Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
How Difference, Power and Belonging Are Held In This Work
I work with people from many different backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.
Difference does not exist outside of power.
Access, safety, voice, and belonging are shaped by systems such as race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, neurodivergence, and cultural history.
This page explains how diversity, equity, and inclusion are understood and practiced in this work — not as ideals, but as responsibilities shaped by power.
Power, Identity & Impact
I explicitly recognise up power and down power in my role as a facilitator and programme steward.
Power is also shaped by social and systemic factors that affect people differently — often in ways that are invisible to those who benefit from them.
This means that:
people enter spaces with different levels of safety, trust, and access
what feels neutral to one person may feel risky or excluding to another
harm is not always caused by intent, but by unexamined power and norms
I do not treat diversity or inclusion as interpersonal niceness.
They are part of ethical use of power.
My Commitments
1. Responsibility, Not Neutrality
I do not assume a “level playing field.”
I take responsibility for:
how structures, language, pacing, and facilitation choices impact different people
how dominant norms may be unintentionally centred
how power dynamics show up in groups, not just in individuals
This responsibility sits with me as the person holding up power.
2. Inclusion Through Structure
Inclusion is not created by intention alone.
It is supported through:
clear boundaries and expectations
explicit consent practices
pressure-aware facilitation
multiple ways to participate
structures that do not rely on confidence, familiarity, or privilege
These practices are outlined in Safeguarding & Care and Ethics.
3. Accessibility and Scope
I pay ongoing attention to accessibility, including:
physical, cognitive, and emotional access
financial and time-based barriers
communication styles and learning needs
I am also clear about the limits of what I can offer.
Not all spaces can meet all needs, and naming limitations honestly is part of inclusion.
4. Accountability When Harm Occurs
Despite care and intention, harm can still happen — particularly where power and difference intersect.
When concerns about exclusion, bias, or harm are raised:
they are taken seriously
they are not dismissed as oversensitivity
they are not reframed as personal conflict
they are addressed through process, not defensiveness
Routes for raising concerns are detailed in Concerns, Feedback & Accountability.
5. Ongoing Learning and Unlearning
Equity and inclusion are not fixed achievements.
I remain in:
learning around systemic oppression and power
reflection on my own positionality and blind spots
willingness to change practice when something isn’t working
openness to feedback without requiring others to educate me
This is an ongoing responsibility, not a statement of arrival.
What This Policy is and What It’s Not
This policy is:
a commitment to ethical responsibility
an acknowledgement of systemic power
a framework for accountability and care
This policy is not:
a claim of neutrality or perfection
a promise that harm will never occur
a substitute for safeguarding or accountability processes
a demand that anyone educate or accommodate me
Relationship to Other Policies
This policy sits alongside and is supported by:
Ethics — how power and responsibility are held
Safeguarding & Care — how harm is prevented and addressed
Code of Ethics — the standards guiding my practice
Concerns, Feedback & Accountability — how impact is responded to
Cancellation & Participation Policy — how boundaries and commitments are held
These policies work together.
Inclusion is not treated separately from power, care, or accountability.
Closing
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in this work are not about being correct.
They are about:
making power visible
reducing unnecessary harm
holding responsibility where it belongs
and staying accountable when impact occurs
That is the standard I work to.