4 minute read

Inclusive Cork

by Dr. Naomi Masheti, Cork Migrant Centre

Diversity & inclusion has been part of the discourse in policy, academia, businesses, and organisations in the Irish context for the last decade. The Black Lives Matter movement, which is one of the most significant civil rights movements of our generation has brought issues of social and racial justice to the fore across the globe including Ireland.

Why is it important for Cork businesses to be part of the conversation about diversity and inclusion?

Well because Cork is one of the most diverse counties in Ireland and home to major global corporates attracting a wave of leading investors and a diverse talented group of people. Cork County is home to 42,000 migrants which ranks it second to Dublin according to CSO statistics (CSO, 2016). All of us Corkonians have a shared humanity that should unite us just as we have been united on topical issues such as climate justice and the Covid-19 pandemic. Cork was named as the ‘Friendliest city’ in Europe and ranked as one of the top 25 European Cities of the Future 2018/19 by Financial Times fDi rankings in 2018. We are already doing well but we need to do better. In the words of Maya Angelou “Do The Best You Can Until You Know Better. Then When You Know Better Do Better”.

How do we do better?

No matter what size your business or what industry you work in, you can support diversity and inclusion through your commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a pathway to social inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. The goal ‘Decent work and Economic Growth’ for example has spill over effects on goals: ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Gender Equality’ among others.

These are some of the ways in which you can achieve this:

Create a diverse workforce: Adjust your recruitment process through automations, blind screening, diverse panels etc to reduce racial/ethnic biases and prejudices. There is a huge body of literature that highlights the benefits of a diverse workforce.

A diverse workforce does not necessarily translate to inclusion. Inclusion is about creating a work environment and culture that enables ALL employees to participate and thrive. What this means is that there are equal opportunities for progression and that you have put in place metrics to measure and track change. For example, out of the people from diverse backgrounds that work in your business, how many of them are in middle or top management positions? Remember ‘You cannot be what you cannot see’. What are the opportunities or challenges identified in regard to job progression? How is your business addressing identified challenges?

Inclusion thrives in an environment with clear protocols, procedures and approach to racism and discrimination at the workplace. Desmond Tutu, a South African human rights activist once said “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” As an employer and leader, it is critical that you lead by example and create an enabling opportunity for inclusion. There has been a lot of work on bullying in the workplace, so there is a template that can be adapted for racism in the workplace. This coupled with diversity and inclusion training for employees is crucial in signalling the business/organisational culture on the issue of diversity and inclusion.

Openly supporting charities, if you are in a position to make a financial gesture, is a way of making a stand on social justice issues. Other ways to support charities is by signing petitions for example ‘End Direct Provision’. Lengthy stays in institutionalized settings of Direct Provision Centres have huge psychosocial wellbeing vulnerabilities for men, women and children. These include: poverty; hunger; good health & well-being; quality education; decent work and economic growth which are all target areas addressed by Sustainable Developmental Goals. Working towards ending direct provision centres is therefore not so detached from the application of SDGs on the ground. Offering opportunities for mentoring, internships and education scholarships also ultimately creates an enabling environment for equality and equity.

There is no quick fix to ‘Doing Better’ on diversity and inclusion. It is a developmental process. The onus is on you as an employer, and colleague to educate yourself. There are plenty of resources out there and the people themselves are a great resource. This is not so different from your marketing agenda. How diverse are your clients or service users? If your services or products are directed to a diverse demographic, then it makes business sense to learn about those that you know least about. It is about inclusiveness, but it is also about SMART business sense.

Friday Junior Osemwekhae one of the Youth Mentors at the Cork Migrant Centre Youth Initiative Against Racism stated that ‘Big companies and small businesses should not be afraid to collaborate with people from migrant backgrounds. Some could be more Cork than local Corkonians while others might be diverse but seasoned with different valuable and interesting profitable approaches. The way I see it the Irish helped build America, so why not let migrants return the favour here. Migration is not exclusive to the Irish abroad or limited to the new Irish here today. Genuine collaborations will only strengthen cultural relations within the country, unity to better your home, Ireland in this case is a universal norm for all of us’.