Agents of Change
Racial inequity can be found in many different organisations, in many different ways. Sometimes it is about addressing overt racists behaviour; other times it can be about raising awareness about racial diversity and changing behaviour. What is needed is to create an organisation that is mindful about racial matters and where people are actively working towards racial diversity and justice.
As a first step, organisations have mandated departments or appointed officers and learning groups dedicated to racial diversity. Such entities assist management in reading the current reality about racial issues in the organisation and to propose and implement interventions for change.
adressing racial inequity
soul.com is dedicated to empowering people and organisations to embrace racial diversity and work as one. In this connection, it has developed a training programme that helps people build their capacity to stand up against racism at work and to promote cooperation and friendship among people from different races. The programme is called Agents of Change: addressing racial inequity.
real change comes from within
Behaviour and convictions are personal and cannot be forced upon people. Real changes comes when people raise their awareness and begin to think differently about a particular subject. We call this creating a new mind. This happens when people have meaningful conversations with each other and translate their insights into action.
When more and more people start to think and act differently about racial matters at work, we speak about creating a movement. This makes it possible to create new models, such as formulate appropriate policies, structures and processes in the organisation that addresses racial inequity in a systematic manner. The organisation becomes a learning organisation about promoting racial equality. It becomes embedded as part of the culture.
The Agents of Change programme is the driving force in creating a new mind, a movement and new models. It brings about a deep change from within that is deep and lasting.
action-based learning
Action-based learning or action-based research has proven an excellent methodology in solving complex and uncertain situations. Addressing racial inequity in an organisation is such a reality. The Agents of Change programme is an "action-based learning" programme.
First participants study theme or capacity together and then immediately apply these insights in actions at the workplace. They then come together again to reflect upon their actions and learn from each other. In this way, the impact is made from the start, knowledge is being tested through experience, and actions are adjusted to the reality of the organisation.