Blog One: EDI or why I Love My Mum
We are a cultural relations organization.
‘No s**t Sherlock’ I hear you say, ‘Bring it on Mr. Country Director,’ and ‘What do you know stuck in your office all day big cheese!’. Ah, don’t you just love leading teams.
The serious bit - Following the 25 dots discourse it is clear that for some mainstreaming equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and taking an appropriately consistent approach to doing so, requires the need for a global resource of experts and tools to support us in doing this, the DAF being the obvious reference. For some, the alignment of cultural relations and EDI is so close that it is non-existent for all intents and purposes, so to have a separate hub of excellence runs the risk of creating a dissonance – ‘We don’t have to do EDI, as there’s a team that do this, assuming that “doing EDI” is conceivable and possible.’ For others, and I count myself in this group, and I suspect other country directors would be inclined to feel the same, is that we need both.
Serious bit said through in-serious way – For a cultural relations organization, and yes Exams colleagues, we do include you here, although I haven’t found that dot yet amongst the 25 (ooh controversial). We do need to be excellent at this EDI business, so we do need to share best practice to ensure that we are and remain so, whilst at the same time acknowledging when we aren’t. Too often the room is full of middle-aged white men, deciding what needs to be done – Listen to the wonderful podcast:This American Life August 23 Right to be Forgotten for a wonderful example -and yes I am middle-aged, 50 in fact, and yes I did groove all night at my party, still got it, thanks for asking.
So here’s the Nepal best practice bit, got to talk the talk and walk the walk or walk the talk, middle aged man gets confused. We introduced a 10% standard criteria for all contracts and tenders, 2.5% being allocated to each of the following: EFT, IKM, CP and of course EDI. What do you need to get these points? A policy or strategy or vision or similar that evidence this, and again evidence of putting it into practice. Done, not too much to ask. Give a little love, and we can all create our own sense of place and build a meaningful life – that’s my EDI tweet.
I’m off now, ‘Keep it short and sweet,’ they said, think they’re a bit embarrassed of me, no idea why. Next time round, there’s an earthquake, bet you can’t wait. Oh, and mum, “Love you,” but you do have to give up the Morris dancing, not dignified at your age.