In June, our team worked with an expert in critical multiculturalism to begin developing a shared language and framework to interrogate how racism affects our work. We had the opportunity to learn together, discuss critical race issues we experience, see and read about, and reflect on how our lives in North America and the nature of our work in low- and middle-income countries stem from colonialism.
The workshop acted as a starting point for us to begin to brainstorm, frame, and develop actions we wanted to take as an organization in the direction of anti-racism. Our team has established these goals that we’ll be working towards now, next year, and in the longer-term future as our company continues to grow.
We are increasing expenditure, building partnerships, and creating high value jobs in low- and middle-income countries.
Through stronger engagement with African-owned businesses and local experts, we hope to do our part to reconstruct the flow of resources and expertise.
TARGET: By 2021, 40% of our company expenditure will be in LMIC’s, 4 high-value jobs will be created on the continent, we will have established 2 partnerships with local firms for analysis, communications, and more.
As a team, we learn and reflect together.
Quarterly we take time to read a book, attend a webinar, participate in a workshop, or plan an activity to learn and reflect as a group. The more we know, the better we can do.
TARGET: Quarterly group work and reflection on the influence of white supremacy in our work.
We are evolving our business processes to check that our actions align with our values.
We bake into our processes prompts to ask ourselves uncomfortable questions, have difficult conversations, see new perspectives, and welcome feedback without feeling criticized or shamed.
TARGET: In Q4 of 2020, incorporate into our processes for project bids, launch and close out key questions that prompt examination how we structure, execute, and improve our work in line with our desires to advance anti-racist action.
Reactions? Thoughts? Guidance? We’re all ears.
