Equality and Diversity....why bother?

Because it’s all that matters. Because it goes right to the core of offering the best possible human experience for all of us.

There seems to be a growing trend these days for political leaders to tear up the Equality and Diversity policies and pathways in their countries and cities, that will no doubt have taken years of campaigning and advocating for, by hardworking, open-minded, compassionate human beings. And now along comes some mindsets within our human family that simply think PRODUCTIVITY! How ‘efficiently’ can we operate our services and businesses, so we can save money, and keep churning this money back into capitalist growth? Because we want to be RICH! We want to be very rich…

However if we pause here just for a moment (that’s probably not very efficient of me, my apologies) and think what sort of a society we would have with no acknowledgement of all our differences, of all our vulnerabilities, of all our strengths, of all our capabilities? Well, at best I think we might look like some beige banal bunch of robots, driven purely by an ego-centric greed for more materialistic stuff. At worst and terrifyingly far more likely (as we can already see if we look at the news) we will strip ourselves of the very essential ingredients that help us to grow fully as humans; that is our innate ability to connect with and show compassion towards all others, on some level.

On countless occasions over the years of raising Cormac, I have found that when I paused, leaned in patiently to spend some time with him, perhaps teaching him a skill like pulling up the zip on his jacket, and then he slowly in his own time accomplishes this skill, well that’s when I have grown a little more, that’s when I have become a little richer. We both have. And then of course all these little riches grow. You won’t find these riches trading on the stock exchange, but then equally, you won’t find Cormac or I worrying that these highly priced riches could lose their value, because they won’t. It’s a lifelong alternative investment plan we have going on here…

Don’t just take my word for it though, why not look around in your own circles also? No doubt you too will have had the privilege of spending some precious time with somebody who perhaps just needed your support in some seemingly very small way, but can you remember maybe how that encounter made you feel at the time?

In truth we all need to be richer, but on the inside not the out. This is the only reliable starting point for us all having a truly fulfilled and yes, rich human experience.

Political leaders, policy makers and people who get into boardrooms need to dig very deep and be very brave. I’m sure you folk must know people in your families and circles who may have additional learning needs or physical disabilities? We are all different after all!

I urge you to think of these people you know personally, as you review Equality and Diversity policies and pathways. Are their voices being heard either directly (ideally) or indirectly at your meetings? The stark irony here is that these precious voices will teach you all you will ever need to know about becoming rich. It’s time to listen now!