Re-presenting the Diversity Center's Finest Features

The July/August edition of the Diversity Center is my last as the Center Director. I would like to re-present to you my favorite features of the Center from the last five years. These features, when seen as a whole, weave a pattern which reveals how to move a person, a group, and an entire organization toward greater inclusivity.

We begin with the Heart-Set. In our first edition of the Diversity Center in 2002, we featured a British Columbian Master Storyteller, Ray Stothers, with his story about the Lion and the Rabbit. The story itself carries a powerful lesson and appeals to our deeper sense of knowing. The story ends with “in a time so long ago, that might was right, and justice was confused with vengeance, in a time so long ago, that the righteous and the self righteous were so confused.” We learn in the story about the gifts and the talents of the one whom the others thought was useless. Listen to the story and talk with your colleagues about how this applies to today’s issues.

Two years ago, personal coach, Judith Aftergut, wrote about four simple principles of Honoring which we can apply to ourselves when we are trying to make a difficult decision as well as to any situation in a group, community or organization. These principles become part of our skill set that helps us work more effectively with the diversity within ourselves and with others.

Much of this work about difference boils down to our perceptions intermixed with our own sense of self. Leadership consultant, Michael Keller, created this interactive exercise to help us deepen our awareness of how our perceptions can be limiting.

One of my favorite writers is Ronault Latang Sayang Catalani, known as Polo. He has a regular column in the Portland, Oregon newspaper, The Asian Reporter. Polo shared some of his writing with us. In the July, 2005 edition of the Center, we featured his Independence Day story. We are re-presenting this story to you. Polo gives us a different perception of the 4th of July. If you would like to read more of Polo’s stories, you can find The Asian Reporter online.

I love movies. They are a great way to learn about difference and true life experiences. Our feature, Popcorn and a Movie, by interculturalist and movie expert, Dr. Ellen Summerfield, offered us an opportunity to view a feature film from a deeper learning perspective. Choose one of the three movies featured and follow the steps from the pre-quiz to the post movie reflections.

Every organization seems to need a diversity plan these days. If you are looking for guidance and for some language for a diversity plan, the National Extension Committee on Diversity has just what you are looking for: Pathways to Diversity Revisited. This document which outlines goals for moving the Extension system toward greater effectiveness in a diverse society also features a strategic plan based on the logic model.

While you are on the Tools for Organizational Change page of the Center, take a look at all of the Promising Practices that the Change Agent States have developed. These are the Extension Diversity pioneers and they have documented their successes for us to borrow and modify to fit our organization.

Finally, check out our tips for intercultural communication.

As we all know, diversity work is a long slow journey. We often take two steps forward and then one step back, and yet we “keep on keepin’ on” making a difference. Our end goal is to create organizational systems which allow the gifts and talents of each and everyone of us to be shared in our communities.

It has been an honor to be a part of that journey with you.

By Ann C. Schauber, Former Center Director