Democracy Lab: Exchange is a platform where we discuss important topics, share ideas, and build connections around community-led change.
The topic for our September 2021 was ‘Beyond Cultural Competence’. We began with speakers Anam Javed, Chris Christoforou as well as Deb Chapman and Aileen Traynor from SSSowing Sistas: living together on stolen land. Following their stimulating short speeches, we had a larger group discussion about the topic and what follows is a brief synopsis of the discussion.
To begin, why discuss Cultural Competence?
It comes from the observation that, too often, when organisations are experiencing some kind of ‘diversity deficit’ their go to answer seems to be some form of cultural competence training or answers that focus on the cultural group or groups that are the subject of this ‘deficit’. This training, or lens, assumes that if we ‘understand’ more about people from different cultures we can better address the issue at hand. In this forum, we considered whether, rather than these quasi-anthropological undertakings, there might be more value in using a mirror rather than a lens – that is, looking within ourselves, or the systems we work in, and addressing underlying (and sometimes unconscious) bias.
This is not suggesting that cultural competence doesn’t have a role, of course there is value in having some appreciation for different cultural norms and frames of reference. But this ‘competence’ isn’t going to stop inherent exclusion – or stop us as individuals from making mistakes – because creating spaces where all feel culturally safe and that they can make an equal contribution is far more complex than (and I’m really generalising here) whether to hand over a business card with one hand or two. We need to go a little bit deeper than that, there needs to be reflection of how systems might be unintentionally creating exclusion and how we as individuals might be perpetuating (and actually even unconsciously benefiting) from that exclusion.
Our speakers offered some great insights, any synopsis cannot do them justice, but here are just some snippets:
Anam – it’s all well and good to have our food festivals, but the real test of how we’re traveling in that regard, really lies in how we act in moments of pressure and when personal gain is at stake.
Chris – I think there is an acknowledgement at the moment that the old ways of conceiving diversity do not work, we need to move beyond valuing people’s diversity in ways that are quite stereotypical and don’t really empower people but instead constrict them to this very traditional notion of what culture is.
Deb and Aileen – Cultural competency is not enough because it doesn’t change the power dynamics. It doesn’t look at the role, and the story of race in our lives, it’s ongoing impact and the power imbalance that comes with that… the idea that we can be good people, and be racist, because of how this country was formed and the fact that it’s embedded in all of our systems.
Even if you have a seat at the table…
One of the key considerations of the forum was that even though we might invite people into spaces, have them attend a consultation, invite them to be part of a group or employ them in an organisation, this does not automatically mean they are able to participate fully and equally.
We discussed how good practices are at all levels of the organisation starting with the very top with leaders. People need to feel culturally safe, heard and seen – this means sometimes changing practices, and accepting that perhaps more work will be needed, or there might even be push-back that needs to be addressed. But if we are genuinely committed to inclusion, expecting people to just fit into the status quo is no longer good enough.
Linked to our previous forum on Representation, we were reminded that it is important to be self-reflective and create spaces for a variety of different perspectives, values and approaches… and importantly, not take up space just because we have more agency or a louder voice, but instead, help make spaces that others can step into.
Challenge, stretch, learn.
We asked ourselves – what can we do? The answer is both straight-forward and challenging. We need to call out simplistic approaches to inclusion when we see them and highlight that they aren’t going to address the root cause. When we are faced with organisations or leaders who say they are ‘inclusive’ we should ask ‘tell me what that looks like in practice for you?’ or ‘Tell me more about what actions you are taking to create that inclusion?’. Or maybe these are questions we need to ask ourselves – and push ourselves, our colleagues, and our leaders to think deeper about what is creating exclusion and how to address it.
This will inevitably mean we will sometimes feel uncomfortable – we have to accept this. But at the very least we are laying the ground for further conversations and shifting people’s perceptions away from the simplistic answers to these far more complex issues.
Ultimately, pages and pages of notes would not do this topic justice. It was a discussion I was glad we had, but obviously only scratched the surface. Hopefully it was a catalyst for many more conversations, ones that lead to change and deeper reflection of unconscious bias and the systems that support exclusion.
Further reading:
Highly recommended getting a copy of the book Living on Stolen Land by Ambelin Kawaymullina which can be purchased here
There are some extracts of her poems on Listening and Humility you can read here
Here are some Facebook groups that were shared at the forum which you might want to follow:
Moreland Reconciliation Network
Women Acknowledging Women