Later this year, I am to speak at a conference for learning & education professionals. “You can have 90 minutes William“, I was told, on any equality and diversity topic of your choice”
So, I have put 10 snappy options for a pre conference vote in front of the potential audience. 10 options I have used successfully but never all at once in front of various gatherings down the years. I have threaded in legal, economic, demographic and cultural considerations. And also the new driver from the Arts Council, the “Creative Case for Diversity.”
The audience can decide which topic they want and then off I will go for 90 minutes with their interactive input. Here they are. What would you choose? Why?
Option One – Breaking News on the Equality Act. Latest legal & political changes. Implications for education and training providers. Crystal balls on the table! Links to employment and welfare laws reforms.
Option Two -Communicating well with others – Cultural communication including body language/tone and words from a western/ non western point of view. Thumbs up in the UK conference locality means ok. In Brazil something very rude! Various techniques would be imparted. This will be rooted in demographic facts for and about the social/community atlas around the conference area.
Option Three -Examples of best practice with equality impact analysis of lesson plans/access to the curriculum/embedding equality and diversity into course content. Case studies around narrowing the achievement gap! A London College and the Olympic Village come to mind or Third Year female engineering students returning to their first school to teach the girls how to make a Ferris Wheel.
Option Four – Harassment and Bullying -Provisions within law/The growth of cyber bullying/Techniques to challenge difficult and unacceptable behaviour. Abolition of Third Party Harassment and potential for Environmental Harassment to come more to the fore. Social Media and Employment Issues.
Option Five – A lively equality and diversity audit covering corporate governance/human resources/access to services/service user-student involvement/stakeholders-partnerships/bullying and harassment . 24 questions in all. Action needed individually and collectively after the event.
Option Six – Learning from the Bar? – Inns of Court are developing new ways of working -do's and don'ts with vulnerable witnesses and those with learning difficulties. For example if you say to someone who is Autistic "put the court in the picture", you will get a look of injured surprised. Some vulnerable people as a coping strategy will say "yes", when they mean "no" etc. Transferable learning points/techniques for those involved in training and teaching?
Option Seven – Economics of Equality & Diversity. Rainbow Currency. A spotlight on the blue/pink/purple and ethnic £££s. A look at local currency and indeed national considerations such as the Polish £££. A cost benefit analysis with a focus on what you will lose if diverse people cannot get into the damn place to access the goods, facilities and services on offer! The impact on recruitment AND retention of staff, customers and volunteers.
Option Eight – Choose a number -1 to 24. Each number has a title related to a real tribunal or a county court case. Ask the audience to speculate what equality or diversity issue lies behind the label. Then tell the case story. So ‘Julie and the Joiner”, “Two crucifixes cross the English Channel”, “ Not that toilet!”, “Boiled ham sandwiches cascading around the rest of the tray” etc etc.
Option Nine – Live theatre. Drawing on my am dram skills, the appropriate use of Role Play in training and teaching. Mrs Buggins meets Jack the Lad. Freeze the action in instalments -seek audience feedback or predictions about what comes next in the cameo roles. Invite someone on to the stage.
Option Ten – What would you choose and why? Or would you choose something else? Why?
