Service & Leadership

If the World were a Village... If we could reduce the world’s population down to a village of 100 inhabitants with all the human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this :

60 Asians (of which 20 Chinese and 17 Indians)
14 Americans (6 from North America and 8 from South America)
13 Africans
12 Europeans

1 Oceanian (Australia and New Zealand)

52 women and 48 men

70 non-whites and 30 whites
70 non-Christians and 30 Christians

89 heterosexuals and 11 homosexuals

6 persons possess 59 % of the village's wealth, several of them are Americans

50 of the village inhabitants live on 2 dollars a day

25 live on 1 dollar a day

25 persons consume three quarters of all the energy

75 persons consume the remaining one quarter

17 persons have no access to medical services, decent shelter or drinking water

50 persons suffer from malnutrition

70 persons are illiterate

80 persons live in poor-quality housing

1 person has a college education

"You will live in a world of many cultures and languages. There will be new forms of global commerce we can't even imagine today. Opportunities and options in American business will grow astronomically. You will be challenged in the years ahead to retain the best of the old while at the same time accepting and adjusting to the new international horizons."

"We are doubtless in a worldwide competitive market. Global markets are the name of the game from now until the end of time. This is true for small companies as well as the giant companies. If we are to be a successful competitor in a true global marketplace, we are going to have to get off the notion that English is the language of commerce and that if you do it the American way that that's the way that will be appreciated wherever you are."

"Foreign firms are also invading America's domestic market. International no longer means outside the country. So many foreign firms operate here that foreign is as close as across the hallway."

"As we approach the end of the 20th Century, major forces having an increasingly powerful impact on organizations are globalism, the global economy, and demographics. The idea of the global village is already a reality."

"Competence must now be defined in terms of cultural savvy as well as business skills. Trend watchers predict a worldwide revival of cultural assertiveness."

"When people from different ethnic and racial heritages live together, one can anticipate some conflicts that arise as the cultural norms and expectations of one group come in conflict with those of another group. Know as much as you can about their culture and show respect for their culture. By encouraging appreciation of the diversity of cultures, you develop tolerance for other lifestyles and an acceptance of the heterogeneous, culturally diverse environment in which we all live. Society is becoming increasingly pluralistic. Learning to adopt a sense of understanding and acceptance helps people develop the social sensitivity and cultural appreciation they need to work and function cooperatively in today's society."

"What we have to realize is that a tolerant society is a messy society. A tolerant society is an impure society, filled with verbal litter. Tolerance is very hard work. You have to put up with stuff you don't like. That means that some of us have to live in a state of outrage and pain some of the time. There is a good distinction between tolerance and affirmation. Tolerance does not mean mutual love and admiration. It means mutually assured survival. I let you alone. You let me alone So when I hear speech I don't like, my job is not to put a legal gag in somebody's mouth. My job is the classic response to bad speech: to speak out against it. And we have to avoid hysterical recriminations. We have to think of ourselves as partners and colleagues in coming to terms with a pluralistic society."

We are living in an age of diversity. The roles of teachers and counselors have been expanded to include consideration of the cultural identities of students and clients. Teachers and counselors have a responsibility to increase their awareness, knowledge, and skills so that all students and clients are taught and counseled with approaches that recognize the influences of cultural group membership.

Although definitions of multiculturalism differ, the general premise underscores the rights of individuals to be respected for their differences. As we prepare to enter the 21st century, we are confronted with the demand for attention to diverse populations in education and counseling. The crisis in the US today results from the alienation experienced by culturally different individuals and groups. The US does not have one language, one set of values, one set of beliefs, or one set of customs. The melting pot theory of assimilation appears to have been rejected both by members of the dominant culture as well as by members of culturally different populations. More and more people are accepting the pluralistic nature of the culture of the United States.

From Don Locke / Increasing Multicultural Understanding

1. Respect Everyone. We're all human beings, and we're all equal too. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

2. Make the connection. We are much more alike than at first it seems. We all have hearts and minds and dreams.

3. Be Proud of Your Heritage. You are special. Don't keep it inside. Share your culture with pride.

4. Keep an Open Mind. Listen to what others have to say. You're sure to learn something new that way.

5. Learn About Other Cultures. Explore the world that we all share. It's you world, too, so show you care.

6. Avoid Stereotyping. Don't judge others based on their looks. It's what's inside that matters - just like with books.

7. Enjoy Multicultural Activities. Go to cultural festivals, concerts, and more. The world's full of interesting things to explore.

8. Study Another Language. You discover other cultures as you learn what people speak, whether it's Japanese, Spanish, Swahili, or Greek.

9. Reach Out. Friends of all backgrounds bring something new. Get to know people different from you.

10. Build Peace. Kind actions and words help spread peace with ease. Tolerance, love, and trust are the keys.

"Shifting demographics are creating a new pool of minority talent that can help American corporations accommodate fast-breaking changes. This means increased opportunities for minorities in the workplace. What has not changed, however, are the unique challenges and issues minorities will continue to face in the workplace. The power and promise of a culturally diverse work force is just coming into focus. Although some progress has been made, much remains to be done. We owe it to ourselves to seize the initiative and build upon new opportunities."

"African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans are entering corporate America in droves. And though each culture and each individual is distinct, all have one common vision: the American dream of success. Making this dream a reality, however, requires planning and strategies to address the unique challenges and issues minorities face. Although it has a long way to go, corporate America is finally beginning to embrace cultural diversity."

"To avail ourselves of the entire pool of talent out there, we cannot rely only on white males. To attract the best talent we must demonstrate that we really believe in and practice diversity in the workplace."

"In their scramble to adapt to the country's sweeping demographic, social and legal changes, the vast majority of firms have established programs to deal with cultural diversity in the workplace. What they are discovering, however, is that diversity engenders far more promise than problems. Executives are finding that they can achieve common goals and objectives within the framework of diversity. And it's finally becoming clear that differences can be assets, not drawbacks. Minority workers are proving that a variety of viewpoints and backgrounds leads to new ideas and new solutions."

"We view diversity as something more than a moral imperative or a business necessity -- we see it as a business opportunity. For us, diversity goes beyond numbers and targets; it is an acceptance and celebration of people of all ages with globally diverse backgrounds who bring fresh new ideas, opinions, perspectives and borderless creativity that enrich the lives of others. Diversity is a global mosaic -- a tapestry filled with exciting colors, shapes, designs and accents."

"Providing training that helps individuals understand one another will create a diverse workplace that is cooperative and productive. By giving individuals more skills in interpersonal communications, they will learn to be more open and accepting, and the barriers that limit the success of women and people of color will be torn down. However, patterns of discrimination are embedded in the culture of every organization. Dealing with individual prejudice alone is not enough to bring about the culture change needed to fully utilize a diverse workforce. We need strategies and methods for launching and living with culture change."

"My workgroup looks like the United Nations. There are guys from Taiwan, India, and Mexico. Two of the women come from the Philippines. In fact, there are only two people in the whole group who were born in America. Just ten years ago there were only white guys. Managing was a piece of cake because we were all like family. All that's different now. Everyday there is a new problem. With the incredible mix of people, it's not surprising. It feels like a whole new ballgame to me, but it sure isn't baseball or any other game I've ever played. "

"Today's workforce is truly a mosaic of different races, ages, genders, ethnic groups, religions, and lifestyles. It is our job to ensure that disparate pieces of the mosaic fit together in a harmonious, coordinated way, maximally utilizing the talents and abilities of each employee. If skillfully managed, this diversity can bring a competitive advantage to an organization. If not, however, the bottom line can be negatively effected, and the work environment can become unwelcoming."

"It is important to note that our definition of diversity is itself inclusive. We feel it is important in diversity work not to create an us versus them kind of dynamic. Our definition includes people who are different along every dimension of diversity... Men and women... People of color... People from various cultures... People with certain religious practices... Older and younger workers... Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals... People from differing class backgrounds... People at different levels of the organization... Workers with significant family responsibilities... Foreign-born individuals... People with disabilities."

Judith Palmer, author of the 1989 article, "Diversity: Three Paradigms for Change Leaders, " outlines three ways in which diversity in the workplace has been viewed:

Diversity as a legal issue. Undoing past wrongs and injustices. Equal opportunity and affirmative action legislation.

Diversity as an appreciation of differences. Rather than assimilation, the goal is to increase awareness of differences. Creating an inclusive workplace.

According to Esty, Griffin, and Hirsch, authors of Workplace Diversity, there are two important challenges posed by diversity:

- We must deal with day-to-day problems that arise when people in their workgroups speak different languages, come from different cultures, espouse different values, or have totally different life experiences. We must cope with the issues that develop when a workgroup is made up of people unlike ourselves and one another in terms of race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, family situation, and place of birth.

- We must learn how to create a work environment in which diversity and differences are valued and in which all employees can contribute to their fullest potential.

"For years minorities and women have complained about invisible and subtle, yet very real, institutional barriers to promotions into higher level executive positions. The tenet that Blacks and women reach organizational plateaus consisting of artificial barriers that derail them from senior management opportunities has been alternately termed the glass ceiling or the brick wall."

"While minorities make up 15.5 percent of the total workforce, they occupy only six percent of the management positions. While women make up 37.9 percent of the total workforce, they occupy only 16.9 percent of the management positions. At the executive level, only 3.6 percent are minority and 6.6 percent are women."

"We must break through the glass ceiling to remove the last vestiges of discrimination from the workplace, and ensure that women and minorities have equal access to senior management employment opportunities."

"The American business community understands that success -- in the present and the future -- lies in enabling a diverse workforce to serve a diverse marketplace. At this point in our nation's history, diversity in the workforce means that a growing proportion of the employee population is other than white, Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual, married men whose wives are fulltime homemakers. That other than includes not only white women and people of color but anyone whose lifestyle doesn't quite mirror the traditional family reflected in Leave It To Beaver."

"In assessing workplace inclusiveness, companies should consider the following questions: Are your facilities physically accessible (ramps, elevators)? Are your printed materials available in alternative formats (braille, large print, tape)? Does promotional material represent and welcome all those served (people of color, gays, people with disabilities)? Is the language used in the office inclusive (Holidays instead of Christmas, partner instead of husband or wife)? Are staff openings and services advertised in publications targeted to diverse populations? Is gender equity discussed and practiced in your office? Are magazines and other materials in resource areas inclusive of various groups? Is there diversity among the hired staff? Has your company established relationships with organizations that can serve as resources in promoting diversity? Do employees confront jokes or slurs against any group or individual (women, blacks, gays, Jews, Hispanics, Polish)? Is diversity training provided for or required of employees in your office? Is the affirmative action statement clearly printed on all applications and other materials? Is every individual who works in, visits, or is served in your office treated with respect and their individual needs taken into account?"

-CHERYL HETHERINGTON (Celebrating Diversity: Working With Groups In The Workplace) and

"We have to start thinking differently about the whole equation of civil rights and affirmative action and valuing people. We have to look at facts: we are a diverse culture. We need a productive workforce, so we must be able to utilize the best resources from that diverse culture. And every person we bring in must be able to achieve his or her full potential if we're going to have a chance to compete in the global market. The companies that really succeed in valuing people will be getting more value from their resources than those who don't."

Corporations (like IBM and DuPont) with a commitment to diversity and a desire to foster an environment of inclusiveness have introduced strategic diversity plans. In such organizations, training seminars with titles like "A Matter of Respect" address gender discrimination and sexual harassment. A program entitled "A Workplace of Differences" aims at helping employees of diverse cultures work together more effectively, utilizing simple awareness and skill-building exercises. A course called " Welcoming Diversity" focuses on helping individuals and groups examine deep issues of identity, unfreeze prejudicial attitudes, act on the basis of shared values, and know what to do when values are in conflict. A "Multicultural Awareness Workshop" focuses on race and gender and the fundamental social justice issues in society.

The following action steps are suggested by Esty, Griffin and Hirsch for improved workplace inclusiveness and an awareness and appreciation of diversity:

Don't sweep complaints about sexual harassment under the table; take them seriously.

Don't ignore slurs, jokes and comments that may be disrespectful or offensive to particular groups; let the speaker know they are inappropriate.

Don't assume that people want to be identified as belonging to a particular group.

Don't omit negative feedback to any worker because of his or her race or ethnicity.

Don't ask a person of color to speak for all members of his or her race. Don't assume that because individuals are trying to be fair, the system is fair.

Don't be afraid to mix members of several different groups on committees and projects.

Don't make assumptions about who is straight and who is gay; appearances can be deceptive.

Don't make snap judgments about people's competence based on matters of style or dress.

"Our culture has generally considered white, heterosexual, able-bodied males as the norm against which to judge others. As our communities, jobs, and families are composed of a wider variety of people, we need to work toward a new cultural sense of normal that includes women and men of color, women and men who are gay, women and men with disabilities, and other people who do not fit the current norm. Discrimination against members of these groups is common, unconscious, and often considered acceptable. Most people in these groups experience internal and external oppression everyday, finding themselves judged not as individuals but by stereotypes associated with the groups to which they belong. In shaping a new vision of the future, it is important for all of us to increase our understanding of people who are different from this norm. Our society is like a tossed salad filled with a variety of vegetables. We recognize that the vegetables have different tastes, nutrients, and textures that complement one another and enhance the salad as a whole. If we allow ourselves to see human differences, including color, sexual orientation, gender, ability, and class the same way we look at a salad, we can celebrate diversity and enjoy living among people different from ourselves."