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Month: November 2014

Moments of Action

[themify_quote]Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Signifying nothing.

~ Macbeth, by William Shakespeare[/themify_quote]

This past weekend, I went to see The Hunger Games Mockingjay: Part 1. It was an exceptional movie, as the previous movies have been. It inspired me, and made me think a bit about what we are doing.

I am pleased to report that we are on the cusp of something significant. This past Thursday, the board approved two actions to move forward. The first is to start up a low cost business from scratch. The other, to investigate a business listed in the MLS database. Both are being worked on as I type this.

Coming up in just over a week is Giving Tuesday. This is your opportunity to help us reach the finish line, to move past the cusp into reality. How can you help?

 

  1. Become a member. Or purchase a gift membership for the holidays.
  2. Donate today, or on Giving Tuesday.
  3. Purchase donation certificates as stocking stuffers.
  4. Volunteer for us!
  5. Join the board!

 

There is a reality we face as a brand new non-profit, and that is we have no credit rating. That means for whichever business we start and/or purchase, we will likely need a co-signer to get a loan. If you’d like to consider becoming a co-signer, contact us!

Coming up the day after Giving Tuesday will be our one year anniversary.

During the month of December, we’ll have more blog posts from our Voice of our Nation series, plus we’ll be profiling our board members in a new series titled Profiles of Diversity.Please help us to make our upcoming goals a reality!

[themify_quote]It changed the future .. and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future .. or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have care for one another, because if we don’t, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope .. that there can always be new beginnings .. even for people like us.

~ General Susan Ivanova, ‘Sleeping in Ligh’t, Babylon 5[/themify_quote]

Diversity vs Inclusion

Diversity v. Inclusion. What are they? Aren’t they the same thing? Personally, I would have to say no. Diversity, to me, looks like a workplace where people of different creeds, colours, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability and gender are represented. Management decide who is hired and is a part of the team. That is how a diverse workplace is created, but this does not ensure that employees feel a sense of inclusion.

In the workplace I consider myself a minority. I am a South Asian woman and I am an immigrant.  I moved to Canada as a child, so many people find it difficult to believe that English is not my first language.  I have heard many  stories of people struggling to feel accepted in their workplace, but I have never really felt such an experience.  Throughout my 11 years in the workforce I have worked in a variety of areas; childcare, mental health and most recently, legal services.  In my experience, people have been inclusive, curious and kind.  I have been asked numerous questions about my background and culture.  Some questions were funny, “So….what is underneath the turban that men wear?” and some were serious, “How do you plan on raising your children since you and your husband are two different religions?” (I am Hindu and he is Sikh).  Personal experiences have shown me people are sometimes unaware of my cultural background and beliefs, but are more curious than anything else. I have been honest and open and have tried to answer questions to the best of my ability and usually the response I’ve received from my colleagues is, “Wow, that’s neat and different”.  The more open and honest I have been with my colleagues, the more comfortable they feeling asking me questions and expressing their feelings.  This openness and candor has allowed me to experience a sense of inclusion in the workplace.

An employer decides who to hire and that is how a diverse workplace is built.  But inclusion depends on more than just who is hired.  Employees have to be open and comfortable with themselves and their background and colleges in the work place must be respectful and open to listening.  All parties must feel heard and respected only then can an environment of diversity be sustained.  In a global world all colours, creeds, backgrounds and races are interacting with each other on a daily basis.  Inclusion in the workplace comes into fruition when respect and openness are a part of a working environment.

This article was contributed by volunteer blogger Parul Datta.