There is now talk of voluntary sector leaders, membership associations and infrastructure bodies coming together to tackle the diversity deficit in the voluntary sector. That’s a good start. Here are some questions for them:
(1) What is your collective definition of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?
(2) What’s your collective “theory of change” that takes account of what hasn’t worked over the past 20+ years? https://newreciprocity.com/2018/03/26/inertia-a-timeline/
(3) Given the history of talk, toolkits and little change on this issue, what’s going to be different this time?
(4) How are you going to coordinate, collaborate and combine your various initiatives to reduce waste, maximise resources and minimise “brand ownership” of this issue? In the last 2 weeks alone we have had:
- Draft Code of Ethics (NCVO) https://www.ncvo.org.uk/code-of-ethics-draft
- Leading with Values (ACEVO) https://www.acevo.org.uk/leading-values-safe-organisational-culture
- Racial Diversity in the Charity Sector (ACEVO) https://www.acevo.org.uk/2018-publications-and-reports/racial-diversity-charity-sector
- Walking the Talk on Diversity (NPC) https://www.thinknpc.org/publications/walking-the-talk-on-diversity/
- Ethics in the Charity Sector (IBE) https://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_63_ethics_in_the_charity_sector.pdf
(5) How are you going to lead the sector to create noticeable change that goes beyond, at best, the cosmetic?
(6) How are you going to involve currently marginalised people and organisations to create and implement solutions?
(7) What action plan are you going to agree now to make real change on this issue in a small number of years rather than a small number of generations?
(8) How are you going to measure the impact of the action you will take individually and collectively?
(9) Data exists to show some of the key diversity deficits in our sector. How are you going to account to the sector for what does and does not change in that data each year for at least the next 3 years?
Mutuality and Reciprocity 
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