Inclusive Leadership, Language and Labels

- The business are changing more and more towards inclusion, because they see that their company are getting more productive if the employees are feeling included in their work. And it the globalized market, if you are produced the most, you will win.

The lecture, Dr. Robert Brown from Pharos International, a Brussels based consultant agency, working to integrate cultural perspectives to companies.

Their mission is to specialize in assessing and developing the intercultural competence of leaders and managers working in culturally diverse teams and organizations. They help globalization initiatives be successful and socially beneficial through integrating multiple cultural perspectives. Our approach bridges national, regional, sector and organizational cultures, and fosters cross-cultural collaboration.

The lectures were from a company perspective dealing with questions like inclosing and leadership. Mostly regarding gender discrimination.
- In South Asia there’s 56 women on 100 men in the labor force, in the Middle East and North Africa their 37 women on 100 men.

He talked about the importance of obtaining a job and how to be a good leader.
- Most of the greats leaders are good storytellers; they can make their vision and inspire others to work to reach it.

Dr. Brown talked about the current peak of the “Corporate Social Responsibility” programs.
- This is the time to reach out to the companies for sponsorship, because they are currently looking for ways to support their local communities. But this can change tomorrow, so build cooperation now.

Train problems

The time is 0.40 am and some of us are still up. Some of the participants are still arriving due to large train problems between Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Discrimination: a Human Rights Issue

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

No matter of the nice speeches in the UN and the signs of the declaration, the reality is something else. Human Rights are being violated every day all over the world. One example is that there’s still torture in 130 of the worlds countries.

Amnesty Sweden’s campaign coordinator Ms Katarina Bergehed was talking about the discrimination from a human rights perspective, from the four universal declarations regarding human rights (1948), racial discrimination (1965), women’s rights (1979) and persons with disabilities (2007).

Amnesty International is a pressure group that promotes human rights. Founded in the UK in 1961, they draw attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international standards. It works to mobilize public opinion in the belief that it is this, which has the power to exert pressure on those who perpetrate abuses.

To fulfill the human rights is a very good step to an equal world and that we need to keep fighting for it and make harder efforts to make the promises of the declarations.

Pics of the day!

Världskulturmuseet, where it happens!

A nice bed for Dracula!

Stockholm Central Station, 6.35 am

The bus, 7.02 am

New best friends!

She had fun!

The head moderator

Clowns Without Borders

Broadening the Perspective on Discrimination

 

- Security, peace, democracy, these are things we could discuss for hours, days, months, Cecilia Malmström said at the congress’ first seminar.
Cecilia Malmström, the Swedish Minister of European Affairs, spoke about Diversity in a European context and said that even though diversity is central to the EU, discrimination does exist.
- Many of us have faced discrimination or know people who are facing it daily, she said.
- EU in it self has age discrimination inbuilt, she points out.

Due to statistics, most EU members agree not enough is being done to fight the discrimination. This is one of the reasons 2007 is appointed the European year of equal opportunity. This year activities will take place on European and national levels based on four themes: “rights”, “representations”, “recognition” and “respect”.
- This will hopefully increase the knowledge and change the attitude among people, the Minister said.

In the following panel discussion she agreed with Jovana Bazerkovska, board member in the European Youth Forum, Muzwakhe Alfred Sigudhla, President of the South African Youth Movement and Paul Lappalainen from The ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination that legalizations, norms, values and comment documents for anti discriminations are all good, but not enough to ensure protection.
- Changes requires a movement, Paul Lappalainen said and Cecilia Malmström added that diversity is necessary not only in EU but in all governments, boardrooms and where ever decisions are made.

Mr. Lappalainen raised the idea that maybe there should be a “diversity agency” instead of an “anti discrimination agency” where the discrimination is in focus, not the different grounds for discrimination.
- Because when these groups end up competing each other, both interest loose, he said.

Cecilia Malmström ends the discussion with encouraging the participants
- Don’t give up. Even though it sometimes feels like you bang your head against the wall, keep going.
She said that everyone is an important role model and talking and acting is what’s going to make a difference.
- Find an allied and refuse to be stepped on, she said.

Hanna Lindahl

The workshops

1) Breaking the norms – a workshop on norms
Workshop leaders: Agnes Dahné and Alex Fridunger, RFSL Ungdom (The Swedish Youth Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights)

In all societies there are certain ideas concerning gender, sexuality and ethnicity which have the consequence that some people frequently are considered to be more normal than others. These ideas allow for discrimination, power inequalities and prejudice. This workshop will use interactive exercises to encourage the participants to inspect the actual norms which make some people appear as normal and others as deviating. Based on this, it will also highlight how one can work against discrimination in our different organisations.

2) Availability and Inclusion – A Journey from Gothenburg to Prag
Workshop leaders: Fredrik Jonsson, The Swedish Youth Federation of Mobility Impaired, Jacob Selin, Swedish Association for Visual Impaired and Blind Youth and Linda Karlsson, The Sweden organisation of hard hearing

What happens when you are placed to sit beside by a person that appears in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, weather it has to do with the looks, way of talking or something with the appearance?
This workshop will illustrate the hurdles of availability and inclusion during a bus ride from Gothenburg to Prag. It will focus on different kinds of prejudices, illustrate the consequences in real life and discuss how we can work against this sort of discrimination.

3) Promoting equal rights in a global context
Workshop leader: Hanna Simberg, All different All Equal, Sweden

What do equal rights mean in a global context? The notion that human rights are universal has been fiercely opposed by critics in many other parts of the world. This workshop focuses on the notion of human rights, discrimination and encourages discussion regarding equal rights in a global context. The European campaign All different All Equal will serve to give examples on this.

4) Understanding and including transgender
Workshop leader: Alex Mamytovich, “Labrys”, Kyrgyzstan

Discrimination of transgender persons is a human rights issue found all over the world. By using Kyrgistan as an illustrating case, this workshop aims at raising awareness about transgender issues and its relevance to human rights. Real life cases will illustrate how organizations, by adapting an including approach to transgender persons and increasing the understanding of trans-gender issues can make a difference on this reality.

5) Dealing with misconceptions of Islam and the West.
Workshop leader: Shaista Khan, Sweden Young Muslims

Today we live in a society where there are many misconceptions about the relation between the religion of Islam and the “West”. Sometimes these are even portrayed as binary opposites and this perception has consistently led to the spread of phobias in society. In this workshop we will look into the concept of Islam phobia. We’ll find out what this means, how it is expressed, and what the effects of this phobia are. The knowledge and understanding of these issues will help us in finding ways for bridging the gaps and uniting the world yet commending diversity.

6 ) Combatting HIV/AIDS-stigma – from a Human Rights Perspective
Workshop leader: Nyoni Mantswe, Southern African Youth Movement

Persons living with HIV/AIDS are not only a victims of a disease, but are also subjected to stigmatisation restricting their every day life. This workshop will help us to understand the challenges and oppurtunites to combat this sort of discrimination. It takes its starting point in a Human rights perspective and explores how it can be applied and used in the work against the HIV/AIDS stigma. The Southern African region will be in focus.

7) Inclusion of youth – how to affect and influence policy
Workshop leader: Ella Bohlin, Christian Democratic Youth and George Omondi, The Youth assembly, African Institute of Research and Resources, Kenya

This workshop will focus on the inclusion of youth on a local and national level. What are the opportunities and conditions for youth to affect and influence policy? In what forum can we make the voice of young people better heard? How can collaboration strengthen our influence on policy? Comparisons and examples from Sweden and Kenya will illustrate the arguments and ideas throughout the workshop.

8 ) Combating discrimination in a country in war
Workshop leader: Fenek Latif, Kurdistan´ Student Council

The news reports from Iraq is characterized by killing, bombings and the presence of the US. This seminar will give a glance from the inside, looking at the life of young people in Kurdistan. How do the clashes of ethnic groups and religious groups affect their every day life? What are the opportunities and challenges for young people to make a difference in the society? What brings hopes for the future?

9) Mobilizing and empowering vulnerable minority groups in Sweden: The experience of working with minority groups from an authority (The Ombudsman against ethnic discrimination) and NGO perspective.
Workshop leader: Johan Hjalmarsson, The Ombudsman against ethnic discrimination (DO) and Kitimbwa Sabuni, The Afro-Swedish Association (ASR).

Different visible minority groups in Sweden face discrimination and marginalisation, both discrimination at individual level and at structural level. The work with minority groups as opposed to measures directed against minority groups was a key concept in this new method, presented at this workshop, aiming to create trust and confidence. On this background the workshop will contain practical discussion on how to combat discrimination concerning specific scenarios. The idea is to identify, evaluate and present solutions and to share best practice on how legal methods can be combined with effective human rights advocacy to combat discrimination and racism.

10) Gender Mainstreaming – combating gender based discrimination.
Workshop leader: Elin Aronsson, Red Cross Youth

Gender Mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for promoting gender equality. Mainstreaming is not an end in itself but a strategy, an approach, a means to achieve the goal of gender equality. Mainstreaming involves ensuring that gender perspectives and attention to the goal of gender equality are central to all activities and policies. During this seminar you will get acquainted with the term and be inspired to use it in your organisation and its activities and policies.

We´re starting to blog on May 25th

Understanding, reacting and acting
Including Diversity – Youth Perspectives on Security, Peace and Democracy is the theme of the international conference 2007 arranged by LSU – The National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations and Society and Defence. The conference follows the theme for the European campaign All Different All Equal. It aims at strengthening the commitment, knowledge and capacity for young leaders to work for inclusion and non-discrimination in society. Focus will be to gain a better understanding of different kinds of discrimination and its consequences for security, peace and democracy. Taking it one step further, a large part of the conference will focus on how to prevent and combat discrimination.

A Diversity of Contributors
The knowledge and experience amongst young leaders is vast. Therefore the conference will serve as a platform to exchange knowledge and experience across nations and organisations. Speakers and workshop leaders will be representatives from LSU member organisations and international partner organisations, as well as experts and decision makers in relevant institutions and organisations. Among others, Ms. Cecilia Malmström, Minister for European affairs in Sweden, professor Massoud Kamali and Dr Robert Brown, Pharos International, Belgium, will contribute to the conference.