<aside> 💡 Guidelines, resources, and documentation of our work to sustain DEI within the core team and the community.

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Updated on 28th August 2024

SECTION 1 • WHY we need a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team

The following section outlines our need for a DEI Keeper by 1) highlighting the meanings of and some useful frameworks for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and 2) emphasising why DEI is such a critical part of our work at ChangemakerXchange.

Frameworks and definitions

Imagine a group of people sitting around a table.

Diversity is about having the right people around the table. At CXC, this means committing to support a diverse community in terms of race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, economic status, and other diverse backgrounds.

Equity is about providing each individual with a chair at the right height. For us, it practically means we commit to working actively to challenge and respond to bias, harassment, and discrimination. We provide equal opportunity and treatment for all persons and for the full diversity of our community.

Inclusion is about creating an environment that makes all the people feel like they are part of the conversation. CXC is a community where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard, and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Ultimately, the end result of DEI work done well is Belonging; it is when the person at the table feels that they are psychologically safe to participate and bring their perspectives to the table. Some DEI advocates (Aiko Bethea, Ruchika Tulshyan, Brené Brown) have also mentioned this strong relationship between DEI work and belonging. Ensuring belonging by cultivating DEI, as Verna Myers (a world-renowned DEI strategist) put it, “is not just a right thing to do, it is a rich thing to do.” She elaborates further, “it is a loss to all of us personally and professionally when individuals and groups are underrepresented or are discouraged from expressing their different ideas, skill, and ways of doing things.”

The Iceberg is another helpful framework for understanding diversity; so much of who we are is beneath the waterline.

To be an inclusive leader, we shouldn’t miss who people are by only concentrating on the tip. Instead, we want to make sure that we are looking at a person holistically and seeing the complex set of identities that they bring to the workplace. And without a proactive and continuous attempt to foster DEI, it just won’t work.

When it comes to learning about (and cultivating) DEI in our life, consider this statement: “we are all on a journey in which no one has completely arrived.”

Our Work at CXC

• The importance of DEI resonates with our own findings from The Possibilists study, which shows that young social innovators who identify as being marginalised face even bigger barriers and struggles in achieving their impact. These include being at a higher risk of burnout and having less personal financial security. The point on belonging is also highlighted in the core recommendation of the study; “we must acknowledge that young social innovators can only create impact for their communities if they are thriving as individuals.”
• DEI work is also a necessary prerequisite for the fulfillment of the CXC vision itself, CHANGEMAKERXCHANGE ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS PART OF INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH PEOPLE CONNECT DEEPLY AND CO-CREATE POSITIVE ACTION TO SERVE THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE AND PLANET. Deep connections and co-creation do not happen without people feeling included and thus belonging.
• The CXC core team, as stated in our Team Manifesto, is committed to maintaining diversity and ideally representing the rich diversity that is present in our global community of young changemakers. Our community comprises 130+ nationalities from 6 regions: Europe, Asia & Australasia, Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, Latin America, and North America.
• Of course, we acknowledge that we will likely never be able to grow the core team to mirror and truly represent the diversity and nuances that our global community has, but the current discrepancy highlights the immediate need for a dedicated Keeper/team role to ensure the core team is proactive in championing DEI in everything we do.

ChangemakerXchange Mapping

CXC Community Members (last updated 28 August 2024)

CXC Facilitators (last updated Q1 2024)

CXC Core Team Members (last updated 28 August 2024)

SECTION 2 • HOW the DEI Team works

The DEI Team will be made up of two team members who are passionate about the topic and will work closely with other keepers (particularly the People & Culture Team) and team members working on communications / programmes.

The tasks of this team will constantly evolve throughout our DEI journey but overarching responsibilities will include: