohesion.
Since forming in 2003,
the group has “created rules for local use of natural resources,
set aside forests for elephant use, formed pasture reserves, and designated
seasonal water sources to be shared by people, livestock, and elephants.”
For AIRES, this expectation was nothing
new. They had been protecting local forests and communities for more
than two decades.
AIRES believes that effective land management
begins with strong communities. So far, it has helped more than 130
communities improve farming methods, protect against erosion and mudslides,
build efficient stoves, plant trees, and more. Through its efforts,
more than 5 million trees have been planted, 3,000 farmers have been
trained, 200 nurseries created, and 860 cook stoves built.
The Ashaninka people of Northwestern Brazil
have taken an innovative approach to defending their land and culture.
To protect their 87.205-hectare of land, Apiwtxa uses 3D-mapping technology
to understand what areas are at risk and where resources should be deployed.
The group also uses more old-fashioned methods of conservation. Educational
centers throughout the region help to promote respect for indigenous
culture and the land and instill a sense of activism into the youth.
The group has also developed a robust trading network for non-timber
forest products to sustainably harvest the Amazon.
The
Raja Ampat Homestay Association, Indonesia
The overlapping threats of climate change, overfishing, and marine pollution
have caused coastal communities around the world to reconsider their
relationships to the sea. For AUHLKRA, that meant promoting ecosystem.
More than 84 community-owned businesses have emerged through this collective
and more than 600 jobs have been created. No-take fishery zones, community
forest patrols, and smarter agricultural and restoration practices have
empowered people in the region.
Stay Raja Ampat is the website of PT Bahari Perjampat Sejahtera (PERJAMPAT).
PERJAMPAT is a Papuan
social enterprise that is fully owned and operated by members of the
Raja Ampat Homestay Association. 100% of payments made on PERJAMPAT’s
Stay Raja Ampat website directly benefit Homestay Association member
families and their communities.
The Raja Ampat Homestay
Association is a community organisation dedicated to improving the wellbeing
of Raja Ampat’s indigenous communities on their own land, while
restoring and sustaining the island’s unique ecosystems for future
generations.
All of PT Bahari
Perjampat Sejahtera’s profits are either reinvested in the business,
or are used to support community development and environmental projects
implemented by the Homestay Association.
PT Bahari Perjampat
Sejahtera’s operations are supported through a technical and management
services agreement with the social enterprise Seventy Three Pte Ltd
with the aim of delivering excellent customer service while building
the capacity of Raja Ampat’s communities to run the business for
themselves.
FridaysForFuture
is a youth-led and -organised movement that began
in August 2018, after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists
sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks,
to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted
what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral.
Sources: Google, Global Citizen
Children
and Climate Change
Greta
and eight young activists reveal how the climate crisis is shaping their
lives
by Unicef
Climate
change - from one kid to another | Bandi Guan
by TEDxYouth@GrandviewHeights
What
does climate change mean to children from around the world?
by Unicef UK
Oshoke Abalu
Nigerian-American architect and futurist
Oshoke is an architect and futurist who
has been credited by TIME Magazine with “breaking down walls”
for rejuvenating and transforming MetLife’s global work culture
through the delivery of human-centered spaces.
Oshoke pioneers innovative design solutions
that infuse consciousness and humanity into global workplace transformations.
Co-founder of The Love
and Magic Company, creator
of “Superpowers & Symphony”, faculty at The Inner MBA,
and a Crain’s 40 Under 40 honoree; Oshoke and her work have been
featured in Smart Planet, Vogue, Domino Magazine, Interior Design Magazine,
ABC, NBC, Fast Company, TED, BOLD TV and more.
A New Perspective
– Superpowers & Symphony: The Future of Inclusion
by Linkage Inc.
Presented
in partnership with architect and futurist Oshoke Abalu, Superpowers
& Symphony is an invitation to belong, where we recognize and cultivate
each individual’s uniqueness as “Superpowers,” thereby
unlocking Symphony, our greatest resource to achieve true inclusion
in the workplace.
This solution can enhance
your existing diversity, equity and inclusion programming or serve as
a framework for a new diversity and inclusion strategy at your organization.
Jean-Michel Lafleur
Daniela Vintila
Barbara Giovanna Bello
Maya K. Gislason
Angel M. Kennedy
